Natives vs. nativars

Enthusiasm for habitat and pollinator gardening has ignited new interest in native plants as consumers discover relationships between gardens and the wildlife they support. Straight native species aren’t the only plant options in the limelight. Ornamental native plant cultivars, increasingly referred to as “nativars,” are gaining attention, too. But that popularity comes with a few questions. Having your staff ready with answers can help both you and your customers reach native and nativar goals.

What is a nativar?

It’s been a decade since Allan Armitage coined the term “nativar” to refer to cultivated varieties of native plants. In its early years, some native plant purists co-opted the label as a way to distinguish cultivars from what they saw as more worthy “true natives.” It took a few years, but that usage lost its steam. The gardening public is embracing the nativar label and the plants it represents.

Melding “native” and “cultivar” into a single catchy title has helped reconnect longstanding landscape stalwarts such as Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' and Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm’ with the habitat movement and breathe new life into their native roots. At the same time, the native connection is fueling stunning new introductions that give plant lovers the best of natives and ornamentals combined.

Plant breeder and introducer Brent Horvath, owner of Illinois-based Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, is head over heels for nativars. He points first to their hardiness and then to the wide range of native plant variability that opens the door to vast ornamental potential. Native grasses, which have given life to several Horvath nativar introductions, epitomize the diversity in height, form, in-season leaf color, and fall color found in native species.

“I just love that variability. I love looking at all those possibilities, and I love putting together new plants – new nativars,” he explains.

For Horvath, and many native plant growers, cultivation doesn’t disqualify nativars from native status. The true distinction between the two comes back to variability for him. Once selected, nativars generally are vegetatively propagated, while a native stand maintains its natural diversity.

“I don’t think it makes it any less native,” Horvath says. “It just happens to be selected for a showier or better attribute, but they’re still definitely native plants.”

Click here to read the full article in our December issue. 

Photo: Ascleplias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' provided by North Creek Nurseries