Grow a garden for the bees and butterflies
The Alberta Native Plant Council is helping Albertans build beautiful yards with native plants, instead of your garden-variety big box store plants.
June 1, 2026
Oil Sands Alliance is a proud sponsor of the 35th annual Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence. The awards celebrate the organizations, projects and individuals across Alberta working to address environmental challenges and build a more resilient and sustainable future. Support for environmental initiatives – big or small – helps drive environmental innovation.
We’re highlighting the finalists in our sponsored category: Public Education & Outreach. Our third and final: Alberta Native Plant Council for its interactive map helping drive the adoption of native plants.
Are you looking to level up your garden game this year? Try planting native plants. They are better for the environment, easier to maintain, and with help from the Alberta Native Plant Council (ANPC), you have the experts and resources to get started.
How to get started
The first step is planting the right seeds. Wildflower seed mixes from hardware stores often contain seeds from other countries that won’t survive an Alberta winter or, worse, could become invasive. ANPC takes the guesswork out of it.
Jillian Shearer, former ANPC Chair for Horticulture and Reclamation, noticed growing interest in native plants among Albertans, but there was a big gap in access to reputable suppliers. After years of collecting data, ANPC launched the Native Plant Suppliers and Demonstration Bed Interactive Map in 2025, making it as easy to find native plants as it is to find your local coffee shop. The map also shows verified native plant demonstration beds you can visit in person for inspiration.
“The map has already exploded with over 16,000 views, proving that Albertans are hungry for this information,” says Jillian. “The single greatest barrier to native plant gardening isn’t lack of interest — it’s lack of access. The ANPC map removes that barrier immediately.”
Why native plants?
Alberta native plants go way back – they were around in the ecosystems that existed here before the onset of European settlement. They’re part of the natural landscape, growing abundantly alongside roads and trails. They feed wildlife, protect against climate change, and support the whole food chain. They even clean water! Wetland plants can pull heavy metals and toxins out of storm ponds before runoff reaches rivers.
They’re also easier on your wallet and time.
“Homeowners will spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on non-native annuals that need to be re-purchased year after year,” says Jillian. “A native perennial garden may take time to establish but it comes back on its own. They need less fertilizer, less maintenance, and are naturally adapted to Alberta’s harsh weather extremes — from drought and intense summer heat to heavy winds, sudden temperature swings, and long winters. We’re gardening for resilience, not just aesthetics. Native plants are Alberta’s natural defense against the changing climate.”
Native plants also support local wildlife – many insects, including bees and butterflies – can only feed on or reproduce using specific native plants. The monarch butterfly – listed as a species at risk in Canada, depends entirely on showy milkweed to complete its lifecycle. By simply planting it in your backyard, you can help with their migration survival.
Dig in
APNC is entirely volunteer-run, with members ranging from career botanists and reclamation consultants to passionate backyard gardeners.
As part of their mandate to deliver educational programs and special projects to advance the understanding of native plants, they also host the Native Plant Garden Challenge, which encourages Albertans to dedicate even just a small patch of their garden to native plants. Since 2022, over 200 Albertans have officially taken the challenge, converting private land into pollinator habitat.
Beyond the backyard
Jillian believes the paradigm is shifting and we’ll continue to see more native planting.
“The ANPC is working with everyone – from urban homeowners and schools to Indigenous communities and large-scale restoration professionals. We’re building ecological literacy,” says Jillian. “When kids see native plants in their parks and yards, they grow up better valuing and understanding the need to protect our province’s natural heritage.”
By connecting homeowners in Calgary with the right seeds, ANPC is helping to stitch Alberta’s ecosystem back together one plot at a time. Next time you’re out, make sure to stop and smell the wildflowers – they’re doing more for the environment than you think.
