Go Native: the Business of Native Plants

Cammie Donaldson
  • 4.6 (10)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Where future native plant pros go for insights on growing, planting and selling native plants for a living. Learn from the successes and failures of native plant industry leaders and pioneers. Brought to you by the Native Plant Horticulture Foundation, working to help every community become sustainable with more native plants and native plant professionals.

  1. 08/02/2023

    National network of native plant growers and more

    Learn about the Native Plant Connection, a nationwide effort to grow, inform and advance the native plant industry. Find out how you can get involved.

    5 min

  2. 07/05/2023

    Danny Perkins, Perkins Direct Step, Perkins Nursery

    Many nursery owners have lost small fortunes pursuing a plant they thought sure to be a hit in the marketplace. Danny and Debbie Perkins found success by devoting their resources to a small number of very useful native species. One in particular, the Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens, a shrub palm of the southeastern U.S., surprised everyone. Well, almost everyone. Danny's dad warned him. Learn how the Perkins have navigated the nursery industry for well over 40 years and built a very good business with native plants.

    28 min

  3. 06/07/2023

    David Drylie, Green Images Native Landscape Plants

    David has spent over 42 years growing, selling and designing with native plants. He started his career as a native plant grower when, as a young landscape architect, he couldn't find the plants he wanted to use on his design projects. He is a pioneer of Florida's native plant movement and personally responsible for at least one of our most popular native plant introductions, muhlygrass.

    29 min

  4. 05/03/2023

    Troy Springer, Springer Environmental Services

    Troy started his first landscaping business when he was still in high school, and evolved a conventional mowing maintenance business to one focused on designing, installing and maintaining native landscapes that are both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional as it relates to ecosystem services. Now, he's expanding his operation to offer retail native plant sales in his community.

    25 min

  5. 04/05/2023

    The National Native Seed Conference, Gage LaPierre

    A little different format: Gage LaPierre, founder of the University of Florida's Native Plant Nursery on the campus of the Natural Areas Teaching Laboratory has just returned from the National Native Seed Conference in Washington, D.C., and has lots to share about seed partnership, seed strategy and the need for seed. Native seed.

    26 min

  6. 03/01/2023

    Bruce Turley, a Greater Tampa Bay native plant legend

    Wilcox Nursery & Landscape, a retail landscape nursery in Largo, Florida, is constantly expanding and evolving to bring better plants and possibilities to its Greater Tampa Bay customer base. Hear how Bruce Turley spent nearly 50 years learning the business, buying it from his former employer, transforming it with native plants, generating demand for new design services and finally, successfully transitioning Wilcox to a fourth generation of ownership.

    35 min

  7. 02/01/2023

    Laurel and Annie Schiller Florida Native Plants Nursery

    Mother daughter duo Laurel and Annie Schiller describe the evolution of their retail native plant nursery, Florida Native Plants Nursery in Sarasota, Florida, now in its 40th year and third generation of management. Learn how this rural, family-owned business works to support a healthy, nature-connected lifestyle for both its owners and their customers. Laurel and Annie talk about creating a destination to attract committed customers, the importance of education and enjoying people as well as plants, and the need to remain flexible in an unpredictable world.

    34 min

  8. 12/31/2022 · BONUS

    Happy New Year - transition in Go Native

    The one constant in our lives is change. We'll have a new host for Go Native in 2023. Join us in saying thank you and goodbye to our amazing inaugural host, Mitzy Sosa, and find out what's coming up next.

    4 min
See All (19)

Trailer

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Where future native plant pros go for insights on growing, planting and selling native plants for a living. Learn from the successes and failures of native plant industry leaders and pioneers. Brought to you by the Native Plant Horticulture Foundation, working to help every community become sustainable with more native plants and native plant professionals.

Information