Johnson’s Nursery Knowledgebase

Keystone species (specifically plants) in Wisconsin are plants with critical ecological value. We discuss which plants, and how to include them in your l…

June is Wisconsin native plant appreciation month at Johnson’s Nursery. We team up with our friends at Wild Ones to offer native plant enthusiasts an …

A large-scale planting project in Lake Mills, WI that features slope stabilization and shoreline restoration on a lake that was as overgrown with inv…

One of our digital catalogs that serves as your guide to Wisconsin native plants. We discuss and list all the commonly grown natives at Johnson's Nursery...

A large-scale planting in Colgate, WI that features several elements from privacy screening, specimen plants, and buckthorn removal from the pre…

Every autumn in Wisconsin brings forth a myriad of rich shades of red, orange, and yellow. A crisp nip in the air; fall is a season of shifting light with l…

We've compiled a list of recommendations for low-maintenance, hardy plants including different trees, shrubs, and perennials to choose from...

The top-selling plants of 2025 include a list of those most used plants by our customers including municipalities, land managers, and private homeowne…

Let's plant trees and shrubs that have fruit and nuts that you can eat. Find out which plants are edible plants like oaks, hickories, apples, hazelnuts, …

The Big Plant is a coordinated regional initiative to transform the Milwaukee River Basin by empowering residents to plant trees that enhance stormwater manag...

Verticillium Wilt is a soil borne fungal disease that can infect a wide range of plants, and can cause serious injury and eventually lead to the death of t...

Many trees have evolved to have exfoliating bark. In some cases, it serves as a defensive mechanism. Other theories suggests it allows trees to breath...

Replacing Colorado Blue Spruce to avoid its disease problems caused by Rhizosphaera Needle Cast. We recommend these Wisconsin hardy conifers...

The word “Nativar” gets thrown around a lot by native enthusiasts, and some may hold strong opinions about their ecological value and how they co…

The Plant Reference Guide is the catalog of plants that Johnson's Nursery in Menomonee Falls grows and stocks. It features characteristics of plants a…

Horticulture Happy Hour is a podcast to grow your plant knowledge by chatting with horticulturists across the Midwest, including local experts from…

Read our guide to Wisconsin's woods, showcasing the top 5 forest-types that make up the majority of the state, filled with dominant tree species suc...

In many landscape applications, colonizing plants that spread more competitively to the point where it becomes the dominant plant in that area is a desirable ch...

Planting by the season is the most common question in the nursery and landscaping industry. When is the best time to plant? Well, each season has ...

Wisconsin’s shoreline plants are essential our lakes, rivers and streams. The vegetation helps prevent erosion, flooding, and creates healthy habitats...

Learn about the anatomy of a tree and why tree bark (live standing and fallen log wood) is important for Wisconsin wildlife and eco-system...

Find Milkweed perennials at Johnson's Nursery. Milkweed (Asclepias) are Wisconsin native, summer-flowering plants known for butterfly and pollinator...

When choosing a tree to replace an ash tree, you can consider things like the tree's size, climate, and whether it provides food or shelter for animals...

Here are recommended plants for areas with standing water, including plants that thrive in low-lying, waterlogged and swampy Wisconsin landscapes...

Check out our themed flats filled with different mixes of plug-size plants designed to load up your landscape with beneficial Wisconsin natives that improve bio...

Grow bags allow us to offer larger-sized plants, relative to B&B material, longer throughout the season, including outside of a plants harvest window…

We are plugged into plugs! Plants in plug sizes are available for sale at our nursery in Menomonee Falls, WI. Learn about plugs, and which plants we …

Many people enjoy DIY – cut your beds, install your plants, and lay your mulch! But most people don’t know the correct plants, the proper design aesth…

Spring means it’s time to reapply a fresh coat of bark mulch. It’s easier to install new, fresh bark mulch in your landscape beds before the perennial…

Floating eco-islands are groups of plants that grow on water, like floating wetlands. While they natural occur, they can be man-made...

RootMaker containers specialize in the growth of a fibrous root system. Johnson’s Nursery uses them in the production of Wisconsin native trees, shrub…

Johnson’s Nursery grows a variety of container trees, adding to the diversity of our growing operations and the range of plants available to our whole…

If you’ve ever been excited about a big project only to discover your initial vision and goals were diluted because your preferred plant material was …

We've compiled a list of recommendations for low-maintenance, hardy plants including different trees, shrubs, and perennials to choose from...

The top-selling plants of 2025 include a list of those most used plants by our customers including municipalities, land managers, and private homeowne…

In many landscape applications, colonizing plants that spread more competitively to the point where it becomes the dominant plant in that area is a desirable ch...

Wisconsin’s shoreline plants are essential our lakes, rivers and streams. The vegetation helps prevent erosion, flooding, and creates healthy habitats...

Find Milkweed perennials at Johnson's Nursery. Milkweed (Asclepias) are Wisconsin native, summer-flowering plants known for butterfly and pollinator...

Fruit trees are a large part of our inventory, but they bring in more questions than any other category of plant. Our sales staff teamed up with our i…

Johnson’s Nursery is proud to have numerous nationally recognized plants that originated in our fields. You may be familiar with trees and shrubs tout…

The Sumac (Rhus) family includes a selection Wisconsin native shrubs noted for their fern-like foliage, site adaptability, and wildlife value. They’re…

The ornamental onion (Allium) family includes a selection of European varieties and a Wisconsin native! They’re noted for their grass-like foliage and…

The Clematis family includes 380+ species with various native origins on nearly every continent. Here in Wisconsin, several cultivars perform well and…

The Grass & Sedge Comparison Chart is a list of common ornamental grass and sedge perennials grown at Johnson’s Nursery. Easy to grow, easy to care fo…

The Hosta Comparison Chart is a list of common perennial hostas found at Johnson’s Nursery. Hostas are one of the most commonly grown part-shade to fu…

The Rose Comparison Chart is a list of common shrub roses grown at Johnson’s Nursery. Roses are versatile, smaller, ornamental shrubs used in landscap…

Underrated and underutilized perennials, Wisconsin native ferns are staples in part-to-full shade landscapes. We commonly tout ferns for their ability…

The Heuchera genus includes over 30 recognized species, all native to much of North America. They are found on a wide variety of sites, from rocky out…

Johnson’s Nursery is proud to grow and stock many of the Midwest’s most popular daylily cultivars. The botanical name for daylily is Hemerocallis is f…

The Crabapple Comparison Chart is a list of common crabapple trees grown at Johnson’s Nursery. Crabapples are versatile, smaller-scale ornamental tree…

The Summerific Series Hibiscus includes a collection of perennials known for their stunning, very large flowers. They’re noted for their northern har…

No tree symbolizes strength and longevity more than the mighty oak. Oaks are at the pinnacle of ecological value. With over 90 different species in No…

Learn more about the family of Wisconsin native Goldenrod, which are a staple in our landscape, and clearly marked by their showy golden fall flowers...

Keystone species (specifically plants) in Wisconsin are plants with critical ecological value. We discuss which plants, and how to include them in your l…

June is Wisconsin native plant appreciation month at Johnson’s Nursery. We team up with our friends at Wild Ones to offer native plant enthusiasts an …

Grow bags allow us to offer larger-sized plants, relative to B&B material, longer throughout the season, including outside of a plants harvest window…

We are plugged into plugs! Plants in plug sizes are available for sale at our nursery in Menomonee Falls, WI. Learn about plugs, and which plants we …

Many people enjoy DIY – cut your beds, install your plants, and lay your mulch! But most people don’t know the correct plants, the proper design aesth…

Floating eco-islands are groups of plants that grow on water, like floating wetlands. While they natural occur, they can be man-made...

It’s that time of year again. Behold! The fall colors, the cozy sweaters… the raking. Ah, yes, raking. Free exercise and quality time in the great out…

Wisconsin gardening comes with many obstacles: rabbits, deer, cold winters, and invasive non-native plant species. In the war against invasive plants,…

The iconic oak of Wisconsin! Bur Oak is one of the toughest oaks, tolerant of highly alkaline soils and drought. Most have interesting corky bark on y…

Native to Wisconsin's woodlands and forests, Pagoda Dogwood is an incredibly useful small tree or large shrub that provides year-round interest in the…

White Oak is a large, strong, imposing Wisconsin native specimen tree. It has a stocky trunk with wide-spreading horizontal limbs that are picturesque…

A Wisconsin native shrub with a tidy, dense, rounded habit. It has blue-green foliage, and long-blooming bright yellow flowers in summer for pollinators...

A large-growing Wisconsin native shade tree with an open rounded crown adapted to both dry sites and moist sites like swamps and river edges ...

A large-growing Wisconsin native conifer with a pyramidal form, pendulous branches, attractive petite brown cones, and perfect for moist or wet soils ...

A large, sprawling, Wisconsin native shrub with white clusters of fragrant flowers in early summer with juicy, edible black fruits in late summer...

Quaking Aspen is a fast-growing, narrow-oval to pyramidal, Wisconsin native tree with lustrous dark green foliage that shimmers in the slightest breez…

Glossy Black Chokeberry is a suckering shrub native to Wisconsin with four-season interest. It has fragrant white flower clusters in Spring, brilliant…

Hills Oak is often found on dry, acidic soils with low nutrient content. The glossy green leaves have deep sinuses, and the tree tends to hang on to l…

A Wisconsin native tree that shines as a specimen or street tree with its brilliant red fall color, deep green leaves in summer, and silvery smooth bar…

A Wisconsin native suckering shrub that features catkins in the spring, edible nuts that ripen in early fall, and orange-red fall colors, and commonly use…