Native Grasses & Ferns at Carolina Native Nursery
The Texture, Movement, and Structure of the Native Garden
While flowering plants often get the spotlight, native grasses and ferns are the plants that bring a landscape to life. They provide texture, movement, structure, seasonal interest, and essential habitat for wildlife, all while creating the natural beauty that defines healthy native plant communities.
At Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville, North Carolina, we grow thousands of native grasses and ferns on our NC mountain property. These often-overlooked native plants are some of the most valuable additions to gardens, pollinator habitats, woodland landscapes, rain gardens, and ecological restoration projects throughout the Eastern US.
Whether you’re looking for graceful native ornamental grasses, shade-loving native ferns, erosion control plants, or habitat-building species, our collection offers beautiful and ecologically important options for nearly every landscape condition.
Why Plant Native Grasses and Ferns?
Native grasses and ferns provide benefits that few other plants can match. They create the backbone of natural plant communities, offering year-round interest while supporting birds, pollinators, and wildlife.
Benefits of native grasses include:
- Four-season beauty and texture
- Habitat for birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects
- Erosion control and soil stabilization
- Drought tolerance once established
- Winter interest and movement
- Seed sources for songbirds and wildlife
- Excellent companions for native flowering plants
Benefits of native ferns include:
- Lush texture in shaded gardens
- Excellent groundcover for woodland settings
- Adaptability to difficult growing conditions
- Soil stabilization on slopes and streambanks
- Low-maintenance growth habits
- Year-round structure in the landscape
Together, native grasses and ferns help create landscapes that feel natural, layered, and alive.
Native Grasses for Beauty and Habitat
Native grasses are among the most versatile plants available for modern landscapes.
Popular native grasses include:
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
- Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
- River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
- Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
- Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus)
These grasses provide beautiful seed heads, seasonal color, wildlife habitat, and movement throughout the year.
Native Ferns for Woodland Gardens
Native ferns bring elegance and texture to shaded landscapes.
Popular native ferns include:
- Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
- Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
- Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)
- Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
- Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
- New York Fern (Parathelypteris noveboracensis)
These plants thrive in woodland gardens, shaded borders, streambanks, and naturalized landscapes where many traditional garden plants struggle.
Protect Native Plants in the Wild
As interest in native plants continues to grow, protecting naturally occurring populations becomes increasingly important.
We encourage gardeners and landscapers to purchase nursery-propagated native grasses and ferns rather than removing plants from forests, roadsides, meadows, or natural habitats.
Our plants are grown responsibly to help preserve wild populations while making these valuable species more accessible to gardeners and restoration professionals.
Leave native plants where they belong—and let us help you bring them into your landscape sustainably.
Native Grass and Fern Resources
Whether you're designing a pollinator garden, restoring a natural area, or creating a woodland retreat, we invite you to explore our educational resources.
Our Mission
Our vision is to become the premier resource for native grasses, ferns, and native plants throughout the Eastern US.
Through education, propagation, conservation, and responsible cultivation, we strive to help gardeners and landscape professionals create beautiful, resilient landscapes that support biodiversity and reconnect people with the natural world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Native Grasses and Ferns Matter
Native grasses and ferns play a critical role in healthy ecosystems.
Native grasses and ferns provide:
- Nesting habitat for birds
- Cover for wildlife
- Host plants for insects
- Erosion control
- Improved soil health
- Greater biodiversity
While flowers often provide seasonal color, grasses and ferns create the structure and ecological foundation that sustain life throughout the year.
Wholesale Native Grasses and Ferns
Are you a nursery, landscape architect, restoration contractor, municipality, conservation organization, or garden center looking for wholesale native grasses and ferns?
Carolina Native Nursery supplies native plants throughout the Eastern US and beyond. We work with wholesale customers on projects ranging from residential landscapes and commercial installations to large-scale restoration and conservation initiatives.
Our plants have shipped from Atlanta to Maine, from Lake Tahoe to international trial programs around the world.
If you’re searching for wholesale native grasses, native ferns, seed-grown liners, or hard-to-find native species, we’d love to discuss your needs.
Contact Carolina Native Nursery to learn more about current availability, wholesale programs, and custom growing opportunities.
Building More Resilient Landscapes
Native grasses and ferns may not always be the showiest plants in the garden, but they are often the most important. They provide the texture, structure, movement, and ecological function that transform landscapes from collections of plants into thriving ecosystems.
We invite you to discover the beauty and value of native grasses and ferns and see why they remain essential components of healthy Eastern landscapes.
