Facts about New England Wild Flower Society

• 1900 – Established as the Society for the Protection of Native Plants by Amy Folsom and a group of Boston women, New England Wild Flower Society is America’s oldest plant conservation organization.

With nearly 1,500 volunteers in the field, plant conservation and environmental stewardship is at the heart of the Society’s work.

• The Society’s nationally-recognized conservation programs include Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCV) New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP); Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE); and numerous conservation collaborations.
• New England Wild Flower Society participates in the Seeds of Success program, collecting seed for the northeast United States.     
• 1965 – Garden Founder Will C. Curtis deeded Garden in the Woods to the Society.  The 45 acre native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts is the Society’s headquarters and living museum accredited by the American Association of Museums(AAM).  
• 2003 – the Society opened Nasami Farm & Sanctuary in Whately, Massachusetts to the public. It now raises more than 100,000 plants each year and is the future home of the Native Plant Center.
• The Society’s Museum Store sells books, gardeners’ supplies, toys, gifts, and more.  It is open daily April 14-October 31, Thurs-Mon 10-5 through Dec 24, and by appointment Jan 2-April 14.
• All sales including memberships, plants, books, courses, and gifts help to support the Society’s conservation mission.

• We offer 700 nursery-propagated and nursery-grown native species and cultivars at the Society’s nurseries – the largest in the northeast. Quantity preorders are available at plants@newenglandwild.org.

• 10 sanctuaries throughout New England are now owned and operated by the Society.  

• 1950s  –  Society began to offer native plant education courses.  Today it runs the largest public native plant studies program in America, offered year-round

• 1960s – the Society began presenting annual awards.  It honors individuals and organizations for exceptional achievement in native plant horticulture, conservation, education, landscape design, and service to the Society.

• 5,200 households and organizations are New England Wild Flower Society members, representing more than 10,000 individuals.

• New England Wild Flower Society publishes books, magazines, articles, newsletters, and online publications. Authors include William Brumback, William Cullina,  Bonnie Drexler,Arthur Haines, and other distinguished Society staff and faculty.