Preserve & Protect Rhode Island’s Native Plants & Their Habitats

Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine), DMcGrady

Our Native Plants

  • We provide opportunities to study and enjoy them.
  • We encourage and offer guidance in their cultivation and use.
  • We educate the public on their ecological and aesthetic values.
  • We support land preservation and practices fostering their natural communities.
Why native plants matter
What you can do

Sightings

Epigaea repens (trailing-arbutus), Exeter, RI

Doug McGrady, a RIWPS walk leader, is passionate about exploring plant communities in and close to RI. He also tracks rare and endangered plants for the Plant Conservation Volunteer Corps. Click image.

Follow a manual added link

Our Largest Sale!

THE BEST NATIVE PLANT SALE IN RHODE ISLAND

Saturday 4 June | 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

URI Botanical Gardens, Kingston RI

Parking at the Fine Arts Center Lot

Select from 150 different species of perennials, grasses, ferns shrubs and shrubs.   Details

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Upcoming Events

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Recent RIWPS News

Rites of Spring Adventure

Yes, the Trailing Arbutus was in bloom!
Read more

Beechwood Garden renamed in honor of Jules Cohen

Congratulations to Jules Cohen, former RIWPS president who founded this joint URI Master Gardener Project/RIWPS garden project.
Read more
Marvin DeJong

Further resources for Ecotypes, Ecoregions & Ecological Restoration from Sefra Alexandra

RIWPS March 5 Annual Meeting featured Sefra Alexandra's talk on Ecotypes, Ecoregions & Ecological Restoration. She underscored the pressing need to preserve the genetic diversity of naive seed populations
Read more

Resources

Find online resources and printed references from organizations that steward native plants, including the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, New England Wild Flower Society,  University of Rhode Island Outreach Center, Among Rhode Island Wild Flowers and, of course, RIWPS .

Grow

The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) has seed starter groups in Exeter, RI (Seed Starters West) and Portsmouth, RI (Seed Starters East). Seed starters cultivate most of the plants at RIWPS plant sales.

Both groups would welcome more members. Dig in the dirt in non-gardening seasons and enjoy constantly learning about native plants!

Explore

People of all botanical abilities are welcome at RIWPS events — beginners, experts, amateurs, and professionals. Come to enjoy and learn about wild plants.

Some RIWPS programs, especially the walks and workshops, can only accommodate a limited number of participants, however; so register early.