Claudio Vazquez

At a time when online information and e-commerce were blossoming, few resources were available on the topic of native plants. On a whim, with co-founder Amanda McClean, they decided to create the type of online resource that they, as novice gardeners interested in native plants, wished they had access to. Overnight, they put their photography careers on hold and dedicated themselves full-time to the creation of Izel Native Plants. By 2010 izelplants.com was the first online database of horticulturally available plants native to the greater Mid-Atlantic. It pioneered search features that gardeners now take for granted, such as the ability to filter based on plant characteristics and growing requirements, and included detailed species descriptions, maps of native range, and more.