The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region - by Rick Gray & Shaun Booth (Paperback)

About the Book

"Gardening with native plants is perhaps the fastest-growing sector in the gardening world. More and more gardeners are discovering the pleasure and benefits of growing native plants, particularly for our dwindling pollinator and bird populations. The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region is unique in that it distills all the information essential for growing 150 species of garden-worthy native plants into a single, at-a-glance guide. For each profiled plant, this informative guide tells you: What conditions the plant needs for soil type, moisture and light, How big the plant will get, when the plant will be in bloom and what color the flowers will be, How to propagate the plant, Which pests a plant may be susceptible to, Which USDA Plant Hardiness Zones it grows in, The Species At Risk status of the plant in Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and What the wildlife value of the plant is, including whether it is a host for butterfly and moth caterpillars. A detailed description of the plant along with photos of the flower, leaf and seed head or berry help you to easily identify each plant and, unique to this book, a detailed map of the native range of the plant within the southern Great Lakes region -- including Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- helps to ensure success in the garden. A thorough introductory section covering subjects like shade requirement, naming conventions, plant hardiness zones and more, as well as a common name index and handy tables for quick reference, round out this comprehensive volume. Perfect for both armchair reading and trips to the nursery, The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region will be your go-to reference on native plants."--

Book Synopsis

A Globe and Mail Bestseller

Gardening with native plants is perhaps the fastest-growing sector in the gardening world. More and more gardeners are discovering the pleasure and benefits of growing native plants, particularly for our dwindling pollinator and bird populations. The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region is unique in that it distills all the information essential for growing 150 species of garden-worthy native plants into a single, at-a-glance guide.

For each profiled plant, this informative guide tells you:

• What conditions the plant needs for soil type, moisture and light
• How big the plant will get, when the plant will be in bloom and what color the flowers will be
• How to propagate the plant
• Which pests a plant may be susceptible to
• Which USDA Plant Hardiness Zones it grows in
• The Species At Risk status of the plant in Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania
• What the wildlife value of the plant is, including whether it is a host for butterfly and moth caterpillars.

A detailed description of the plant along with photos of the flower, leaf and seed head or berry help you to easily identify each plant. Unique to this book, a detailed map of the native range of the plant within the southern Great Lakes region -- including Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- helps to ensure success in the garden.

A thorough introductory section covering subjects like shade requirement, naming conventions, plant hardiness zones and more, as well as a common name index and handy tables for quick reference, round out this comprehensive volume. Perfect for both armchair reading and trips to the nursery, The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region will be your go-to reference on native plants.

Review Quotes

2025 AHS Book Award-- "American Horticultural Society" (3/18/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Prairie gardeners will find this a useful volume... Its comprehensive description of various plants, along with a plethora of data all located in one book, makes this book a useful addition to any gardener's reference library.--Evelyn Lundeen "Prairie Garden Magazine" (11/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

An ideal introduction and DIY guide for novice and experienced gardeners alike, this large format (7.5 x 1 x 10 inches, 2.79 pounds) profusely illustrated paperback edition of The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region from Firefly Books is a core addition and recommended pick for personal, community, college and university library Native Plant Gardening collections and will be the preferred reference on native plants for amateurs and professionals alike.-- "Midwest Book Review" (5/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

It's an all-in-one, easy to use resource for those interested in plants that not only look wonderful but fulfill a critical role in our gardens in supporting wildlife, birds, and pollinators like butterflies, moths, bees, and insects... A wonderful addition to my garden library, and to anyone interested in incorporating more native plants in their Ontario gardens.--Emma Murphy "Peterborough and Area Master Gardeners" (3/25/2024 12:00:00 AM)

This is the book I've been waiting for. As someone keen to learn about our native plants so I can create locally appropriate gardens and shorelines, finding information has been something of a treasure hunt -- a rummage through a mishmash of books, articles and websites to piece together a picture of what grows here... This book goes a long way towards solving that problem -- in a beautiful, useful format... It will become my go-to book as I put together the best plant palette I can.-- "Grounded Gardens" (4/3/2024 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Rick Gray is an avid gardener who over the years has created a fully native garden with over 300 species of native plants. He has a background in sales and marketing, which he taught at the community college level, as well as a bachelor's degree in Natural Resources Management and a masters in Environmental Biology. His website -- NativePlantGardener.ca -- features blogs, book reviews on native plant gardening books, and Plant of the Month articles.

Shaun Booth, who has a background in ecosystem management, runs an ecological garden design company and native plant nursery called In Our Nature. He uses his knowledge and experience to promote the benefits of native gardening through webinars, volunteering and his Ontario Native Plant Gardening Facebook group, which has over 22,000 followers. His website -- InOurNature.ca -- gets about 4,000 hits a month.