Wild Toledo

History

Since the fall of 2014, Wild Toledo has transformed mowed lawns, vacant lots and other underused areas into vibrant urban prairies and native landscapes. These beautiful green spaces conserve resources, improve stormwater management, reduce pollution and provide critical habitat for native wildlife like birds and pollinators.

To date, Wild Toledo has installed over 110 prairies and 50 native landscapes across the region. Many serve as outdoor classrooms, offering hands-on educational opportunities at schools and community institutions.

Prairie installation and first-year maintenance are included in quoted prices, with optional ongoing management available for a small additional fee. Native landscape installation is included in pricing, with maintenance quoted separately.

Seed Packets

Our custom seed packets include easy-to-grow species!

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) (25%)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) (4%)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) (20%)
Lance-leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) (12%)
Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) (3%)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) (8%)
Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) (28%)

Pick up one of our seed packets at select Zoo outreach events! Click here to purchase native plants to add to your garden.

Benefits

Increases Pollinator Population

Decreases Carbon Dioxide

Reduces Runoff

Resting Spots for migratory birds

Reduces Upkeep

Beauty

Food Source

Habitat

Wild Toledo Plant Sales

Our Zoo-grown native plants add beauty and benefits to your landscape. Select the size, color, bloom time and more to fit your needs.

Shop Plants

Project PRAIRIE

Project PRAIRIE extends our Wild Toledo prairie initiative into local classrooms by utilizing the flower installations as living labs.

Learn More View Prairie Map

Landscaping

Restricted in space or desire a more manicured look? A Native Landscape is for you! These areas still provide food, larval development and shelter for bees, butterﬂies and more, just on a smaller scale.

Leave the Leaves!

The Toledo Zoo is participating in the national Leave the Leaves campaign to provide habitat for overwintering pollinators and other invertebrates. Many native butterflies, bees and other important invertebrate species overwinter in the leaf litter. On top of creating great habitat, the leaves provide great mulch for our plants and will break down in the spring returning nutrients to the soil. Please consider joining us to protect native pollinators and Leave the Leaves!

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