About Us
Red Trillium Gardens wants to put the native plants of New England into the hands, hearts, and minds of everyday local folks.
To this end, we commit to…
Growing our plants sustainably.
Unlike most conventional nurseries, we know the “provenance” of our plants, because we grow them ourselves, in our own backyard.
We start with seeds we have either collected ethically or purchased from reputable third parties (eg. Wild Seed Project, Prairie Moon Nursery). We only grow things we can ID by scientific name, ideally to species level. Sometimes a species epithet is the difference between a valuable native and a dangerous non-native/invasive!
As much as possible we grow from seed, to encourage biodiversity. We also prefer seeds with a local-to-New-England ecotype, which may be better adapted to the growing conditions here. This isn’t possible for everything, however, so we supplement sourced from different ecoregions (eg. Prairie Moon’s stock) of otherwise native plants.
We do propagate from cuttings some species that are difficult to propagate from seed. All cuttings are collected in small amounts on my own property, or places I’ve explicitly been given permission to collect.
We absolutely do not collect whole plants from the wild. (Unless it’s from the “wilds” of our property).
No neonicotinoids or pyrethroids are used in growing our plants. In general we try to reduce pesticide usage – both “natural” and synthetic substances. We do occasionally use products like sulfur or neem oil, but generally we prefer avoid to creating the conditions where harmful organisms thrive.
We limit our usage of peat moss, which is a non-renewable resource (in human lifetimes, at least). Instead we favor products like coconut coir or (renewable) sphagnum moss. (ETA: With further research, my opinion on this is changing. Currently we try to strike a balance between peat and coir, both of which have unique environmental impacts).
We aim to keep a low environmental profile, operating with reused materials where we can. When we buy, we try to source at local businesses. (And hey, our local cannabis grower’s supply has the best prices on potting soil, after all!)
Charging affordable prices for our plants.
As our goal is to get as many people to grow native plants as possible, it behooves us to make them affordable!
According to our research, our prices are comparable to other native plant nurseries in Massachusetts. However, they may still be higher than prices you’re used to at conventional nurseries and big box stores, however. These are indie, artisanal plants!
Prices for 2026 are still TBD, but it is likely they will increase from 2025, especially for smaller sizes, which we have been underpricing in the last two years.
Finally, we offer several ways to receive a discount on our plants–see How to Help for more details.
Providing education about native species of New England
Mostly via this blog! Some of the topics I (Lise) hope to write about are:
- native species showcase – where I pick a single species native to New England (eg. Trillium erectum) and gush about what I love about it, complete with photos or video
- care instructions for the plants we sell
- ecological threats to native plants as the basis of the ecosystem, eg. invasive species, habitat loss
- observing the natural world
- citizen science
- comparing and contrasting native species of different ecoregions
- business announcements
- foraging
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About the Owner
Red Trillium Gardens is the work of love of Lise Fracalossi (aka, me) of Lunenburg, MA.
While I’ve always enjoyed the natural world in general, and plants in particular, during the pandemic I came to understand the importance of native plants as the basis of the entire ecosystem. I began pursuing my Native Plant Studies certificate from Native Plant Trust in late 2022, and completed it in late 2025.
When I lost my corporate job in 2023, I decided it was a good time to try something new. The nursery is thus an opportunity to learn more about native plants, to teach folks about native plants, and to advocate for native plants.
Of course, as part of this, I enjoy taking long, slow hikes where I take tons of pictures to upload to iNaturalist!
Other than native plants, I enjoy all kinds of geekery, including Dungeons & Dragons, LARPing, writing/reading fantasy, and video games.