Native plants: Giving nature a helping hand

Growing native plants is a meaningful action that helps provide essential food and habitat for wildlife. But that’s not all! Native plants have evolved in step with local conditions, so they’re easier to grow and keep healthy as well as being pretty to attract pollinators (and impress your neighbours).  

This spring, gardeners who want to give nature a helping hand can purchase a selection of native plants from selected garden centres across southern Ontario and Quebec, thanks to WWF-Canada’s native plant program generously supported by Loblaw.  

Native plants are adapted to local conditions and have deep relationships with other plants and wildlife native to an area. They are essential for healthy landscapes and are the gold standard for attracting pollinators and restoring wildlife habitats. In addition, native plants support a vast diversity of insects, birds, mammals as well as healthy soil ecosystems and clean water. They’re also hardy and low maintenance (almost all are perennial), so they’re perfect to build all-season, gorgeous gardens that are more resilient to climate change and support wildlife throughout seasons. 

Jarmila Becka Lee, Specialist, Community Action, Restoration and Regeneration, WWF-Canada, says, “Increasingly, people in our communities are looking for ways to help wildlife and connect with nature while enjoying their outdoor spaces. We’re happy to help by working with local growers to bring native plants to Loblaw Garden Centres for the fifth consecutive year. Whether you're planting in a backyard garden or in containers on a balcony, patio or even a rooftop, each of these plants can make a difference for bees, butterflies and other wildlife by adding more valuable habitat to the landscapes where we live.” 

With native plants available in 132 of our garden centres(Open in a new tab) across southern and eastern Ontario and southern Quebec this year, many Canadians living in this ecozone can easily support biodiversity from their backyard, balcony, and beyond!    

If you’re interested in growing native plants, but not sure where to start, check out the free how-to resources on re:grow(Open in a new tab)! This WWF-Canada initiative also tracks your impact to show you how big a difference you, and gardeners like you, are making for nature and wildlife across the country. 

The Native Plants Program is one way Loblaw is helping to make a positive impact directly in the communities where we operate. When customers choose to incorporate native plants into their yards and gardens, not only are they enhancing the beauty of their communities, but they are also fostering local ecosystems.