Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra Cucullaria Whittingham WMA 4/17/2021
Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis May
Spicebush Lindera benzoin April
March 22, 2021 - It is already green and a single flower!    What is it?    Bluet    Houstonia caerulea
Spring Beauty 4/28/2020, Pennington Loop Trail
Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis, Spring
Round Lobed Hepatica Anemone americana, Sourland Mountains 4/14/2018
Rue AnemoneThalictrum thalictroides

We now have a wonderful new website. This old site will remain until all the information we want is transferred to the new site. This site will not be updated. If some information fails on the new website, it can be obtained from here.


Webinar Recordings

All of our webinar recording are listed on our
All About Natives Page .
Our Recent Webinars Now Available:

  • Mike Van Clef 5/18/2022 webinar recording on "Native Plants and the Invasive Plants They Replace " Includes his handouts.Click Here
  • Kate Brandes 4/27/2022 webinar recording on "Native Plants for the Small Yard " Includes her book list.Click Here

"Plant Profiles & Photos" - Please note

The "Plant Profiles & Photos" have been redirected to another website www.AwesomeNativePlants.info. Also we are starting a collection of "Gardener News" reprints. This was done to facilitate upgrade of this website. Questions: email: webmaster@npsnj.org


  2022 Plants of the Year  

  • Bog AsphodelSpecial & rare plants of NJ category: Bog Asphodel, Narthecium americanum with 45% of the votes. Learn More!.


  • Downy ServiceberryNative perennials for your backyard habitat category: Downy Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea with 38% of the votes. Learn More!.

Previous descriptions and images Click here



DEER impact

The out of balance population of deer not only devestates our gardens and forests, but also our farmers and so our economy and our food. Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station presents a new study highlighting “White-Tailed Deer and the Hidden Costs to Farmers’ Livelihoods: A Case Study of New Jersey Stories.”
Read More

New Plant Lists

See all our plant lists Click Here



Rare in the Wild - Wild in Cultivation

Phacelia bipinnatifida - Purple Phacelia

Phacelia bipinnatifida, Purple Phacelia -  flowers Purple phacelia's conservation status is G5(Globally secure)/New Jersey S1 (Critically Imperiled). Since this plant does not seem to require very special conditions, purple phacelia is a good candidate for restoration. Citizen scientists could be utilized to secure the survivial of this plant in New Jersey. Click here to learn more. Also see our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos


Slowly Disappearing

Trollius laxus ssp. laxus - Spreading Globeflower

Trollius laxus ssp. laxus   Spreading Globeflower Spreading Globeflower is a spring blooming rare plant that grows in wetlands such as fens or along the edges of swamps that are fed by highly alkaline groundwater. This subspecies is globally rare with a subspecies ranking of T3S1. The populations have been declining Click here to learn more.. Also see our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos




Uncommon but Big

Xerophyllum asphodeloides - Turkeybeard

Xerophyllum asphodeloides - Turkeybeard This plant grows 2 to 5 ft tall and in New Jersey it can be found in the Pine Barrens. The plant takes several years to flower, but when it does, it dies after fruiting. It blooms late May/early June. Learn more and see closeups of the flowers. Also See our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos



Tiny but Unique

Panax trifolius - Dwarf ginseng

Panax trifolius - Dwarf ginseng This perennial plant is only about 8 inches tall and if you look carefully those flowers are all male. Dwarf ginseng has bisexual flowers too on separate plants. If you look at a population, you will find flowers with only pistil! Each growing season, the sex may be different! It blooms late April to May. Read more and learn about this unusal plant.. Also See our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Find out everything there is to know about the native flora of New Jersey, learn from the experts on native plants, get the latest on interesting activities near you, or join one of the many opportunities to participate in the growing national native plant movement — right here in the Garden State.

The Native Plant Society of New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey. Founded in 1985, we have hundreds of members across the state, and are organized into county and regional chapters. Our members include gardeners, horticulturists, naturalists, landscape designers, students, and native plant enthusiasts from all walks of life.

We conduct regular lectures and presentations with featured speakers on topics ranging from introduction to native plants, gardening with natives, identification and appreciation of the beautiful flora and ecosystems of New Jersey, ecological landscaping, and much more. Our annual meeting is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the native plant movement in New Jersey. We organize nature walks and garden tours, dispense advice on design and maintenance of native gardens and landscapes, and have helped establish native plant gardens around the state.