Buying Methods
Whether the nursery explicitly publishes on-site retail, mail-order purchasing, or both.
Research and verification
How We Build and Verify the Directory
NativePlantIndex uses information published by native-plant nurseries themselves. Our goal is to make buying methods, plant formats, and regional specializations easier to compare without filling gaps with assumptions.
Every published nursery record must have an identifiable source and a checked date.
01 · Research sources
Nursery-Owned Sources Only
The primary source for a nursery's listing is its own website and published information.
What we use
- Official nursery websites and their published about pages.
- Nursery-owned product catalogs and plant availability descriptions.
- Published retail, ordering, and shipping policies.
- Nursery-published descriptions of ecoregions, habitats, and native-plant specializations.
What we do not treat as verified data
Third-party descriptions, photographs, customer reviews, and general geographic assumptions are not substitutes for a nursery's own published statements.
PlantNative state pages may be used as a starting point for identifying nursery names. Every published field must be rebuilt from the individual nursery's own website. Its classification codes are not copied into NativePlantIndex records.
02 · Information collected
What We Verify
Nursery records use consistent fields so visitors can compare information without confusing published facts with editorial assumptions.
Plant Formats
Plugs, container-grown plants, bare-root plants, and seed when identified in the nursery's published information.
Regional Specialization
Ecoregion and habitat descriptions using the nursery's own words.
Native-Plant Focus
Published descriptions such as native-only or a stated native-plant percentage, when explicitly provided.
Geographic Information
Base city and state, plus states explicitly identified by the nursery as served.
Source and Date
The original source URL and the date the information was checked.
03 · Data integrity
Unstated Means Unstated
We use explicit three-state values for buying methods. An absence of information is never converted into a positive or negative claim.
Yes
Published as offered
The nursery's own published information explicitly supports the buying method.
No
Published as not offered
The nursery explicitly states that the buying method is not offered.
Unstated
No published answer found
The available source does not establish whether the nursery offers the method. We do not guess.
Format classifications
Plant formats are recorded only when explicitly published. We do not infer plug, container, bare-root, or seed availability from photographs, general product descriptions, or assumptions about nursery practices.
Regional classifications
A nursery is not assigned to a specialization simply because it is located in a particular state or geographic area. Its published specialization must support the classification.
04 · Source attribution
Sources and Checked Dates
Each published nursery record includes a source URL and checked date. These fields allow visitors to inspect the original information and understand when it was last checked.
What a checked date means
The checked date identifies when the published source information was reviewed for the record. It is not a guarantee that the information remains unchanged or that stock is currently available.
Visitors should confirm ordering policies, seasonal offerings, and availability directly with the nursery before making a purchase or planning a visit.
05 · Maintenance
Corrections and Updates
Nursery information can change. We review correction requests and compare submitted information against the nursery's own published sources before changing a record.
Records are updated when their underlying information is rechecked. The displayed checked date identifies the source review date. No fixed recurring recheck interval is guaranteed.
A correction submission does not automatically change a listing. All submissions remain pending until reviewed.
Help maintain accuracy
Report a Listing Correction
Found outdated or inaccurate nursery information? Tell us what needs attention and provide a link to the nursery's published source.
Information submitted through this form is handled according to our Privacy Policy.