by Phyllis Pollack
In an effort to encourage public awareness about the benefits of native plants to pollinators and other wildlife, to the economy, and to the health and sustainability of our fragile ecosystems, the Garden Clubs of America (GCA) launched a National Native Plant Month Initiative in 2022. This effort is ongoing and is a joint effort by horticulture and conservation in our 300 clubs across the country.
Advocacy has been a significant part of GCA history, with more than 100 years of conservation efforts and over 40 years of non-partisan lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill on environmental issues. Annual meetings of the National Affairs Legislation (NAL) are held in Washington D.C. where over 300 club delegates from across the nation gather to address legislative priorities “for plants and the planet”. This meeting is typically preceded by an (virtual) advocacy training day for all who are interested. Each year, seven to nine position papers are carefully researched and drafted on pertinent issues such as clean air, clean water, climate change, land conservation, native plants, etc. and are further summarized as “Talking Points” for the participants.
After an “Education Day,” where speakers from various NGO’s present their work (think Audubon Society, National Wildlife Fund), we go to Capitol Hill to hear from bipartisan legislators in both the House and Senate. Finally, delegates meet with their congressional representatives from both houses to discuss these issues and pending legislation. The process is both educational and exhilarating.
The National Native Plant Month Initiative was launched in 2022 when two co-coordinators (horticulture and conservation) were named for each state. They initially requested proclamations from the governors to celebrate April as Native Plant month in order to educate and raise awareness about the importance of native plants. Forty seven states and DC were successful in 2023 and 2024. (The proclamation for 2025 was recently approved in Massachusetts). To make this permanent, it was decided to then pursue legislation, led by Ohio. Currently there are seven states with bills including Ohio, California, Colorado, New Jersey, Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, plus ongoing efforts in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland as well as many others. Local bills have passed in 47 states. In addition, for a fourth year in a row, the US Senate is sponsoring a Resolution (similar to a proclamation) to name April Native Plant Month.
The first step for us in Massachusetts was to find a state legislator to sponsor and file a bill to establish a native plant month. When attending an Arbor Day event in my city in 2022, I approached two State Senators in attendance and introduced myself and the project. In Massachusetts, we shifted the month to May in the legislation, to be more in keeping with our growing cycle. Fun fact: the mayflower or trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) is our state flower. We then approached community partners to demonstrate broad support, including the Native Plant Trust, New England Botanic Garden, Mass Audubon, GrowNativeMA, and the Ecological Landscape Alliance among others. A display of their logos was attached to all emails and letters to legislators.
The members of the 13 Massachusetts GCA clubs were recruited to request co-sponsorship for the bill from their state representatives and senators, as we wished to show broad support across the entire Commonwealth from Boston to the Berkshires. Hearings are currently pending, and we are hopeful for passage in this legislative session by 2026. Equally important to our mission is the planning of promotional events to educate our communities about the importance of native plants.
All credit to our success is due to GCA’s leadership in organizing national webinars to share “best practices” for this initiative, in addition to providing vital support for this effort. Legislative toolkits they developed include templates for bills, letters and promotional materials to expedite the process. Regional coordinators across the country provided mentoring and suggested strategies for lobbying efforts, community engagement and outreach programs.
GCA’s grassroots advocacy from clubs-to-Congress has energized many of our members from all walks of life. Personally, the advocacy experience in DC has inspired me to engage in environmental issues regionally and locally, and nationally.
Addendum: It is important to note that each state may have different steps in the legislative process. A good resource for navigating these steps is: nativeplantmonth@gcamerica.org
Phyllis Pollack is a retired pediatric cardiologist in Worcester. A member of the Worcester Garden Club, she has been active in conservation issues and currently serves as co-coordinator of the Native Plant Month campaign in MA. She is an avid birder, hiker, gardener and amateur naturalist.
