What is "The Big List"?
I’m delighted to announce that “The Big List” is now free to the public. The Big List is an unparalleled resource tracking all of the Washington-native plants that are commercially available, heavily categorized for use by home gardeners and industry professionals alike. This month I have surveyed the online inventories of 25-30 qualifying nurseries and seed companies in WA and OR, finding roughly about 2400 individual listings of over 900 species and subspecies of WA-native plants.
Included are companies that have native flora as their primary mission, regularly posting their current inventory. Excluded are companies about which I'm aware of credible concerns about labor or ecological impact.
Info in this giant, sortable spreadsheet include:
- the scientific name, common scientific synonyms, and a common name
- a clickable link to the species profile published on “The Burke” website
- categories of form (tree, shrub, aquatic, grass-like, etc) and general size
- floral traits: months of blooming, primary and secondary colors, and pollinators
- suitable habitats of various sun/shade and moisture conditions, plus extra focus on rock garden/wall and coastline.
- occurrence on the east, west, or both sides of the Cascade crest
- known ethnobotanical uses, such as food, dye, fiber, tools, and some medicinal
- species of caterpillar that could likely use it as a host
- other miscellaneous notes
How to Support The Big List
The Big List is a labor of love, and you can contribute financially to the continuation of the work
Suggested voluntary contribution levels:
$25 – 50 residential
$100 – 250 small landscaping (fewer than 10 workers)
$250 – 500 large landscaping (greater than 10 workers)
$500 – 1000 institutional / governmental
You can send funds via Venmo (@NobodyNursery, memo line "The Big List"), by card in the online store, or by check/cash (addressed to the nursery)
Screenshots from The Big List
