PollinateTO Native Plant Kits
Live Green Toronto is offering free pollinator-friendly plant kits to help expand pollinator habitat in Toronto.
PollinateTO Native Plant Kits can be reserved for pick up at Community Environment Days.
Getting yours is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Reserve online. Find your preferred Community Environment Day location using the event schedule below.
- Pick up your kit at the Community Environment Day you selected.
- Get planting! See our tips below for creating a pollinator-friendly garden.
Important:
- Quantities are limited to one kit per household.
- All kits must be picked up in person during event hours. Events run from 10 am – 2 pm on weekends and 4 – 8 pm on Thursdays. Please refer to event schedule below.
- Kits are available to Toronto residents only. Please bring proof of your Toronto postal code and your registration confirmation to pick up your plant kit.
- Residents are invited to reserve their plant kit at any Community Environment Day location in the list below.
Each kit includes everything you need to welcome pollinators to your garden:
- Three native wildflower plants in three-inch pots
- Tips on creating pollinator-friendly gardens
- A list of the best native plants for Toronto gardens
- Two pocket guides (wild bees and native wildflowers)
Kits may include the following native plant species:
- Blue Vervain
- Anise Hyssop
- Black Eyed Susan
- Lance Leaved Coreopsis
- Butterfly Milkweed
- Pearly Everlasting
- Swamp Milkweed
Note: Species are subject to availability. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate requests for specific plant species.
Bonus!
These native plants are rich in pollen and nectar that bees and butterflies need. They’re also easier to grow and maintain because they’re adapted to local growing conditions.
Reserve Your Plant Kit - Pick up at Community Environment Days
Community Environment Day Event Schedule:
Reserve a plant kit at your preferred Community Environment Day location using the event schedule below. Only one kit per household.
Learn more about Community Environment Days.
| May 2, 2019 – Ward 10 | City of Toronto and Councillor Joe Cressy
Thursday, May 2, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Stanley Park South | 700 Wellington St. W. |
| May 4, 2019 – Ward 19 | City of Toronto and Councillor Brad Bradford
Saturday, May 4, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Ted Reeve Arena | 175 Main St. (enter off Ted Reeve Dr.) |
| May 5, 2019 – Ward 25 | City of Toronto and Councillor Jennifer McKelvie
Sunday, May 5, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Malvern Community Recreation Centre | 30 Sewells Rd. (east of Neilson Rd. & north of Sheppard Ave. E.) |
| May 9, 2019 – Ward 15 | City of Toronto and Councillor Jaye Robinson
Thursday, May 9, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Leaside Memorial Arena | 1073 Millwood Rd. |
| May 11, 2019 – Ward 9 | City of Toronto and Councillor Ana Bailão
Saturday, May 11, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Galleria Mall | 1245 Dupont St. |
| May 12, 2019 – Ward 11 | City of Toronto and Councillor Mike Layton
Sunday, May 12, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Central Technical School | 725 Bathurst St. (enter off Harbord St. and Borden St.) |
| May 16, 2019 – Ward 7 | City of Toronto and Councillor Anthony Peruzza
Thursday, May 16, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Downsview Arena | 1633 Wilson Ave. |
| May 18, 2019 – Ward 21 | City of Toronto and Councillor Michael Thompson
Saturday, May 18, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. McGregor Park Community Centre | 2231 Lawrence Ave. E. |
| May 19, 2019 – Ward 22 | City of Toronto and Councillor Jim Karygiannis
Sunday, May 19, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Bridlewood Mall | 2900 Warden Ave. |
| May 23, 2019 – Ward 1 | City of Toronto and Councillor Michael Ford
Thursday, May 23, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School | 2 St. Andrews Blvd. |
| May 25, 2019 – Ward 18 | City of Toronto and Councillor John Filion
Saturday, May 25, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Earl Haig Secondary School | 100 Princess Ave. |
| May 26, 2019 – Ward 6 | City of Toronto and Councillor James Pasternak
Sunday, May 26, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Downsview Park | 35 Carl Hall Rd. |
| June 1, 2019 – Ward 7 | City of Toronto and Councillor Anthony Perruzza
Saturday, June 1, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Black Creek Pioneer Village | 1000 Murray Ross Parkway (east of Jane St; off of Steeles Ave. W.) |
| June 2, 2019 – Ward 2 | City of Toronto and Councillor Stephen Holyday
Sunday, June 2, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Richview Collegiate Institute | 1738 Islington Ave. |
| June 6, 2019 – Wards 8 & 12 | City of Toronto, Councillor Mike Colle and Councillor Josh Matlow
Thursday, June 6, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. North Toronto Memorial Arena | 174 Orchard View Blvd. (north of Eglinton Ave. W.) |
| June 8, 2019 – Ward 24 | City of Toronto and Councillor Paul Ainslie
Saturday, June 8, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Scarborough Village Community Centre | 3600 Kingston Rd. |
| June 8, 2019 – Ward 20 | City of Toronto and Councillor Gary Crawford
Saturday, June 8, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Birchmount Community Centre | 93 Birchmount Rd. |
| June 9, 2019 – Ward 14 | City of Toronto and Councillor Paula Fletcher
Sunday, June 9, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dieppe Park | 455 Cosburn Ave. |
| June 13, 2019 – Ward 16 | City of Toronto and Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong
Thursday, June 13, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Don Mills Civitan Arena | 1030 Don Mills Rd. |
| June 15, 2019 – Ward 10 | City of Toronto and Councillor Joe Cressy
Saturday, June 15, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. David Crombie Park | 131 The Esplanade (along Frederick St.; south of The Esplanade) |
| June 16, 2019 – Ward 17 | City of Toronto and Councillor Shelley Carroll
Sunday, June 16, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Old Cummer Go Station Parking Lot | North of Finch Ave. E.; off Leslie St. |
| June 20, 2019 – Ward 25 | City of Toronto and Councillor Jennifer McKelvie
Thursday, June 20, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Colonel Danforth Park | 73 Colonel Danforth Trail (off Kingston Rd.) |
| June 22, 2019 – Ward 3 | City of Toronto and Councillor Mark Grimes
Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Etobicoke School of the Arts | 675 Royal York Rd. |
| June 23, 2019 – Ward 12 | City of Toronto and Councillor Josh Matlow
Sunday, June 23, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wychwood Barns | 76 Wychwood Ave. (along Wychwood Ave.; south of St. Clair Ave. W.) |
| July 6, 2019 – Ward 23 | City of Toronto and Councillor Cynthia Lai
Saturday, July 6, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Nashdene Yard | 70 Nashdene Rd. |
| July 7, 2019 – Ward 18 | City of Toronto and Councillor John Filion
Sunday, July 7, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Centrepoint Mall | 6464 Yonge St. |
| July 11, 2019 – Ward 6 | City of Toronto and Councillor James Pasternak
Thursday, July 11, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Esther Shiner Stadium | 5720 Bathurst St. |
| July 13, 2019 – Ward 19 | City of Toronto and Councillor Brad Bradford
Saturday, July 13, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. East York Memorial Arena | 888 Cosburn Ave. |
| July 14, 2019 – Ward 9 | City of Toronto and Councillor Ana Bailão
Sunday, July 14, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dufferin Mall | 900 Dufferin St. (south of Bloor St.) |
| July 27, 2019 – Ward 4 | City of Toronto and Councillor Gord Perks
Saturday, July 27, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sorauren Park | 289 Sorauren Ave. (along Wabash Ave.) |
| September 5, 2019 – Ward 5 | City of Toronto and Councillor Frances Nunziata
Thursday, September 5, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Amesbury Arena | 155 Culford Rd. |
| September 7, 2019 – Ward 3 | City of Toronto and Councillor Mark Grimes
Saturday, September 7, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Snow Storage Yard | 207 New Toronto St. |
| September 8, 2019 – Ward 11 | City of Toronto and Councillor Mike Layton
Sunday, September 8, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fred Hamilton Park | 155 Roxton Rd. (along Shaw St. and south of College St.) |
| September 12, 2019 – Ward 21 | City of Toronto and Councillor Michael Thompson
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Thompson Memorial Park | 1005 Brimley Rd. |
| September 14, 2019 – Ward 14 | City of Toronto and Councillor Paula Fletcher
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Bridgepoint Hospital | 1 Bridgepoint Dr. (along Blue Rodeo Dr.) |
| September 15, 2019 – Ward 8 | City of Toronto and Councillor Mike Colle
Sunday, September 15, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Glen Long Community Centre | 35 Glen Long Ave. |
| September 21, 2019 – Ward 24 | City of Toronto and Councillor Paul Ainslie
Saturday, September 21, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Morningside Yard | 891 Morningside Ave (south of Hwy 401) |
| September 22, 2019 – Ward 23 | City of Toronto and Councillor Cynthia Lai
Sunday, September 22, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Woodside Mall | 1571 Sandhurst Circle |
| September 28, 2019 – Ward 22 | City of Toronto and Councillor Jim Karygiannis
Saturday, September 28, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. L’Amoureaux Community Recreation Centre | 2000 McNicoll Ave. (enter off McNicoll Ave.; west of Kennedy Rd.) |
Tips to Create a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
- Plant native: Choose native plants, trees and shrubs rich in pollen and nectar. Locally grown and pesticide free are best.
- Provide continuous bloom: Pollinators need a continuous source of pollen and nectar so select a variety of plants that will bloom from spring to fall.
- Mass plantings: Planting multiples of the same plant together in large groupings makes it easier for pollinators to find and collect pollen.
- Plant single bloom varieties: The petals of double or triple bloom varieties can block access to pollen and nectar.
- Prune and deadhead: Remove dead flower heads to encourage new growth and a longer flowering season.
- Plant host plants: Butterflies lay their eggs on specific plants. Monarch butterflies, for example, will only lay their eggs on milkweed, the sole food source for their larva.
- Bare ground: Many native bees build nests in soil, so leave some bare patches and limit your use of mulch.
- Provide water: A birdbath or shallow dish of water with half submerged rocks will help bees and butterflies quench their thirst.
- Provide sun: Butterflies like to bask in the sun, so place a few flat rocks in sunny, sheltered locations.
- Leave dead stems: Some bees hibernate and lay eggs in hollow stems. If you do cut, leave the bottom 8 inches in place and bundle the cut stems and place them in your garden. Bundles of sticks and stems that are put out for yard waste collection too early in spring will often contain overwintering bees.
- Keep your dead wood: Large branches and decaying logs can be kept in a sunny spot to provide much-needed overwintering habitat for bees and other wildlife.
- Minimize manicuring: A perfectly manicured lawn is a food desert for pollinators. Natural gardens and lawns offer the most benefits for pollinators in terms of food and nesting spots.
- Reduce mowing: To avoid disturbing ground-nesting bees, mow your lawn less often and set the blade at the highest level possible.
- Leave the leaves: Leave the leaves where they fall or rake them into your garden to provide overwintering habitat for butterflies.
- Avoid tilling: Keep large patches of land unmown and untilled to provide secure and undisturbed nesting sites for ground-nesting bees.
- Keep it natural: Converting a lawn or garden to concrete, gravel, mulch or artificial turf reduces valuable food and nesting sites.
- Prevent the spread of invasive plants: Monitor your property for invasive plants and remove them when detected. The invasive dog-strangling vine has a negative impact on Monarchs – female butterflies mistakenly lay their eggs on it since it’s in the milkweed family, instead of native milkweeds, causing their larvae to starve.
- Avoid pesticides: Avoid plants/seeds treated with systemic insecticides, such as neonicotinoids. And don’t spray pesticides. Toronto’s Pesticide Bylaw bans the cosmetic use of pesticides.