Plant Grant

Bona Terra Seedling Tray Plant Grant

Help support the Plant Grant with the gift of seeds to produce seedlings for our giveaways. By gifting us seeds, you know exactly where 100% of your donation dollars are going.

Below is a list of species we are accepting and some retailers that sell seed. If you know of any local seed sellers that carry species listed without a retailer, we would love to hear about them!

If you’re interested in gifting seeds to Bona Terra to support the Plant Grant, email us at plantgrant@bonaterradc.com with the species and quantity you want to gift and the retail source. We will check against our Plant Grant seed inventory and send you the shipping address and a confirmation of whether we are in need of those seeds.

If you’re interested in donating seeds you have collected, call Jeremy at (703) 407-0718 or hang tight while we work out a system that ensures that any donations meet our ecological standards.

Species NameCommon NameErnst Conservation SeedsBrandywine ConservancyPrairie MoonRoundstone Native Seed
Ageratina altissima White SnakerootX
Allium cernuumNodding OnionXXX
Amorpha fruticosaFalse IndigobushXXXX
Andropogon gerardiiBig BluestemXXXX
Aquilegia canadensisRed ColumbineXXX
Aruncus dioicusGoat’s Beard
Asclepias amplexicaulisClasping Milkweed
Asclepias exaltataPoke MilkweedX
Asclepias incarnataSwamp MilkweedXXX
Asclepias quadrifoliaFour-leaved Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosaButterfly MilkweedXXXX
Asclepias variegataRedring Milkweed
Asclepias verticillataWhorled MilkweedX
Asclepias viridifloraGreen MilkweedX
Baptisia australisBlue False IndigoXXXX
Baptisia australis var. minorDwarf Blue IndigoX
Boltonia asteroidesFalse AsterXX
Carex lupinaHop SedgeXXX
Cephalanthus occidentalisButtonbushXXXX
Cercis canadensisRedbudXX
Chamaecrista fasciculataPartridge PeaXXX
Chrysopsis marianaMaryland GoldenasterX
Coreopsis lanceolataLance-leaved CoreopsisXXX
Doellingeria umbellataFlat-topped White AsterXX
Eragrostis spectabilisPurple LovegrassXXX
Eryngium yuccifoliumRattlesnake MasterXXXX
Eupatorium albumWhite Thoroughwort
Eupatorium altissimumTall ThoroughwortX
Eupatorium capillifoliumDogfennel
Eupatorium hyssopifoliumHyssop-leaved ThoroughwortX
Eupatorium perfoliatumCommon BonesetXX
Eurybia macrophyllaBig-leaved AsterXX
Euthamia carolinianaSlender Goldentop
Eutrochium dubiumCoastal Plain Joe-Pye WeedX
Eutrochium fistulosumHollow Joe-Pye WeedXXXX
Eutrochium maculatumSpotted Joe-Pye WeedXX
Eutrochium purpureumPurple Joe-Pye WeedXXX
Gamochaeta purpureaSpoonleaf Purple Everlasting
Helenium autumnaleSneezeweedXXX
Helenium flexuosumPurple-headed SneezeweedXX
Helianthus angustifoliusSwamp SunflowerXXX
Helianthus divaricatusWoodland SunflowerX
Helianthus strumosusPale-leaved Woodland SunflowerX
Heliopsis helianthoidesFalse SunflowerXXXX
Heuchera villosaHairy AlumrootX
Hibiscus moscheutosSwamp Rose MallowXXXX
Hieracium gronoviiHairy Hawkweed
Hieracium venosumRattlesnakeweed
Hypericum prolificumShrubby St. John’s WortX
Hypericum pyramidatumTall St. John’s WortXX
Ilex verticillataWinterberryXX
Ionactis linariifoliaFlax-leaved Whitetop Aster
Kosteletzkya virginicaVirginia Saltmarsh MallowX
Lespedeza frutescensShrubby BushcloverX
Liatris pilosaShaggy Blazing Star
Liatris scariosaEastern Blazing Star
Lobelia cardinalisCardinal FlowerXXX
Lobelia elongataElongated Lobelia
Lobelia siphiliticaGreat Blue LobeliaXXXX
Monarda clinipodiaBasil Beebalm
Monarda fistulosaWild BergamotXXXX
Monarda mediaPurple BergamotX
Monarda punctataSpotted BeebalmXXX
Packera anonymaSmall’s Ragwort
Packera obovataRoundleaf Ragwort
Panicum amarumCoastal PanicgrassX
Panicum ancepsBeaked PanicgrassXX
Penstemon digitalisFoxglove BeardtongueXXXX
Penstemon hirsutusHairy BeardtongueXXX
Pycnanthemum incanumHoary MountainmintXXX
Rudbeckia fulgidaOrange ConeflowerXXX
Rudbeckia laciniataCutleaf ConeflowerXXX
Rudbeckia trilobaBrown-eyed SusanXXXX
Sambucus canadensisElderberryXX
Schizachyrium scopariumLittle BluestemXXXX
Senna marilandicaMaryland SennaXXX
Sisyrinchium atlanticumEastern Blue-eyed Grass
Smallanthus uvedaliaHairy Leafcup
Solidago caesiaWreath GoldenrodXXX
Solidago erectaSlender Goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulisZigzag GoldenrodXX
Solidago giganteaGiant GoldenrodXX
Solidago nemoralisGray GoldenrodXXXX
Solidago odoraAnisescented goldenrodXX
Solidago puberulaDowny Goldenrod
Solidago rugosaWrinkleleaf GoldenrodXX
Solidago speciosaShowy GoldenrodXXXX
Solidago squarrosaStout Goldenrod
Solidago uliginosaBog GoldenrodX
Spiraea albaWhite MeadowsweetX
Spiraea corymbosumShinyleaf Meadowsweet
Spiraea tomentosaSteeplebushX
Symphyotrichum dumosumRice Button Aster
Symphyotrichum lanceolatumWhite Panicle AsterX
Symphyotrichum novae-angliaeNew England AsterXXXX
Symphyotrichum patensLate Purple Aster
Symphyotrichum pilosumHairy White Oldfield AsterXXXX
Symphyotrichum puniceumPurple-setmmed AsterXX
Symphyotrichum racemosumSmooth White Oldfield Aster
Symphyotrichum shortiiShort’s Aster
Symphyotrichum undulatumWavy-leaved Aster
Tradescantia subasperaZigzag SpiderwortX
Tradescantia virginianaVirginia SpiderwortXXX
Verbena strictaHoary VervainXX
Vernonia giganteaGiant IronweedXX
Vernonia glaucaBroad-leaved Ironweed
Vernonia noveborancensisNew York IronweedXXXX
Yucca filamentosaAdam’s Needle Yucca

Group Plant Grant

The Bona Terra Group Plant Grant is an integral part of our overarching plant grant initiatives. Together with the Individual Plant Grant, our in-house Seedling Giveaway events, and our forthcoming Community-Led Satellite Seedling events, the Group Plant Grant is a vital component of our mission to annually place one million seedlings into the hands of our community members and in turn, put these seedlings into the ground to support our ecosystems.

Eligibility Criteria

The Plant Grant program is open to a diverse range of applicants who share the common goal of enhancing their communities with native plants. Eligible groups include not-for-profit organizations, garden clubs, schools, scout troops, gatherings of friends and family, or any collective with a sincere desire to introduce native flora into the local landscape.

Community Outreach Aspect

To qualify for the Group Plant Grant, the project must incorporate an element of community outreach. This can take various forms, such as planting on public land, maintaining demonstration gardens accessible to the public, or having a plan to plant on more than six private properties. For example, a group of friends can canvas a neighborhood and offer to plant one or more plants at each residence.

Location Requirement

Applicants should be located within a 150-mile radius of Washington, D.C. to participate in the Plant Grant program.

Experience and Plant Care

While prior experience in seedling division and plant maintenance is not mandatory, it can increase the likelihood of receiving the full requested allocation of plants.

Accessible Native Plants

Our aim is to make native plants accessible to as many people as possible, thereby contributing to the revival of our imperiled ecosystems. For this purpose, we are offering community pots in quart-sized containers containing tens to hundreds of seedlings  for your group to divide and plant. Our belief is that returning native plants to their rightful place within our ecosystems is a vital part of solutions to the current ecological crisis.

Primary Goal: Planting Native Species

The core objective of the Group Plant Grant is to empower your group or organization to personally plant native species in the ground. While you may have secondary goals for the granted plants, you  must have a primary plan that results in your group personally planting the majority of the seedlings in the ground to qualify. If your group is unable to meet this requirement, for any reason, please look into our individual Plant Grant, which is more flexible on this matter. Should any surplus plants remain after your planned plantings, we kindly request that you share them within your community. If plants are distributed beyond your organization, please accompany them with species-specific notes and information about Bona Terra.

Discouraging Sale of Granted Plants

We discourage the sale of granted plants, as our primary mission is to enhance local ecosystems and make native plants accessible to all. By sharing the life creating qualities and value of native flora, we collectively contribute to a healthier, more sustainable environment.

Secondary goals

Your secondary goals should be centered around community outreach and getting free plants into the community. This can include, but is not limited to distributing among your group members, giving divided and potted seedlings away at an event or other ideas you submit for approval. 

FAQs

What if my group will not be personally planting the granted seedlings?

If your group doesn’t intend to personally plant the granted seedlings in the ground and instead aims to distribute plants for others to plant, you have a few options. You can either apply for the individual grant, attend our giveaway events, or apply for our forthcoming Bona Terra Sponsored,  Community-led Satellite Seedling Event.

How many seedlings can you be granted?

There is no set limit. Allocations will be determined case by case. Factors we will consider will be, size of the project, your group’s answer to “demonstrate your group’s experience”, potential of your project’s community impact and size of group. More square footage, experience, impact and people involved = more seedlings granted.


Check out our Seedling Division Guide for instructions on how to divide seedlings, mix soil, and important factors to consider for the health and longevity of your native plant seedlings.


Check out the list of plant species in seedling trays we have available:

Local Ecotypes

  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  • Flat-top Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)
  • Hollow Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)
  • Seedbox (Ludwigia alternifolia)
  • Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
  • Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea)

Non-Local Ecotypes

  • Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
  • Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
  • Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
  • Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
  • False Aster (Boltonia asteroides)
  • Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
  • Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
  • Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
  • Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
  • Spotted St. John’s Wort (Hypericum punctatum)
  • Tall St. John’s Wort (Hypericum pyramidatum)
  • Stiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron rigidum)
  • Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
  • Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
  • Giant Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)
  • Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)
  • Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
  • Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis caroliniana)
  • Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamentosa)

Approval of this grant does not guarantee any specific species or number of plants on these lists. We will do our best to match your group with the best plants for your situation.

Plant Grant Application Form

Point of Contact Information: This is one person in your organization who will be responsible for relaying questions to and from the group, coordinating plant pick-up, and returning the seedling trays.

If no one in your group has experience dividing and maintaining seedlings, you can still apply. We will be holding seedling dividing demonstrations in June and August.


Volunteer at our Open Nursery Saturdays!

We are opening our nursery for plant purchases and seedling giveaways every Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm! We would welcome help in giving away seedlings to help get native plants in the ground.

Use the link below to access our Volunteer Sign-up Form!