All Projects

Native Plant News

Does No Mow May Invite Invasives and Ticks to Your Yard?

April 27, 2026  |  Amber Jones

The term “No Mow May” seems to imply that helping our pollinators is as simple as that: not mowing. But there are drawbacks.

Mysterious No More: What’s Pollinating the White Bog Orchid

April 6, 2026  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

North America is home to over 200 species of wild orchid, but for such a beloved group of plants, it’s remarkable how little we know about their insect relationships. Half of our orchids have no known pollinator. That’s where studies like mine—plus help from volunteers like you—can help fill the gap. 

Community Science in Action: How I Recruited 700 Volunteers to Our Plant Ecotype Project

July 31, 2025  |  Onome Ofoman

The Adopt-A-Plant project paired native plants with volunteers eager to grow them in their backyards and report observations back to VCE.

New Study Shows Native Cherry Trees Better Support Native Moths

June 16, 2025  |  Alden Wicker

Native plants are great and all, but what if all they have at the garden center is a closely related, non-native species imported from Asia or Europe? A new paper by VCE biologist Desirée Narango has the answer.

VCE Begins New Plant Provenance Project

November 13, 2024  |  Onome Ofoman

To better understand how pollinators interact with plants from different provenances, VCE Conservation Biologists Desiree Narango and Ryan Rebozo have launched a new three-year project with the Native Plant Trust (NPT) with funding from the One Hive Foundation. Our new study involves establishing six experimental common gardens across the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire

Gardening for Bees

April 13, 2023  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

A guide this spring, for the do’s and don’ts of backyard gardening if you want to attract native bees.

Breeding Yard Birds More Successful with Native Plants

March 6, 2018  |  Kent McFarland

The idyllic setting for nesting songbirds in our backyards is one filled with native plants, according to research published last summer.

Choose Native Plants When Landscaping

May 20, 2015  |  Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Beyond the beauty new gardens provide, landscapers can make a big difference for wildlife with the plants they choose.