Although Hickory Horned Devils look scary they are quite harmless. Named for their appearance and one of their main food plants—hickory—they’re just as likely to be found eating the foliage of numerous other trees including sweet gum, walnut and pecan. The adult (Regal Moth) emerges after passing the winter (and sometimes two winters) as a pupa burrowed in the soil.

Raising butterflies and moths is a fun and fascinating project. Over the years Native Nurseries has helped many customers experience the wonder of metamorphosis up close and personal with a Native Nurseries Caterpillar Rearing Cage. Drop by any time between 8 am and 6 pm (Monday thru Saturday) for a demonstration.

Native Nurseries . . . bringing people and nature together in their yards and gardens since 1980.

We educate, inspire and assist people in our community to manage their lands, yards and gardens to benefit native wildlife and to promote awareness of the interrelationships of all living things.

We work towards this goal by promoting the use of native plants, offering classes and workshops on nature and gardening themes such as Cavity Nesting Birds, Natural History of Butterflies, Butterfly Gardening, Planting a Refuge for Wildlife, Organic Gardening, Bird Identification and many others. We also offer a landscape consultation, design and installation service headed by a landscape designer who holds a BS degree in Wildlife Ecology.

Most of all, we provide a well-trained staff of enthusiastic naturalists and horticulturists at our store every day to assist people toward this goal.

Why native plants?

Native plants, when planted in locations that meet their requirements, are well adapted to our climate and soils and have long established ecological relationships with the animals that share their habitats. Come see our great selection of native trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, native azaleas and wildflowers. And while you’re here, check out our:

·         Wild Bird Shop  – Take advantage of our almost 40 years of experience and knowledge of the birds you’ll see in your back yard here in Tallahassee. We offer feeders that are functional, easy to clean, built to last and worth every penny you pay for them. . . and we can help you squirrel proof them too. We also stock a wide variety of bird baths, bird houses (including some we make here at the nursery), bird seed that’s always fresh and homemade suet.

·         Garden Center – We offer annuals and perennials that perform well here in Tallahassee without the need for a lot of pesticides, fungicides or babying to keep them alive and beautiful. We assume you have better things to do with your weekends. As with all the plants we sell, our goal is to provide you with healthy plants that are hardy for the area, non-invasive and low maintenance.

·         Herbs and Vegetables – You won’t find a better selection of locally grown herbs and vegetables for your garden in Tallahassee. We carry a wide assortment of seasonal vegetable plants and seeds with the focus on unique varieties, old and new. 

·         Wren’s Nest Gift Shop – beautiful, unique and useful gifts for nature lovers and gardeners. Although it isn’t all made in the USA, you’ll find a lot that is because we work hard here at Native Nurseries to find unique products that are. And don’t miss our Children’s Nature Nook. It has the best selection of nature puzzles, books and puppets.

·         Garden Shop – You will not find a better selection of organic and natural garden products in Tallahassee. When you have a pest or disease problem in your landscape, bring us a sample of the problem and we’ll help you figure out the best way to solve it without poisoning yourself, your family, your pets or the planet.