🦋A journey fueled by milkweed and other essential nectar sources 🦋 See more photos and video from in Lilly’s winter trip to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, in her MPF blog post “Prairies to Peaks”: https://ow.ly/b6Ct50Yt4XR 𝐶𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡: 𝐿𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝐺𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 MPF, Grow Native!, and the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) are accepting nominations for our annual awards! All nominations must be received by April 30, 2026. Learn more here on our blog: https://ow.ly/P58A50YczJw

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟓: 𝐌𝐏𝐅 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐱: 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏 – 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 4:00 p.m. 1 GNPCP CEU. Register for part 1 here: https://ow.ly/7vbS50YsARL Part 2 on April 22, 2026. 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝐺𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟖 - 𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐎 We will hold a native plant sale at Runge Conservation Nature Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors: Gaylena’s Garden, Grindstone Wildflowers, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Ozark Soul, and Prairie Hill Farm. Pre-order here: https://ow.ly/FFVe50Ys6fR

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞! 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 Session on beginner-friendly native fruit trees including wild plums, persimmon, serviceberry, elderberry, black cherry, and others. March 11 at 4:00 p.m. Register here: https://ow.ly/pQuF50YojMC 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑦 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒

𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎 When you reach for your snips, instead of cutting all spent vegetation to the ground, leave 8- to 22-inch tall stems to provide nesting areas for stem-nesting native bees. Bees develop in the stems over the course of a year. New growth will hide the stubble.

For insights into the native landscaping process, read this interview with two CoMo Wild Yards Participants, including MPF's own Emily Gustafson: https://ow.ly/s3GX50YqpnH. View Emily's four-season yard tour recorded in 2023 on our YouTube. 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑇𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑒 (𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑒𝑎) 𝑏𝑦 𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝐺𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑓𝑠𝑜𝑛

🌻Our annual Grow Native! workshop (March 27, 2026 in Edwardsville, IL) will have 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 tables to visit! Attendees gain access to a half-day workshop on prairie plantings over breakfast + exhibits & merch sales. Register by March 13: https://grownative.org/.../southwest-illinois-workshop.../

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞! 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 Session on beginner-friendly native fruit trees including wild plums, persimmon, serviceberry, elderberry, black cherry, and others. March 11 at 4:00 p.m. Register here: https://ow.ly/pQuF50YojMC 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑦 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒

We would love to have you join us for ecology "over-easy" on March 27, 2026. Why yes, that does mean breakfast is provided! 🍳 Attendees also gain access to sponsor exhibits and Grow Native! merchandise sales -- register by March 13 here: https://ow.ly/s16z50Ym09K

Grow Native! professional member Bluestem Habitat Restoration is hiring a seasonal, part time Native Garden Technician. Flip through the gallery to see details.

🦋It's never to early to save the date! Grow Native! Supporting Member Monarch Watch will be hosting their Spring Open House & Plant Fundraiser for all ages on Saturday, May 9, 2026; 8:00am - 2:00pm CST. https://monarchwatch.org/events/openhouse/spring/

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Grow Native! joins MPF and the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) in accepting nominations for our annual awards! All nominations must be received by April 30, 2026. Learn more here on our blog: https://ow.ly/P58A50YczJw

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 & 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐬 Grow Native! is a proud PNL participant. Each year, the partners present in-person and virtual opportunities to help individuals create gardens that are beautiful and provide habitats for native wildlife. Learn more: https://ow.ly/Leil50YhGpr

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟓: 𝐌𝐏𝐅 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 Join Sarah Kendrick for a webinar on the Missouri Birding Challenge and learn about its origins, who participated, and what’s new for 2026. Wednesday, February 25 at 4:00 p.m. 1 GNPCP CEU. Register here: https://ow.ly/gkix50Yhmtv

MPF & the Grow Native! program's Lilly Germeroth joins in as a presenter at this upcoming workshop at the Dent County MU Extension Office on February 26, 1pm - 3pm. Capacity limited -- sign up here: https://ow.ly/mz0150Y7FO6

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟓: 𝐌𝐏𝐅 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 Join Sarah Kendrick for a webinar on the Missouri Birding Challenge and learn about its origins, who participated, and what’s new for 2026. Wednesday, February 25 at 4:00 p.m. 1 GNPCP CEU. Register here: https://ow.ly/gkix50Yhmtv

Grow Native! is happy to be included in the Kirkwood, MO Tree of the Year event celebrating Black Tupelo tree, also known as the Black Gum tree (𝑁𝑦𝑠𝑠𝑎 𝑠𝑦𝑙𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎). Learn more about this tree on grownative.org in our native plant database.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟕: 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞! 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩: 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬🦋Prairie for people, wildlife, water & more🗒️Native plant species lists🐝Residential prairie patches🌱Seeding prairie plantings🤝Staying involved in the native plant movement ✅Register here: https://ow.ly/5wCn50YcZf2

Pipevine update!! A couple weeks ago I shared the little miracle of Pipevine flowers I had found, now look at how much they have grown! This vine is the only thing that Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies will lay their eggs on as the season progresses.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 -- 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞! 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 This annual guide includes a native plant seller & services directory, provides tips on native plants to address specific landscaping situations, and more. https://ow.ly/ppqR50YcYTe

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Grow Native! joins MPF and the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) in accepting nominations for our annual awards! All nominations must be received by April 30, 2026. Learn more here on our blog: https://ow.ly/P58A50YczJw

Interested in working with us? Send a cover letter and resume to Tracy Twombly, owner, at tracy@ sowwildnatives.com.

𝐌𝐏𝐅 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬--𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬! The Missouri Prairie Foundation and Grow Native! program are proud to host an even bigger and better lineup of 10 native plant sales this spring. Participating vendors & pre-order details here: https://grownative.org/events/category/native-plant-sales/