There are many places to research and purchase native plants. Two local resources are Blue Stem Natives and Holly Hill Farm. All can be found online.  Regional resources include Native Plants Trust in Framingham, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Wild Cohasset and Nasami Farm in Whately. 

The Native Plants Trust plant finder is an invaluable tool to learn about what plants will fit into your local environment. Becoming a member of Native Plants Trust provides many opportunities. Their journals are informative. I enjoy walking in The Garden in the Woods (Native Plants Trust) in Framingham, particularly in the spring. when the Trillium is blooming. 

I have an app on my phone that offers information about the flowers as I walk. I can’t remember when I loaded the app, but if you become a member, you will find that there are many resources available. Another app to identify plants is iNaturalist. You can take photos with your iPhone and identify plants both native and cultivars. 

Native Plants for New England Gardens by Mark Richardson and Dan Jaffe is a great resource when you are starting out. Using this book can help you decide which native plants to purchase. You can find plants that will thrive in shade or sun, a dry or wet environment, whatever your yard presents. You’ll have more success if you purchase the plants that fit the conditions in your yard. 

The New York Times bestseller, Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W.Tallamy is very popular and filled with information about why you might decide to chose native plants.