The law

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act protects endangered and threatened species — animals and plants that are in decline and disappearing from the province.

You can commercially grow (cultivate), move, keep or sell vascular plants that are threatened, endangered or extirpated, but you need to follow certain rules.

You don’t need a permit and you no longer need to provide written notice (with details about the plant and where you’re producing/growing it) to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

You can also buy plants that are species at risk from commercial growers.

Source law

This is a summary of the provincial laws. You can find a complete set of provincial rules related to this activity in:

  • Endangered Species Act, 2007
  • Ontario Regulation 242/08 (general)

The rules

You cannot grow the plants in the wild in Ontario.

And you must grow (or cultivate) the plants:

  • without using any seeds, roots or cuttings that were taken from the wild in Ontario after the species was listed as extirpated, threatened or endangered
  • in a way that is unlikely to spread disease or pests
  • in a way that is unlikely to affect the genetic integrity of wild populations of the species

Buying plants

You can buy a plant that is a species at risk from a commercial grower who sells under these rules. You can’t plant or pick a species at risk in the wild.

Identify a species at risk

If you are unsure about a certain species — and would like help identifying or confirming what it is — you can see photos and get more information on the Endangered Species website.

Get more details about a species