https://nativeyardatlas.com/tags/conservation-plants/ Recent content in Conservation-Plants on NativeYardAtlas.com Hugo en-US Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/understanding-nrcs-conservation-plant-release-classes/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/understanding-nrcs-conservation-plant-release-classes/ <h1 id="understanding-nrcs-conservation-plant-release-classes">Understanding NRCS Conservation Plant Release Classes</h1> <p>An NRCS release class describes how a conservation plant material was identified or evaluated within the Plant Materials Program. Copy the full species and release name from the label before looking it up; similar words on a retail tag may belong to a different program.</p> <p><img src="https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/understanding-nrcs-conservation-plant-release-classes/nrcs-release-classes.svg" alt="The four current NRCS release classes and the kind of source or evaluation information each communicates." loading="lazy" decoding="async"></p> <h2 id="the-four-nrcs-release-types">The four NRCS release types</h2> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Release type</th> <th>What NRCS says it communicates</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Source Identified</td> <td>An indigenous ecotype identified by species and collection location, without scientific evaluation.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Selected</td> <td>Desirable traits shown in comparative evaluations, with minimal test data.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tested</td> <td>More thorough testing than a Selected release to evaluate whether desired traits are heritable.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cultivar</td> <td>Specific heritable traits judged superior through comparative trials across the recommended area.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>These descriptions are for NRCS Plant Materials Program releases. They do not form a universal scale for every certification, seller phrase, or Canadian forestry label. A class alone does not establish that a plant is native to your county, that this retail lot came from a particular source, that seed quality was tested, or that it fits your garden.</p>