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*Plants purchased from eBay may not be the species advertised (sellers make mistakes). Importing plants from other countries risks spreading pests and diseases.
What’s The Point?
What do we mean?
We thought that gardening was complicated enough for newbies, without dealing with terms like ‘perennial’, ‘biennial’ and ‘sedge’. So let’s make it clear and simple – why would you want to buy this plant? E.g. some ‘trees’ like Hazel are also good hedging and provide food.
Technical Plant Type
What do we mean?
We know that some of you like more detail, so here it is…
Annual plants live for one year, then set seed; biennial plants generally grow flowers in the second year, with leafy growth in year one. Perennial plants put down deeper roots and come back every year, provided they aren’t killed off by drought, frost or acts of God/dog.
Aquatic plants, climbers, ferns, grasses and trees are almost always perennial.
Flower/Fruit Colour
Flowering/Fruiting Period
What do we mean?
Many plants don’t just have colourful flowers, but beautiful fruits, too! Some have tiny flowers but big, bright bunches of berries. We thought it would be sensible to combine these two categories, so you can see which months of the year show the plant at its best.
Plant Height
Soil Type
What do we mean?
Different plants like different conditions for their roots, and some species aren’t suited to certain types of soil. It’s best to check this before planting, to avoid costly mistakes. Loam looks like compost, while clay turns slippery and mouldable when wet; chalk soils are pale in colour, found above chalk or limestone rock, and sand is, well, sandy.
Soil Moisture
What do we mean?
Roots are sensitive little organs, and some species of plant don’t like sitting around with wet feet, especially if they rely on processes at the roots, like mycorrhizal interactions. Waterlogged soils tend to have water puddling on the surface when it rains; moist soils are generally wet just below ground level and free-draining soils may be quite dry in the height of summer. And no, we don’t like the term ‘moist’ any more than you, but ‘damp’ doesn’t seem much better.
Sunlight and Shade
What do we mean?
Different plants have evolved for different levels of sunlight exposure. Just like humans, some species love soaking up the rays all day while others would rather live in a cellar. This is worth considering before you stick a sun-loving plant on a north-facing balcony or pop that delicate fern in the middle of the patio.
Species Status
What do we mean?
The species listed on Buy Native are, of course, native! That means they arrived on our island naturally, without human help, since the last Ice Age. This helped them to develop important relationships with our other native species – invertebrates, birds, mammals, fungi, etc, that make them crucial parts of a healthy ecosystem.
Is It Vigorous
This plant is moderately vigorous and over time may spread across sections of your garden.
What do we mean?
Just like introduced species, some of our native plants are very competitive – let them loose in your garden and they may well take liberties – we’re looking at you, Hedge Bindweed! We want to help you make an informed choice that avoids alienating the neighbours, which is why we also describe some, ah… enthusiastic species. Very enthusiastic species may not be available to purchase due to their unfriendly tendencies.
Remarks
Uses
Rewilding means creating diverse, beautiful gardens with native plants. These species evolved alongside British animals and fungi, so planting them creates nature-rich spaces, bursting with biodiversity.
Buy Native makes buying these hard-to-find native plants not just easy, but fun, too!
With our colourful interactive filters and beautiful plant profiles, buynative.co.uk was developed with novice gardeners (and kids!) in mind. It’s an inclusive experience that makes gardening accessible and nature-friendly, showcasing the best British growers who are dedicated to saving our beautiful native plants.
We believe gardens are a personal choice. Whether you like formal rows or naturalistic planting – that’s up to you. We’re just here to help you add value for nature – native plants are beneficial and beautiful, but far too few gardeners have access to them. Let’s fix that problem – let’s make it easier for people to garden with nature.
