Native Plant Trust

Wayland, MA – April is officially recognized as National Native Plant Month, following a bipartisan resolution first passed by the U.S. Senate in 2021 and repeated annually, including this year. The designation encourages all Americans to understand, plant, and preserve native flora, which are essential to maintaining biodiversity, supporting pollinators, and preserving ecosystem health. While the national observance is held in April, Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization dedicated exclusively to native plants, supports this effort and is celebrating throughout April and May to align with New England’s peak spring bloom season and to offer expanded opportunities for public engagement, including a symposium, Trillium Week, and a full line-up of classes and events. Garden in the Woods, Native Plant Trust’s renowned botanic garden, is now open for the season.

In honor of national recognition of the importance of native plants and the organization’s 125th anniversary, Native Plant Trust will host a series of impactful events this spring designed to inspire, educate, and motivate individuals to support native plants. One of the highlights of the spring is Join the Movement: 125th Anniversary Symposium, a virtual event taking place on Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (ET). The symposium brings together leading voices in ecological landscaping and native plant conservation, including Edwina von Gal, landscape designer and founder of the Perfect Earth Project; Trevor Smith, regenerative landscape designer and design and education manager at Weston Nurseries; author and Native Plant Trust Director of Horticulture Uli Lorimer; and Dan Jaffe Wilder, author and director of applied ecology for the Norcross Wildlife Foundation. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or simply curious about the role native plants play in ecosystem health, this symposium will provide valuable insight and inspiration.

Twilight Trilliums is the centerpiece of Trillium Week, celebrated May 11–18, 2025, at Garden in the Woods. This vibrant seasonal event, now in its 10th year, features guided tours (free with Garden admission) and educational opportunities such as The Native Plant Trust Trillium Collection: An Inside Look which highlights the ecological significance and beauty of spring ephemerals—especially the iconic trillium. “Trilliums are arguably the most distinctive flowers in the forests and wetlands of New England,” notes Johnson. “Add to that their natural rarity and status as a harbinger of spring, and it is hard to imagine a better ambassador for New England’s plants. Trillium Week offers a rare opportunity to see the many color forms of all three New England species—Trillium erectum, Trillium grandiflorum, and Trillium cernuum—in a single location tucked under the canopy of towering hardwoods at Garden in the Woods.” Tour times and workshop details can be found here.

Native Plant Trust has named Skooby Laposky as its 2025 Visiting Artist. Laposky is a multidisciplinary artist and sound designer whose work—featured in Fast Company and The Boston Globe—translates natural systems into immersive sonic landscapes. At Twilight Trilliums, a one night-only event on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA, guests will experience a world premiere sound installation, created by Laposky specifically for the occasion and inspired by the spring bloom and surrounding forest. Tickets to Twilight Trilliums are $50 and include garden admission and refreshments.

Native Plant Trust’s newly released spring/summer course catalog offers a robust lineup of inperson and online offerings, from hands-on workshops to special events and lectures. The catalog is available for download now. In tandem with its spring programming, Native Plant Trust is proud to unveil Personalized Pathways, a new initiative designed to guide learners through a curated journey into the world of native plants. Developed by the organization’s Public Programs team, these pathways offer thoughtfully selected resources tailored to a wide range of interests and experience levels. Whether you’re a Curious Beginner, Gardener of Any Level, Environmental Advocate, or Landscape Professional, there’s a pathway to deepen your connection with native flora. Additional tracks support Educators and Caregivers seeking to engage the next generation, and Art Makers of All Experience Levels looking to channel their creativity through nature.

For tickets, registration, and additional information, visit NativePlantTrust.org. For media inquiries, please contact: Kathryn Acerbo-Bachmann, 617-309-8926, kacerbobachmann@NativePlantTrust.org

ABOUT NATIVE PLANT TRUST

For over a century, Native Plant Trust has been leading the movement to conserve native plants in the wild and use them in designed spaces. We do this to increase the beauty and resilience of New England and the planet. From our base in Massachusetts, staff and trained volunteers work throughout New England each year to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. We welcome visitors from all over the world to Garden in the Woods, our renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, MA. We also operate a nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts and manage six sanctuaries in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public. Please visit NativePlantTrust.org.