About Us

 Lupine Gardens is a top tier leader in quality native seeds & plants in the nation. Our dedication & passion is to recover our natural environment and the species that are dependent upon it. Without plants and insects, humans cannot survive. Everything we do with our time on this planet has benefits and consequences to the future of all species that will continue on after our species is gone. 

We use only natural growing methods. No pesticides are used on our products. Our products are intended for use in nature as host and nectar sources. If your intent is to beautify your yard and spray poisonous chemicals on our wonderful natural plants, we don't want our plants to be any part of that.

 We are family owned and operated and provide habitat restoration services in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa & Illinois.

We supply only pure, true  native species. No cultivars. We dedicate our time to making our environment better every year.

We do not send mail order catalogs for our products in our efforts to decrease deforestation.

  Our plants are grown in a unique way to ensure that they thrive in their new homes across the nation. We use only natural methods of growing. Pest control at our nursery is done naturally via the abundance of outdoor predators. We are nestled into a 3.5 acre partially wooded  landscape.  We have an abundance of woodland species as well as sun loving species. We have a fully functioning ecosystem complete with insects, birds and other wildlife. We are frequented by deer, bear, turkeys, pheasant, partridge, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, owls, eagles, hawks, and an abundance of other bird species.  In the summer we can't count all the dragonflies or butterflies! So if you're into nature as much as we are, we'd love to see you stop out and show you around and talk  your ear off about native plants and restoring our land for nature. 

We dedicate hundreds of hours of research to seed germination testing each year. Bringing you the highest quality tested seeds with proper growing information.

We have one of the largest seed partner programs in the nation. Currently we partner with farms across Wisconsin that combined produce our native seed on over 1250 acres of what was once cropland. So we are not only investing in our farmers, we are also restoring our land back to these highly important indigenous plants.

We also help out small seed producers across the country that grow species of interest. 

All seed from our partners is grown under special contract and must meet our criteria. Each batch is quality tested for germination and species verification.

We do not ship live plants to Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming or Washington. This is largely due to the use of pesticides required upon import into these states. We do not condone the use of any pesticides for any reason.

 We also have a gourmet food line that we distribute nationwide.  

 A percentage of all proceeds are donated to habitat restoration for insects, wildlife, water & air purification and erosion control.  

 
 Our dedication to nature is due to the extreme reduction in insect, bird and wildlife species populations in the last four decades. Another major concern is the reduction of native vegetation due to urbanization and large scale crop farming. We have currently eradicated  85% of all natural areas in the United States, which means only 15% of previous species populations are able to be supported, thereby causing mass extinctions in as little as two decades. 

 Lets be better stewards of this planet so we can enjoy it and pass it on to our future generations. 

 Ask yourself these questions:
 Am I growing mostly beneficial native plants on my property? 

 Is there more turf grass than native? If so, how can I reduce this in a way that works for my property? 

 Am I interfering with natural insect processes by using a hands-on approach instead of letting nature take it's course? 

 Am I more concerned about the esthetic value of my property or the future of living organisms on the planet?
 
 Thank you.
 Matt Swank Owner Lupine Gardens, LLC

 Midwest Native Restoration Specialist

 Midwest Ecological Specialist 

Creator of the artificial “Cold Water” method of seed stratification

 Developer of Long Range Seed & Plant Adaptation for Broad Range Areas (1500+ miles)

North American Climatology Research Assistant

 Advocate for plants, insects & wildlife across the globe