Text and photos by Kasha Helget
Note: After this was posted, most plant sales were cancelled with the coronavirus. But some individual sellers continue to operate. For example, Nature by Design and Earth Sangha are selling native plants with special distancing/handling precautions. So, don’t give up on planting natives! But please check the sales links or contact sellers before you go.
With longer daylight hours, warming soils, and the return of bird, bees, and butterflies, it’s ready to think about gardening, and in particular, installing native plants in your pots or yards. Our local animals depend on them, AND they provide beauty to our landscapes. So, please consider a few—or several native plants to brighten your yard, patio or deck. The native wildlife will appreciate it!
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Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) -
Christmas fern (Polistichum acrostichoides)
Why Choose Native Plants?
Because they are “from here,” natives are adapted to our climate and soil conditions. They are often the only or most healthful source of nectar, pollen, seeds, and leaves for local butterflies, insects, birds, and other animals. Other benefits of native plants are that they:
- do not require fertilizers and few if any pesticides,
- need less water than lawns, and help prevent erosion,
- help reduce air pollution,
- provide both shelter and food for wildlife,
- promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural spaces, and
- are beautiful and increase landscape values!
How to Choose the Right Natives for Your Yard or Pots?
It’s important to install the right plants for your conditions (wet, dry, shade, sun, slope, soil type, etc.). How do you know what’s right for you? One of the best sources is the Plant Nova Natives website: http://www.plantnovanatives.org/, with easy-to-follow tips, dozens of photos, and additional links to learn what will work best for your situation.
Where Can You Buy Natives?
Most commercial nurseries do not carry many native plants. If you have a favorite place that has a weak selection, tell them to please stock more. But there is a wonderful solution in the coming weeks: visit the increasing number of native plant sales in the area (many of which provide food, entertainment, and fun for kids, too). Below is information on several sales in Northern Virginia. Happy shopping and planting!
2020 Spring Native Plant Sales
NOTE: Please check sale sites for information on any changes due to COVID-19.
Friends of the National Arboretum, Lahr Symposium and Native Plant Sale
03/28/2020 CANCELLED.
Visit the sale site.
Potowmack Chapter Weekly Plant Sale
From April 1st through October is a low-key plant sale on the first Wednesday of each month at the propagation beds behind the main building at Green Springs Garden.
10am to 1pm
4603 Green Spring Rd
Alexandria, VA 22312
Visit the sale site.
Walker Nature Center
Pre-order through 5pm on 04/03/2020. Order online for pick up April 18, 2020 from 10am–1pm at the Nature Center.
Walker Nature Center: 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Click here for: Online form
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Native Plant Sale
04/04/2020
9am to 3pm
Right BEFORE main parking lot at Morven Park: 17263 Southern Planter Ln, Leesburg, VA
Spring and fall sales.
Visit the sale site.
American Horticulture Society, Spring Garden Market
04/17-18/2020
10am to 4pm
River Farm: 7931 E. Boulevard Dr., Alexandria, VA
Includes some native plant vendors.
Visit the sale site.
NOVA Soil & Water Conservation District, Native Seedling Sale
Online orders are sold out. However, there are often extra seedlings for sale on the pick-up days (April 17 and 18) and will sell for $2 a “stem” on a first-come, first-served basis. The pick-up begins at 9:00 am on Friday, April 17, and this time will give you the best selection. Sleepy Hollow Bath & Racquet Club, 3516 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Falls Church, VA 22044.
Visit the sale site.
Prince William Wildflower Society Annual Wildflower and Native Plant Sale
04/19/2020
9am–12pm
Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church picnic area, 8712 Plantation Lane, Manassas, VA
Visit the sale site.
Long Branch Nature Center
Pre-order through 4pm on 04/15/2020. Order online for pick up Fri., April 24 from 3-6pm and Sat., April 25 from 10am–3pm
On site sale 04/25/2020
1 to 4pm
Long Branch Nature Center
625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA 22204
Spring and fall sales.
Click here for: Online form and sale site.
Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale
04/25/2020
9am to 2pm
The Church of St. Clement: 1701 N. Quaker Ln, Alexandria, VA
Spring and fall sales.
Visit the sale site.
Rappahannock Plant Sale at Waterpenny Farm
04/25/2020
8am to 2pm
53 Waterpenny Lane
Sperryville, VA 22740
Visit the sale site.
Friends of Riverbend Park Native Plant Sale
04/25/2020
8 to 11am
Riverbend Park Outdoor Classroom/Picnic Shelter on Potomac Hills Street in Great Falls.
Pre-order through March 21. Pick up pre-ordered plants Friday, April 24 at the Riverbend Park Outdoor Classroom/Picnic Shelter.
Click here for: Online form and sale site.
Earth Sangha Plant Sale
05/03/2020
10am to 2pm
6100 Cloud Drive, Springfield, VA
Visit the sale site.
Friends of Runnymede Park
05/03/2020
10am to 3pm
195 Herndon Parkway, Herndon VA
Spring and fall sales.
Visit the sale site.
Green Springs Garden Day Plant Sale
Potowmack Chapter native plants and other native vendors
05/16/2020
9am to 3pm
Green Spring Gardens: 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA
Visit the sale site.