Building a Canadian Supply of Native Grass Seed

At Northern Wildflowers, we work with a wide range of customers, from home gardeners looking to bring native beauty to their backyards to large-scale restoration and reclamation projects working to rebuild resilient ecosystems. Our bulk wildflower and restoration seed mixes require a significant volume of native grass seed, which plays essential ecosystem roles. Ensuring a consistent, high-quality, and truly Canadian-grown supply of these grasses has become a vital part of our mission.

We specialize in native forbs, those wildflowers that add beauty, biodiversity, and resilience to our natural landscapes. Many of these species require hand collection, wild collection, or complex seed extraction processes. It’s delicate work, and it’s what we love to do.

Our farm in Northern Ontario is a beautiful place to grow flowers, set on the rugged, hilly terrain of the exposed Precambrian Shield. However, it’s not ideal for cultivating native grasses at scale. The specialized seeding and harvesting equipment required for grass production operates best on large, flat landscapes, conditions quite different from our flower farm’s terrain.

Across Canada, and particularly in the eastern provinces, there’s an overall shortage of native grass growers. Many areas lack the right combination of landscape, infrastructure, and equipment to produce these species economically. In contrast, the prairie regions offer optimal growing conditions for native grasses, which means that only a limited number of Canadian native grass ecotypes are currently available for restoration and conservation efforts.

Recognizing this gap, we’ve made it a priority to help build a Canadian farmer–grown supply of native grass seed and nurse crops. This work involves close collaboration with both new and established farmers across the country, supporting them as they adopt and cultivate these specialized crops for the first time. It’s a long-term effort, but one we’re deeply committed to.

We’re proud of the progress made so far and of the relationships that have grown along with these crops. Thanks to these partnerships, we can now offer a range of native grasses that are truly Canadian-farmer grown.

Currently, our Canadian-grown native grasses include:

• Big bluestem, little bluestem, and sideoats grama — grown in Northern Manitoba

• Canada wild rye — grown in central Saskatchewan

• Tufted hairgrass — grown in central Alberta

• Annual ryegrass, fall rye, and oats — grown in central Ontario

• Oats — grown in Northeastern Ontario

• Switchgrass — grown in central Saskatchewan

As we continue this work, we’re excited to expand the diversity and availability of native grass seed for Canadian restoration and reclamation projects.