About Us
About Us
Swallowtail Native Plants specializes in Ontario native plant seeds. We sell wildflower and grass seeds sustainably grown at our site in Uxbridge, Ontario.
Andrea D’Silva founded Swallowtail Native Plants in 2022. She is an ecologist with a professional certificate in ecological restoration. She is also a certified seed collector with the Forest Gene Conservation Association.
Our seeds are locally sourced and genetically diverse. As a result they are are ideal for creating habitat for wildlife and restoring biodiversity. We collect small amounts of seed from the wild and then plant the source seed into beds at our site. This reduces the impact of collection on wild populations.
Locally Sourced in Ontario
Wild populations of plants growing in Durham, Ontario, serve as the source of our parent stock. As a result, our locally sourced seeds are genetically adapted to our local climate and environment. We collect a small percentage of seed from many different plants to maximize genetic diversity. Our collection protocols follow the guidelines set out by the Society of Ecological Restoration. If you require more specific information on our seed sourcing please contact us.
As our climate warms, plants will need to move north to experience environmental conditions they have adapted to. In light of climate change, our seeds will do best in the region of Ontario between Toronto, Ottawa and Algonquin Park.
We only ship within Ontario to ensure that plants grown from our seeds will thrive in their local ecosystem.
Field Grown Native Plant Seeds
We plant our wild collected seed in cultivated plots at our site. Growing our plants in field plots greatly reduces the impact of collection on wild populations. In addition, the plants in the plots provide us with a large quantity of seed and have high levels of genetic diversity.
Land Acknowledgement
Swallowtail Native Plants is located in the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Mississauga, Wendat, and Anishnaabeg nations. We offer respect and we commit to learning about and building relationships with our Indigenous neighbours.
