New England Wild Flower Society

What New England Wild Flower Society does

New England Wild Flower Society, operating under the trade name Native Plant Trust, is the oldest native plant conservation organization in the United States, founded in 1901 and headquartered in Wayland, Massachusetts with 17 employees. The organization conserves and promotes New England's native plants through a portfolio of physical assets, digital platforms, and field programs. Its core operations include Garden in the Woods, a native plant botanic garden in Framingham, MA; Nasami Farm, a native plant nursery and ecotypic seed production facility in Whately, MA; Go Botany, an online plant identification and education platform; a seed bank preserving genetic diversity of rare and endangered species; and the Restoration Accelerator™, a program supporting habitat restoration. The 125th anniversary falls in 2026, underscoring the organization's long-standing regional role.

The organization monetizes through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: annual membership subscriptions providing garden admission, class, plant, and gift discounts; plant sales through Garden in the Woods, Nasami Farm, and a global online shop; education programs including classes, certificate programs, school programs, and recorded webinars (the Intro to Native Plants package priced at $60 for eight sessions or $10 individually); charitable contributions and planned giving; and professional garden consulting for ecological landscaping. Customer segments span individual home gardeners and nature enthusiasts (primary), families with children, conservation professionals and land managers, and educational institutions, distributed across New England with digital reach extending nationally through e-commerce and webinars.

The business model is community-led, relying on an extensive Plant Conservation Volunteer Program network across New England, donor-supported fundraising via an annual fund and planned giving, and a small staff supplemented by volunteers and seasonal educators. Distribution is omnichannel but regional: two physical retail and education sites plus an online shop and digital content channels (eNews, social media, earned regional media in the Boston Globe, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Connecticut Public Radio, and WBZ-TV). Strategic positioning emphasizes regionally-specific ecotypic plants adapted to New England conditions, professional credibility through BGCI Advanced Conservation Practitioner accreditation (2026), and partnerships such as Mass Cultural Council recognition.

Name

New England Wild Flower Society

Legal name

New England Wild Flower Society

Website

https://newenglandwild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New England Wild Flower Society (operating as Native Plant Trust) is the oldest US native plant conservation nonprofit, founded in 1901. It runs Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm, the Go Botany education platform, and seed banking, serving home gardeners, families, conservation professionals, and schools across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Garden & Native Plant Conservation

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Forest Nurseries, Seed Orchards & Genetic Improvement (AFAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Native plant conservation
• Botanical garden
• Native plant nursery
• Ecological education
• Habitat restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership: Annual membership program providing benefits including discounts on garden admission, classes, plants, and gifts
2. Plant Sales: Sale of native plants through Garden in the Woods shop and Nasami Farm nursery, including trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, grasses, and pollinator plugs
3. Education Programs: Revenue from classes, certificate programs, and educational webinars including the Intro to Native Plants package
4. Donations and Planned Giving: Charitable contributions, annual fund gifts, and planned giving programs
5. Garden Consulting: Professional consulting services for ecological gardening and landscape design

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New England Wild Flower Society (operating as Native Plant Trust) is a nonprofit conservation organization that conserves and promotes New England's native plants through a native plant botanic garden (Garden in the Woods), a native plant nursery (Nasami Farm), educational classes and certificate programs, ecological restoration services (Restoration Accelerator), seed banking for rare species, and an online botanical identification platform (Go Botany).

Product overview

New England Wild Flower Society (operating as Native Plant Trust) is a conservation organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on conserving and promoting New England's native plants. The organization operates Garden in the Woods, a native plant botanic garden in Framingham, MA, and Nasami Farm, a native plant nursery in Whately, MA. Educational offerings include the Intro to Native Plants Package (eight recorded webinars), Certificate Programs, and School Programs. Additional services include Go Botany (online botanical platform), Restoration Accelerator™ (ecological restoration program), Seed Banking (conservation initiative), Garden Consulting, and the Garden Plant Finder tool. The organization celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garden in the Woods A native plant botanic garden located in Framingham, MA, featuring winding paths, guided tours, children's tours, and educational programming about native plants and ecological gardening. Includes an on-site Garden Shop selling plants and gifts.
• Nasami Farm A native plant nursery located in Whately, MA that champions ecotypic seeds and provides plants for gardens and restoration projects, open for in-person shopping and plant sales.
• Go Botany An online platform providing tools and resources for identifying and learning about native plants, supporting botanical education and conservation efforts.
• Restoration Accelerator A program designed to accelerate ecological restoration efforts, supporting land management and habitat restoration initiatives across New England.
• Intro to Native Plants Package An educational package of eight recorded webinar classes covering native plant knowledge, available at a discounted rate of $60 total or $10 each individually.
• Garden Consulting Professional consulting services for ecological gardening, helping clients design and maintain gardens with native plants.
• Garden Plant Finder An online search tool to help users find appropriate native plants for their gardens based on various criteria.
• Certificate Programs Structured educational programs offering certificates in native plant knowledge, conservation, and horticultural practices.
• School Programs Educational programs designed for school-age children, introducing them to native plants and ecological concepts.
• Seed Banking A conservation program that banks seeds to preserve genetic diversity of native plants and support future restoration efforts.
• Annual Membership Annual membership program providing benefits including discounts on garden admission, classes, plants, and gifts.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Mass Cultural CouncilminorOthersReceives support and recognition from Mass Cultural Council, a state agency supporting cultural organizations in Massachusetts
• Daily Hampshire Gazette / Greenfield RecorderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional newspaper coverage highlighting Nasami Farm and ecotypic seed initiatives for National Pollinator Month

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Plant Conservation Alliance: US government-affiliated public-private partnership coordinating native plant conservation efforts nationally. Functions as an ecosystem/coalition peer rather than direct competitor, with overlapping stakeholder network across New England conservation programs.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Major Northeast urban botanic garden with similar public garden, education, and conservation mandate. Broader plant collections including non-native species, but overlapping audiences in regional native plant education and urban ecology.
• New York Botanical Garden: A larger, more established botanic garden with broader plant collections (including non-native species), formal research institute, and significantly larger scale. Comparable mission overlap but operates at much greater scope with more diversified programming.
• The Morton Arboretum: Large-scale Chicago-area tree-focused arboretum with extensive plant science research, conservation, and education programs. Operates a broader tree-and-woody-plant mandate but shares the conservation-education-public garden model.

Direct peers

• Mt. Cuba Center: A nonprofit native plant garden and research center in Delaware that evaluates and promotes native plants for mid-Atlantic gardens, runs education programs, and operates a native plant nursery. Closely comparable model combining research, public garden, and nursery operations.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Operated by the University of Texas at Austin, this is the most direct national counterpart: a native plant conservation, research, and education organization with a public botanic garden, native plant nursery, and seed programs. Both organizations operate retail plant sales, educational programming, and conservation seed banking focused on regionally-appropriate native plants.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Historic New England botanic garden and native/adapted plant research institution affiliated with Harvard. Operates a public garden, education programs, and plant science research, sharing the dual garden/conservation/research model of Native Plant Trust.

Emerging players

• Native Plant Society of Oregon: A state-level native plant education and advocacy nonprofit operating a comparable but smaller-scale model: native plant sales, educational programming, and conservation advocacy focused on regional flora. Comparable organizational structure with more limited geographic scope.

Regional players

• Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: A New England-adjacent public botanic garden in Boothbay, Maine offering native plant displays, education, and visitor programming. Comparable regional public garden model but with less emphasis on conservation/restoration and native plant nursery operations.
• Polly Hill Arboretum: A Martha's Vineyard-based nonprofit arboretum focused on woody plant conservation, education, and regional horticulture. Operates in the same New England geography with overlapping native plant education and conservation mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nativeplanttrst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/newenglandwild
• Facebookfacebook.com/nativeplanttrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-england-wild-flower-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativeplanttrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New England Wild Flower Society