Turn Your Yard into a Certified Native Habitat
Every native plant makes a difference. Wild Ones certifies gardens of all sizes that support native plants, local wildlife, and sustainable gardening practices. Whether you’re just getting started or stewarding a mature landscape, your garden can join the movement.
By certifying your habitat, you celebrate your commitment to biodiversity, spark meaningful conversations with your community, and help fund Wild Ones’ mission to promote native landscapes through education, advocacy, and collaborative action.
How to Apply for Certification
Becoming a Certified Native Habitat is easy, and your garden doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference.
What You’ll Need to Apply:
- A list of native plants in your garden (species names preferred)
- A short description of your garden’s story or intent
- At least one photo of your garden
- Agreement to regenerative gardening practices (like leaving the leaves, avoiding pesticides)
- A $50 certification fee
- An active Wild Ones membership (join or log in before applying)
Want to prepare ahead of time? Download our Self-Assessment Checklist
What Qualifies?
Certification is open to all gardens that are either already composed of at least 75% native species
or are actively working toward that goal through ongoing planting and removal of non-natives.
To be eligible for certification, your habitat should:
- Be stewarded by an active Wild Ones member
- Use mostly native plants (75% of your planted species, or actively working towards it)
- Support local wildlife and pollinators by providing food, shelter, and a place to raise young
- Incorporate regenerative gardening practices such as avoiding pesticides, reducing runoff, and leaving the leaves
We know every garden is unique. Habitats at all stages of development, from container gardens to rewilded acres, are welcome to apply. The program is intentionally flexible to encourage a diversity of landscapes and situations.
What Is a Native Plant?
Wild Ones defines native plants as species that naturally occur in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat prior to European settlement. These plants evolved alongside local wildlife and contribute essential ecological benefits, from feeding pollinators to supporting soil health.
Certification guidelines further define native plants as:
- Regionally appropriate: Indigenous to your state and ecoregion
- Ecologically intact: Preferably a straight species rather than cultivars or hybrids
- Locally sourced: When possible, choose plants grown from local genotype seed or stock.
Native plants are essential to biodiversity. They provide food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for wildlife that non-native plants cannot, supporting everything from insects and birds to soil organisms and fungi. When you choose native, you restore the web of life that once thrived where you live.
Certification Process
To certify your habitat, simply submit your application through our secure online platform. Our staff will review your submission within 2–3 weeks and follow up by email with next steps. If approved, we’ll ship your Certified Native Habitat sign directly to you.
See What Certified Habitats Look Like
Burnsville, Minnesota
Bloomington, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
Explore more member garden profiles
Our Vision: 5,000 Gardens for the Wild
Wild Ones is on a mission to certify 5,000 native habitats across the country. Each certified garden becomes part of a larger conservation network that restores biodiversity, supports pollinators, and creates ecological corridors in urban and rural areas alike.
8 are awaiting review
When you certify, you’re not just planting a garden— you’re part of a movement of native planters growing healthier landscapes!
Join the Movement
Certifying your native habitat and displaying a Certified Native Habitat Sign is a step towards connecting with a community of like-minded individuals who are making a real difference. It is a declaration of your commitment to the environment and a call to action for others to join in the movement towards more sustainable living practices.
Join us in making a statement and a difference. Certify your garden today and be a proud part of a community dedicated to the celebration of native plants and natural landscapes. Together, we can inspire change, one garden at a time.
About the sign
Included with your certification, you will receive a garden sign to display your commitment to supporting native habitats. The graphic featured on the Certified Native Habitat sign is original artwork, “Roots” by Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter member Janet Wissinic. The illustration depicts how native plants such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), and other herbaceous perennials have deep and extensive root systems while turf grass does not.
Long-time Wild Ones members might recognize this art from merchandise available in the early 2000s. Looking for new Wild Ones branded merchandise? Shop here.
