About Us
Plants for places, wildlife, and people.
What We Do
Origin Native Plants is your source for high-quality native plants. Our plants are grown using seed collected ethically from sites throughout southern Ontario and Manitoulin Island.
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Founded in 2019, Origin Native Plants is a small nursery nestled within the agricultural lands of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, a thriving community committed to organic agriculture, ecological restoration, and environmental education.
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Origin Native Plants was inspired by Grand Moraine Growers, a plant nursery in Alma, Ontario with 25 years of experience in exceeding the needs of their clients. Under the guidance of owners Paul Sheppard and Jim Dougan, we will continue to offer the same high-quality plants.
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At ONP, we collect our own seed and use solar power to run our water and light system.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Wild Blue Flag (Iris versicolor)
Who We Are
Zack Harris
Alexzander Smith
Zack is a botanist, ecologist, and consulting arborist with 12 years of experience in ecological consulting around Canada. Zack's passion and knowledge as well as personal interest in growing native plants sparked his desire to start a nursery. He is dedicated to putting plants in the right place, whether it be a backyard pollinator garden or large-scale restoration project. Zack's vision is to apply his knowledge of Canadian native plants to bring to market lesser-known and under-appreciated species to every day people.
Alex is a Certified Ecosystem Restoration Practitioner with 20 years of experience in green building, design, and management. Deepening their focus over the past decade, Alex specializes in ecological restoration, drawing on expertise in fluvial geomorphology, glacial geology, ecosystem disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), coastal processes, shoreline stabilization, and low impact development (LID) solutions. Their work encompasses a wide range of projects, including watershed stabilization, the creation of fish and aquatic habitats, and the design and implementation of innovative rainwater management systems.
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