Local Ecotype Richmond Natives (LERN) provides education on the value of local wild plant populations to inspire conservation efforts. LERN grows and distributes plants propagated from locally collected seeds to benefit native flora and fauna in the Greater Richmond area.

LERN's plants are grown from seeds (not cuttings) from local wild plant populations within an area spanning approximately 60 miles. The map to shows this area (our “service area”) in green. Our service area includes the City of Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield Counties plus all cities and counties touching the Henrico and Chesterfield borders. This service area defines the area within which we will collect our seeds.

It is our hope that our plants will be planted within this same service area to best serve the ecosystem in which they have evolved. Our plants are intended for restoration projects on public lands as well as for homeowners, landscapers and nonprofits committed to supporting our local ecosytems.

Our service area actually spans two different US EPA Level III Ecoregions: Southeastern Plains (65) and Piedmont (45), shown in the map below. Ecoregions are areas with distinct habitats characterized by climate, geology, and soils – all of which determine the plants and animals that can live within the ecosytem. Plants that are native to a given ecoregion are essential for maintaining its biodiversity.

For a more in-depth discussion on native, non-native, and invasive plants as well as more details about the importance of local ecotype, please see our Resources & Plant Info page.

What Else does LERN do besides grow and sell native plants?

In addition to spending lots of our time growing plants, LERN provides education and information for the local Richmond area. We provide educational presentations on a variety of conservation landscaping related topics, hands-on workshops, lead plant walks at local native plant hotspots, and engage the community at local events with an environmental focus.   

We have several native plant restoration projects planned for this fall where our plants will be installed by volunteers at City of Richmond Parks. Additionally, LERN plans to organize and implement invasive species removal projects and native plant restoration projects.

To find out what we will be up to, go to our Events page, and to volunteer with us go to our Get Involved page.

The use of local ecotypes is a standard best practice in ecological restoration becasue it helps safeguard genetic diversity and local adaption in the species planted.

Natural resource professionals recognize the importance of using native plants of local ecotype for restoration of natural areas. However, today’s nursery industry is far from able to cover this ever-growing demand: The “native” plants they provide often originate from locations outside an ecoregion and are frequently cultivars of a species – which may not provide the ecological service that is necessary, and are also genetically identical.

LERN only provides straight species of local ecotype plants from within the greater Richmond area – many of which remain critical for the restoration of our local habitat, but are not available commercially. 

Our Team