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Trusted Research-based Online Sources for Horticultural Information

Gardeners should be skeptical about information on the internet. How do you know which sites you should trust to have accurate information?

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Updated:

July 23, 2025

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Penn State Extension website's section on pests, diseases, and weeds.

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The answer to our gardening question is now just a click away. But, how do we know if that answer is accurate or even based on research? The short answer is, "We don't!" It has always been the case that one should be skeptical of facts, figures, and studies. In school, we were taught to look at the author's education and qualifications, to review the bibliographical sources, and to consider how and by whom the research was funded. All that still holds true. In fact, with the advent of the internet and, more recently, AI, we must be even more suspicious and questioning. There is a lot of information on the internet that is anecdotal and not based on the rigors of research. Some information is downright inaccurate. How can you know what to trust? Where can gardeners turn for valid, reliable, relevant, and accurate information?

When we research articles for publication or to answer questions from home gardeners, there are many sites we turn to. The sites broadly fall into three categories: research universities, government-sponsored agencies, and other organizations and societies that focus on specific scientific areas.

Research Universities

Sites sponsored by research universities are easily identifiable by the ".edu" ending to the URL. The agriculture schools of many land-grant universities will have areas of research for which they are known, some emerging from institutes and centers. Among others, our own Penn State has a Center for Pollinator Research and a Center for Turfgrass Science. Through the centers run by Penn State, research is conducted by members of Penn State faculty, the USDA, and county extension educators. Physical centers include the Fruit Research and Extension Center (FREC) in Adams County, Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in Erie County, Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center near University Park, and Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) in Lancaster County. The dozens of research projects each year will provide answers that are valid for most of the Mid-Atlantic region. When selecting ".edu" sites, it is generally better to pick ones that are geographically close to or ecologically similar to your own garden.

Screenshot of the Center for Pollinator Research website — The Center for Pollinator Research website contains a wealth of information about pollinators and pollinator-friendly gardening.

Government Sites

Sites sponsored by the federal and state governments are easily identifiable by the ".gov" ending to the URL. Useful sites include those sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

Screenshot of the USDA \'PLANTS\' database — The USDA has an extensive online database of plant information that is easy to search.

Select Institutions

Outside of the above-mentioned universities and governmental agencies, many organizations provide accurate information about their area of knowledge. These include botanical gardens and museums. We can also turn to storied institutions like the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Herb Society of America, and the National Audubon Society, among others.

The following are some of our favorite sites based on the content area.