Thriving Gardens, a regional plant guide online and in print, is now available to support residents, businesses, and communities in creating durable, beautiful landscapes in northeast Alabama, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee. 

The guide, a collaborative initiative of Thrive Regional Partnership (Thrive) and Homegrown National Park, features a selection of ferns, grasses, groundcovers, flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees that are natural to the tri-state region. Often called “native” plants, these representative species are beautiful, durable, attract and support wildlife, and enhance our human sense of wonder and literacy about the natural world.

The tri-state, greater Chattanooga region is home to a variety of native plants, ranging from towering oaks to petite and colorful species such as lobelias, asters, and phlox. Many of these plants provide food in the form of nectar and insect larva for bees, butterflies, and birds. By choosing local plants, communities can contribute to, not diminish, wildlife and public health.

Local plants provide several benefits to our yards and parks, including:

1. Easy maintenance: Native plants are adapted to the local climate, so they require less water and care.

2. Cost savings: Because they require less water and care, property owners spend less on gardening supplies and water bills.

3. Local wildlife: Native plants provide food and shelter for local animals like birds, butterflies, and bees.

4. Beautiful gardens: With a variety of textures and blooms, native plants make your garden colorful and full of life.

5. Environmental protection: Native plants have sturdy root systems that are adapted to local soil, helping to prevent erosion and reducing the need for chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers.

6. A sense of place: By blending with the surrounding environment, native plants add unique character to the places where we live, work, and play.

Native plants benefit everyone, including:

• Residents: watch  gardens come to life with beauty and a host of enjoyable and beneficial creatures.

• Businesses: advance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives by restoring ecosystems with native plants on their property

• Cities and counties: create vibrant outdoor spaces for public enjoyment 

The Thriving Gardens plant guide is designed to be adapted and shared in various use cases from municipal beautification planning, to corporate sustainability initiatives, to education materials. When adapting the materials, please give appropriate credit to the Thriving Gardens initiative as outlined on the website.

This collaborative initiative was supported by several co-sponsors, including: the Riverview Foundation, the Lyndhurst Foundation, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at UGA, the City of Chattanooga, the Paint Rock Forest Research Center, Reflection Riding Nature Center and Arboretum, the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, and WMWA Landscape Architects. 

The Thriving Gardens initiative is generously funded by the Riverview Foundation and the Lyndhurst Foundation.