Explore Plants

About the Native Plant Information Network

Now, more than ever, there is a need to bridge the gap between people and the natural world, a need to foster understanding and appreciation of the plant world, and a need to provide local, regional, and national audiences with scientifically accurate resources about their native plant heritage. Since its inception in 1982, the Wildflower Center has fulfilled those needs beginning with a mail-order Clearinghouse and continuing with its modern-day equivalent, the Native Plant Information Network (NPIN) - the Wildflower Center's national web portal for native plant information and resources.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a regional native plant botanic garden with a national mission… to educate North America about the environmental necessity, economic value and natural beauty of native plants. NPIN fulfills this mission by assembling and disseminating information that will encourage the cultivation, conservation, and preservation of wildflowers and other native flora throughout North America. Unlike other plant information resources, NPIN is uniquely designed to inform a broad audience ranging from members of the general public such as homeowners, wildflower enthusiasts, and gardeners to practicing professionals such as botanists, land managers, and government personnel.

From its humble beginnings as the Clearinghouse, NPIN has entered a new phase of growth that takes advantage of a distributed network of contributors and is beginning to achieve its goal of becoming a “true” network bringing people together to share information about their native plant heritage.

Citing the Native Plant Information Network

Native Plant Information Network, NPIN (2011). Published on the Internet http://www.wildflower.org/plants/ [accessed October 20, 2011]. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas, Austin, TX.

Native Plants Database

With horticultural and botanical information on over 7,000 species, the Native Plants Database is the largest plant database of its kind in North America. A simple and efficient interface allows users to find plants by name, flower period, distribution, growing conditions, growth form or a combination of traits.

The Plant Image Gallery has grown to over 17,000 images making it one of the largest plant image gallerys in North America and the most visited feature in NPIN. As the gallery grows, so too does the number of requests for plant images from publishers, educators, scientists, and the public. Over the past three years, thousands of NPIN images were distributed for use in books, magazines, brochures, and educational materials.

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is NPIN’s newest feature allowing web visitors to submit or review plant questions online. Compared to the old email-based system of individual response, the new system has several advantages including better tracking and wider distribution of information. Do you want to start a water garden but don't know how? Want to stop your neighbor from mowing your wildflowers? Help is just a click away! Ask Mr. Smarty Plants or search our extensive database of frequently asked questions and answers!

How To Articles

Whether you are thinking of using native plants in your own landscape, around your business, or at your local school, our How To Articles have the information you need to get started.

In many areas, it can be hard to find a commercial source of native plants, or landscapers experienced in designing with them. To address this problem, the Wildflower Center has established the National Suppliers Directory connecting North Americans with over 2,700 businesses that sell native plants or seeds or provide professional landscape services.

As much as we would like everyone to visit the Wildflower Center, we realize there is a need to connect people with like-minded, plant-related organizations in their own area. The National Organizations Directory fills this need by providing information on over 560 native plant societies, conservation groups, garden clubs, and botanical gardens across North America.

Find floras, field guides, gardening, and other native plant publications appropriate for your area.