JEFFERSON CITY – In 2025, the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native!® program is 25 years old. For a quarter century, this native plant education and marketing program has been a significant catalyst for the growth of the native landscaping movement in the lower Midwest and beyond.
Initiated in 1999 with the Conservation Federation of Missouri as the “Bring Nature Home” program, Grow Native! took root in 2000 under the auspices of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Through 2011, these agencies laid a strong foundation for increasing the supply of and consumer demand for native plant products and services, with the development of many native plant educational and marketing resources.
MPF became the Grow Native! home in 2012. Since then, the program has expanded beyond Missouri state lines to serve the lower Midwest. Just a few of the many accomplishments of the program during this time period include:
–Expansion of Grow Native! professional members, in membership and category of goods and services. For 2025, there are 190 professional members to date.
–Expansion of the Grow Native! searchable Native Plant Database, with 370 plant species (and more to come!)
–Establishment of the Grow Native! Professional Certification Program, Grow Native! Gardens of Excellence, 30 Top Ten native plant lists, 13 native garden designs, Native Landscaping Toolkit for Municipal Professionals, a popular webinar and master class series reaching thousands of peopleannually, and much, much more.
Former Grow Native! program committee chair Betty Grace, of Albany, Missouri, and a Grow Native! professional member and native seed producer since 2000 said, “Twenty-five years ago, Grow Native! introduced itself as the “go-to” resource in our region for learning about and taking action to revitalize landscapes and gardens using native plants. Many gardeners and land managers embraced the program’s goal. The momentum and impact of Grow Native!’s efforts—seen in gardens and landscapes across the lower Midwest—tell the story of the program’s history and its goals for increasing success in the years ahead.”
To kick off its 25th-anniversary celebration, the Grow Native! program shares the vibrant illustration (attached) by artist Melissa Bryant, commissioned to recognize this significant Grow Native! milestone. “It was such an honor to be asked to create a celebratory wreath for the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Grow Native! program,” said Bryant. “I was able to incorporate several faunal associations that highlight the interconnectedness and support systems of native species. This focus has been a driving factor in my own work recently, so any chance I can help get the message out through art, it’s a perfect partnership!” Learn about each species in the 25th Anniversary artwork here.
To learn more about the Grow Native! program and the events and other resources it offers, visit grownative.org or call 573-356-7828.