FAQ
FAQ
Where are you located?
Chickadee Natives currently operates out of a little backyard right here in New Orleans, and we're actively in the process of expanding our operations!
Where can I buy plants?
If you're on the Southshore, you can order right here on the website! Just click the “Shop” tab up above. We deliver on Fridays within roughly 10 miles of New Orleans to the shipping address that you provide at checkout. *I cannot deliver to PO boxes!* Please make sure you use a physical address.
We also attend the Crescent City Farmers Market on Thursdays at 500 N Norman C Francis Parkway during the spring and fall (dates listed on the front page of the website).
If you're on the Northshore, come visit the Abita Springs Farmers Market every Sunday from 11AM-3PM during the spring and fall (dates listed on the front page of the website).
Keep an eye on the website and social media for garden shows, pop-ups and other events.
What does "local ecotype" mean?
Local ecotype describes a plant that has genetically evolved to the soil and climate conditions of a particular area.
Why are local ecotypes important?
Plants grown from seed collected in our area will be better adapted to the local climate than plants of the same species grown from seed collected in, say, Minnesota.
Using local ecotypes also helps preserve genetic diversity. Many of the big native plant seed suppliers are concentrated in the Midwest and Texas. They are doing a great service to native plant preservation as a whole, but local populations often get passed over. When an empty lot or roadside is bulldozed for construction, those genetics are lost forever. Growing and distributing native plants grown from local seed preserves the genetic diversity of a species, and that genetic diversity makes a species more resilient and adaptable.
Where do you source your seeds?
All of our seeds are collected in southeast Louisiana. They come from roadsides, empty lots and private lands where we have permission to collect.
Note: Some popular garden plants such as Echinaceas and Ratibidas actually don’t occur in this region of the state, so we source those seeds a little further afield to still bring you local-ish genetics and support other growers preserving the local genetics of thier regions.
Do you accept seed donations?
I always appreciate an offer and love to connect with people, so feel free to reach out!
Do know that I'm pretty picky about seed donations. I want to be sure that anything I'm offering as local genetics is truly local. Many well-meaning folks will offer up seed collected from a native plant in their garden thinking that if it’s growing in New Orleans, then it’s local, right? But the parent plant may well have been grown from seed from one of the popular native plant nurseries in Minnesota, Missouri or Texas.
I also want to make sure that any seed being offered has been collected ethically and legally.
Do you accept nursery pot donations?
Yes! I accept 4” to 3 gallon sizes. And of course I always welcome back the forestry cells that I grow most of the plants in. Send me an email or get in touch on Instagram.
How can I get in contact with you?
You have a few options:
1) Use the contact form right here on the website
2) Send an email to contact@chickadeenatives.com
3) Leave a voicemail at 504-233-3177
4) Send a DM on Instagram @chickadeenatives