Name that Native Plant Evangelist Entity!
November 3, 2018 1:20 PM   Subscribe

I want to grow /propagate a bunch of baby plants native to my area (North Carolina piedmont) and then give them away (free!) at swap meets or to anyone what may want them. I'll also set up a website with info and links to existing resources about growing native plants. I need a name to go along with these efforts, but all my ideas are failing me. Help!

Baby plant tax: False Indigo-Bush (Amorpha fruticosa) seedling.

Besides giving away plants, I'd love to increase awareness and advocate for planting species local to this region, not just because they grow well and benefit wildlife, but because they are awesome in their own right. This is also an attempt, in some small localized way, to help combat catastrophically crashing insect populations by basically increasing insect habitat. The seeds and cuttings come from our backyard where we are lucky enough to have many mature plants.

But I feel like I shouldn't open with telling people how many more awesome bugs they could have in their yard if they take some free native plants. So "Bug Chow Natives" is out. The word 'native' may be problematic enough when taken out of context. I thought something like "Backyard Banquet" was nice and relatively non-pretentious, until my husband pointed out that it sounds like a brand of birdseed mix. I'm also not a nursery or a farm, so I'd prefer a name without those terms.

What would you name my little project? I love puns. I'd like to stay away from technical jargon. I don't want people to think I'm hustling ditch weed. I just want people to be able to grow native plants with no economic barrier. Other than that, name away!
posted by Drosera to Home & Garden (17 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Native Plant Evangelist is pretty good actually.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:15 PM on November 3, 2018 [5 favorites]


How about silverbell (referring to your Halesia carolina)?

It's one of my favourite American trees and very rare here in NZ - one in my local park I see often tho'. It seems to be somewhat of a keystone species in forest regeneration and seem to have a number of related insects.
It also seems seriously threatened.
posted by unearthed at 2:19 PM on November 3, 2018 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Carolina Green
Carolina Greener

Backyard Revival (with thanks to DarlingBri).
posted by jamjam at 2:21 PM on November 3, 2018 [6 favorites]


N.C. Native Habitats
Piedmont Plants [or Plantings]
Native Soil Greenery
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:22 PM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]


A Finer Carolina
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:27 PM on November 3, 2018


How about Carolina Vine? May be mistaken for a vineyard, you’ll have to be the judge.

Eponysterical, btw!
posted by lollymccatburglar at 2:38 PM on November 3, 2018


Plant Local Plants

Piedmont Local And Native (something that starts with T)
posted by bleep at 2:50 PM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]


Maybe something with 'grassroots' in it?

Grassroots Native Plants
Piedmont Natives
Tar Heel Grassroots Plants
Go Native!


PS: I love what you're doing - what a fabulous idea and a gift to your community and the bugs!
posted by hydra77 at 3:06 PM on November 3, 2018 [3 favorites]


This old plant
posted by mightshould at 3:33 PM on November 3, 2018


If you're a lady-type, Janey (or Jeannie, or Joanie...) Appleseed?
Janey Appleseed, Plant Evangelist

Jeannie Appleseed, your local plant evangelist
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:54 PM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Backyard Revival (with thanks to DarlingBri).

I really like Backyard Revival. Some Melbourne neighbourhoods did this starting in the 1970s and it's known today as the backyard revival of bird and butterfly species in a whole ring of suburbs.

It could almost be your patter: 'I'm a native plant evangelist for the backyard revival of bird and butterfly species in North Carolina.'
posted by Thella at 4:00 PM on November 3, 2018 [4 favorites]


Best answer: Natural neighbour
Natural neighbourhood
Good neighbour
Blooming neighbours
Everybody needs good neighbours - bonus - it has a readymade theme song “you can find the perfect plant”
posted by Middlemarch at 5:17 PM on November 3, 2018


Native Plants, Healthy Yards
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:46 PM on November 3, 2018


Beyond Lawns

Bring Back Nature

Bring Nature Back

Rich and Green

Gift the Green

Green Gift
posted by amtho at 9:42 PM on November 3, 2018


Piedmont Native Plant Exchange: Grow Native, for Free!
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:29 AM on November 4, 2018


Piedmont roots
Carolina beauty
Carolina flora
Piedmont treasures

Put ‘native’ in front of any of those?

Keep up the good work!
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:59 AM on November 4, 2018


Response by poster: Y'all are so great, I had to amalgamate. Plus the revival part feels a bit empowering in these dark ecological times.

Backyard Revival - your neighborhood native plant evangelist🌿
posted by Drosera at 6:46 PM on November 4, 2018 [3 favorites]


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