You can qualify for free shipping in two ways depending on the shipping weight of your order:

Free Canada Post Lettermail on orders over $30, for small orders weighing under 200 grams.

Free Canada Post Expedited Parcel (tracked) on orders over $175.

We also have flat rate shipping options for various order values.

Please refer to our shipping and returns policy for current shipping options and rates. 

Please note: Lettermail shipping, our most economical shipping option, does not include tracking, and we are unable to provide delivery status updates once your order has shipped.

If you placed an order via lettermail which is our most affordable option for small orders, then there is no tracking available. If you placed an order and selected a parcel shipment option, you will see a tracking number and link when you review your order shipped notification. 

Shipping options and rates are automatically calculated at checkout based on your order value (before tax) and total package weight. Only the options applicable to your order will be displayed.

An estimated delivery timeline for your order will be automatically generated during the checkout process for your available shipping options. This is only an estimate.

Please be aware that Canada Post or your other chosen shipping service is responsible for delivery dates, and delays may occur, particularly during busy periods or due to unforeseen circumstances. If you have selected expedited shipping, you will receive a tracking number to check the delivery progress of your order. We will only be able to check the shipping status of your order after we have sent it if you have selected a shipping service that includes tracking.

During low order volume seasons, we may drop off your orders to the post office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, rather than our usual daily fulfillment. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

At this time orders on our online store can only be shipped within Canada.

At this time we are only shipping large bulk orders to customers in the United States. Please reach out to us directly with your order request using the  Contact us form. Please note that customs fees and additional administrative processes will apply.

We are not yet able to accept orders directly through our online store for customers in the United States, however we are working towards this goal. If you'd like to be kept up to date as to when we begin to accept online orders from customers in the United States, please follow us on social media or sign on for our newsletter. 

Address changes may be possible if the order hasn't been shipped yet. Contact us immediately for help if you notice something off with your order confirmation by sending an email to hello@northernwildflowers.ca and include your order number.

Our goal is to fulfill all online store orders in 2-7 business days.

The exception to this is our Custom Seed Packets, which require 14 business days from approval for 2000 packets or less.

Keep seeds stored in a dry area, at room temperature or slightly cooler, and out of direct sunlight. If stored well, most seeds will maintain good germination rates over many years.

To be the first to know when a product is back in stock, sign up for an email notification by clicking “NOTIFY ME WHEN AVAILABLE” on the product page.

Different types of seeds are harvested, processed, and packaged at various times of the year depending on the plant's life cycle, and our seasonal capacity for seed extraction and packaging.

If your gift card code seems incomplete, here’s a quick troubleshooting tip: In the email with your gift card, make sure to click on the image displaying the code. Due to a technical glitch with our online store provider, only 14 of the 16 digits might be visible until you click the image. Once you do, the full code will appear.

Northern Wildflowers offers some of the highest-quality native and garden seed available in North America. We operate from a CFIA-inspected facility, and our internal quality standards exceed the applicable requirements of the Canadian Seeds Act. We test our seed lots for germination and purity using accredited, independent Canadian seed-testing laboratories before packaging and shipping.

With the exception of certain specialized woodland species and native tree and shrub varieties, which naturally tend to have lower germination rates, you can expect a tested germination rate of at least 80% from all Northern Wildflowers and Cutleaf Seeds seed lots.

Spring, late Fall, or Winter are ideal times to plant wildflower seeds, however we always get this question into June and July. Technically, seed can be started even into July or August. This applies for both our seed that requires stratification (using the quick method) and the varieties that don't require pre-treatment.

The main consideration to keep in mind, is that if plants or seed are going into the ground in the heat of July or August, then they will require a lot more care. In comparison to starting plants or seed in cooler spring weather, gardeners will need to keep a careful eye on the weather and irrigate frequently. Some gardeners even move shade structures over their seed bed when the seedlings are at their most vulnerable. 

We know this can be an intimidating aspect of starting native plants from seed, so we’ve done a few things to help simplify the process for you.

Check out our Seed Starting Resources page to view simple step by step guides to various planting methods. Some relevant blog posts are linked there as well if you wish to dive deeper.

We’ve also put together some more resources and information on growing native plants from seed.

All of our wildflower seed packs specify whether or not pre-treatment is required for successful germination of that species. On the front of our packaging you will either see a purple “Requires Pre-treatment" label or a green “Easy to Grow” label, plus some brief instructions for starting on the back of the seed pack. If the product has a green Easy to Grow label, no extra steps are required, just plant it as you would any other seed in your garden during springtime. You will also find more detailed growing instructions on the back of our seed packets specific to each species or variety.

We now sell small portions of vermiculite perfect for stratifying a single pack of seeds in the fridge. After this step is complete, simply scatter the seed and vermiculite mixture on top of soil and press down for good soil contact. Keep moist. 

You can find your hardiness zone using the maps found here. There is another map found here that may help determine your zone as well. Remember, hardiness zones are calculated based on average minimum temperatures in the winter. They help you know what species will act perennial where you live, and return year after year.

Hardiness zones do not indicate what species are native to your region, and they do not indicate what annual vegetables you can grow. If you are trying to select annual vegetables appropriate for your region and climate, your first and last frost dates and the days to maturity of a variety are much more relevant.

Given that many native plant seedlings look so different from their mature counterparts, that is a really great question. We now have a partial seedling identification guide for some of the species we carry. It can be found in our seed catalogue. You can also learn to identify plants at any stage with iNaturalist or Seek. 

In most cases, inoculating native seeds isn’t necessary when planting into native or undisturbed soils. In most studies using native, undegraded soil, adding inoculant has been shown to provide little or no added benefit. The soil microbiome in natural or semi-natural areas already contains the native strains of rhizobia bacteria and other beneficial microbes needed for nitrogen fixation and healthy plant establishment. These bacteria occur naturally in the soil and will quickly form relationships with compatible native species once the plants begin to grow. To maintain healthy soil biota throughout your garden's life, we recommend using no-till gardening techniques and avoiding synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. If you are dealing with soil that has a history of high chemical input, then inoculant can be helpful.  I would recommend checking at your local farm and feed store, they should have many options. 

There is unfortunately very little research out there showing toxicity to pets regarding various species of native plants. We do know that milkweeds are toxic when ingested, so those may be species to avoid. In general, most plant species that are toxic are usually unpalatable, so most pets will avoid them. 

Also note that the effects of a plant species described as toxic can vary greatly. Toxic can mean causes nausea, or it can mean fatal in large enough quantities, so don't panic immediately if a source is labelling species you have planted as toxic. Many common ornamental landscaping plants are toxic if ingested, but illness or death from having these in our backyards is very rare.

If you are concerned about something your pet has ingested, contact your regional poison centre. 

If none of the varieties in your native seed mix have germinated by July 1, or if your fruit and vegetable seeds have not germinated within six weeks, there may be an issue with site preparation, planting conditions or ongoing care.

Please contact us and our team will be happy to help you troubleshoot factors such as required pre-treatment, planting method, timing, soil contact, moisture, temperature and site conditions.

Our quality assurance applies to the purity, viability and condition of the seed when it leaves our facility. Successful germination and establishment also depend on proper storage, site preparation, planting and ongoing care, as well as weather, soil and other growing conditions outside our control. For the best results, please follow the instructions provided with your seed and in our Seed Starting Resources.

This film, "Native Seeds: Supplying Restoration" is an excellent starting point for learning about the sector. Check it out!

Our priority is to provide native seed grown or collected as close as possible to the project site, while maintaining reliable availability and seed quality.

We first draw from seed grown on our farm west of Sudbury and/or sustainably wild-collected in the Northeastern Ontario region. When our local supply is unavailable or insufficient, we source through our growing network of contract native seed producers, which includes dozens of small farmers across Canada.

When we cannot obtain the species or quantity required through our Canadian supply chain, we work with reputable growers in the United States. In these cases, we prioritize sources as close to home as possible, specifically selecting from growers in northern border states.

Seed origin and ecological suitability can be especially important for restoration projects. If your commercial project has specific geographic, ecotype or provenance requirements, please let us know when requesting a quote. Our team can provide available sourcing information and help identify the most suitable options for your site or refer you to another reputable Canadian grower.

Our Easy to Grow Mix is ecologically appropriate for Central and parts of Eastern Canada (MB, ON, QC, NB). We are working on expanding our selection of ready-to-order seed mixes. Outside of our pre-packaged mixes we create custom mixes for projects in other parts of Canada. For custom bulk mixes, find more info here. 

We’ve crafted our wildflower seed mixes to be native to Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba, however these are big provinces, with many many ecozones. So, for say a customer located at the far north or far south of any of those provinces, there may be a species or two in our mixes that, although native to the province, may not be regionally abundant. But overall, these are all excellent options for these regions.  

Native wildflower mixes are not excellent lawn alternatives, if you are looking for something short than can tolerate traffic. Most wildflowers are fairly tall and are not trample resistant. However one of our 4 different Wildflower Seed Mixes might be great for your site conditions if you are aiming to shrink the size of your lawn to reduce maintenance/mowing needs and expand wildlife habitat. Dive into this topic more in this blog post.

Keep in mind that all native wildflower meadow mixes will be taller and won’t be tolerant of mowing or trampling. If you’re looking to improve the ecological value of your yard, we recommend reducing the size of lawn grass as much as you can while keeping enough space for the activities you currently use your lawn for (sports, dogs, children, etc), and convert the rest of yard space to meadow or garden space over time. This is where our wildflower mixes such as our Easy to Grow Mix are really useful. They are available in quantities to cover areas of 100, 250, 500 & 1000ft2. 

We have provided a range map based on provinces/territories the species is native to on our product pages and packaging, but since Canadian provinces are vast and cover many many ecotypes or ecoregions, a species native to one part of the province may not be found growing in your specific region. Range maps based on political boundaries rather than ecoregions have some big limitations, but they provide a starting point. Our Seed Catalogue also includes a chart showing which provinces our wildflower seed products are native to.

There are some excellent resources available to help you determine if a plant species is native to your specific region. Fairly comprehensive distribution or range maps are available from Vascan or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. INaturalist is another great tool for many different applications including checking if a species is found in your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre has a database of North America’s wildflowers that has some range descriptions and information as well. Some field guides have range maps as well, these are an excellent resource. Range maps for species at risk are available alongside the species recovery strategy documents on government websites. 

Amazing! We support many larger restoration projects and would be happy to help. Here are some resources to help you get started. If your project is 1ha or larger, we can provide a quote for a custom seed mix. If your project is between 100-1000 square feet, located in Central or Eastern Canada, check out our selection of ready-to-order Wildflower Seed Mixes to see if one is right for your project. Contact us if you have more questions about sourcing seed for a restoration project or establishing a wildflower meadow, we would love to help! 

There are some excellent resources available to help you determine if a plant species is native to your specific region. Fairly comprehensive distribution or range maps are available from Vascan or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. INaturalist is another great tool for many different applications including checking if a species is found in your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre has a database of North America’s wildflowers that has some range descriptions and information as well. Some field guides have range maps as well, these are an excellent resource. Range maps for species at risk are available alongside the species recovery strategy documents on government websites. 

If it is springtime and you are reaching out to ask why haven't ___ wildflower seeds germinated yet, rest assured that some species can take up to 12 weeks in warm soils to germinate (even after the cold stratification process). Patience is key. If it is later than June 20th, and your fall or winter sown wildflower seeds still show no signs of germination, then you may wish to reach out to us and we can help troubleshoot what is slowing them down.

Meadow Plantings: The process of establishing a wildflower meadow is a multi-year process. Most of these long-lived plants generally do not produce flowers in the first year, so a lot of green in the first year is to be expected.  

A common explanation of what to expect with perennial plants is “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap”. You will likely begin seeing some blooms in the second year as their root systems continue growing stronger, then in their third year you will be rewarded for your patience with many more blooms.  

While our main focus is on producing native seed, occasionally Jenny or other members of our team will attend events and public speaking engagements relevant to our work or our community. If you would like to contact us about attending or speaking at your event, please fill out this form and we will reach out to you. Note, we may at times wave our speaking fee for fundraisers or events held by charitable organizations. Otherwise we charge a speaking fee calculated according to the size of event and investment from our team for all ticketed events or conferences.

Annually, Northern Wildflowers Inc. donates a minimum of 1% of our annual sales to groups that support regreening, outdoor classrooms and food security. As part of this we hold an annual Community Garden Giveaway. Applications for this giveaway typically open in November or December, follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for updates. To contact us about supporting your organization or project with a donation, please fill out this form. 

Thanks for your interest! There are some varieties and wildflower species we are seeking contract growers for to help us produce seed and increase the resiliency and diversity of our seed supply. Please start by checking out these Contract Grower Resources. Producing seed crops is very different in most cases than producing fresh produce, cut flowers, or other types of crops found on most farms.

Our network of contract growers continues to grow so we can provide Canadian-Grown seed in both our wildflowers and our Cutleaf Seeds vegetable seed line. If you are seriously interested in partnering with us to grow our seeds, please send us an email including some information about your farm, including a brief description of your soil conditions, how much space you have available, and what you are most interested in growing for seed, so we can suggest seed crops that will do best on your farm. 

While we do not have a public store front at the farm, we may have an open house at the farm later in summer or early fall. Keep an eye on our social media for an announcement on that front.