NICE! Native Plant Partners: Where to Buy Texas Natives You Can Trust
The short version
- NICE is a program run by the Native Plant Society of Texas. Nurseries that qualify are listed as Native Plant Partners.
- There are 73 NICE partners across Texas. They focus on true natives and correct labeling.
- Pollinator Patch shows the nearest 10 nurseries to your zip and badges NICE partners. The full list of 73 is in the app and on the website.
The Native Plant Society of Texas runs a program called NICE: Natives Improve and Conserve Environments. Nurseries that join get vetted and listed as Native Plant Partners. There are 73 of them across Texas. Here’s what that means and how to find them.
What NICE means
Big-box stores often sell plants labeled “native” that are cultivars or from out of region. NICE partners focus on species that are actually native to Texas (or your ecoregion). They’re expected to label correctly and follow sustainable practices. When you see the NICE badge, it means NPSOT has vetted that nursery as a Native Plant Partner.
Staff at these nurseries usually know the plants. They can tell you what works in your soil, how much sun something needs, and how it’ll look in a few years. That’s useful when you’re planning a bed or trying to stay within HOA expectations.
Finding NICE nurseries in the app
In Pollinator Patch, open the Plan tab and go to Nurseries. You’ll see up to 10 nurseries near you based on your zip. Any of them that are NICE partners show a NICE badge.
Below that list there’s an “All NICE! Native Plant Partners” section with all 73 partners grouped by NPSOT chapter. So even if the nearest 10 don’t include a NICE nursery, you can scroll through and find one in your area or one that ships statewide.
Full list on the website
The Pollinator Patch website has a NICE nurseries page with all 73 partners, their cities, and links. You can use it from your phone or desktop when you’re planning a trip to a nursery or comparing options.
NPSOT keeps the official list on their site. We sync with their partner list so the app and our page stay current.
Learn more in the app
The app’s Learn tab has a short guide called “NICE! Native Plant Partners” that covers what NICE is, why buy from partners, and how to find them in the app and on the web.