Nativar Garden

Nativar is a term created to describe cultivars of native plants. Sometimes a Nativar is a natural variant that has been found in the wild and brought into cultivation. Nativars have also been developed by plant breeders and would never be found in the wild. We display examples of both in this garden. Nativars are used in the landscape because of their enhanced ornamental characteristics like flower type, leaf color, shape and size. These characteristics can reduce the attractiveness to certain insects or inhibit pollination. On the other hand, characteristics like increased flowering can attract more insects and produce more seeds or fruit for habitat enhancement. The purpose of the Nativar garden is to encourage the conversation of how these cultivars are used in today’s gardens and the creation of home habitats for wildlife.