It’s Spring! A Wonderful Time to Shop for and Install Native Plants

Text and photos by Kasha Helget

Warming days and the return of birds, bees, and butterflies provide a perfect opportunity to install native plants on which they depend. They also provide beauty to our pots, yards, and landscapes. So, please consider adding a few—or several native plants to your garden, patio, deck or balcony. You will help our native wildlife survive and thrive!

Why Are Native Plants Important?

Native species are plants that have occurred naturally in a particular place, not introduced or manipulated by humans to change their features, like cultivars. These native species have co-evolved with animals and other organisms over hundreds of years and are often the most—or only—healthful source of nectar, pollen, seeds, and leaves for these resident butterflies, insects, birds, and other animals. But there are many other benefits of native plants. They:

• do not require fertilizers and few, if any, pesticides
• need less water than lawns, and help prevent erosion,
• help reduce air pollution,
• provide shelter for wildlife,
• promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural spaces, and
• are beautiful and can increase landscape values!

How to Determine 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 Plant NoVA Natives with easy-to-follow tips, dozens of photos and descriptions of plant conditions, and additional links to learn what will work best for your situation. All of the plants listed on the PNN site are true or “straight” native species, not cultivars (AKA “nativars”). As noted above, native species, especially those that are locally sourced, are always the best choices for native wildlife.

To learn more about natives vs. cultivars check out the Piedmont Master Gardeners’ excellent discussion: “Native Species or Cultivars of Native Plants–Does it Matter?”  See also the ARMN blog piece, “When Gardening for Wildlife, Pick Local Natives Over Cultivars Every Time.”

Where Can You Buy Natives?

Most commercial nurseries do not carry many, if any, native species; if they do have “natives,” these are often cultivars with features that may not support local wildlife. If you have a favorite place that has a weak selection of native species, tell management to please stock more. And don’t be afraid to ask for true natives—not cultivars or nativars. If staff members don’t know if they have any or aren’t sure of the difference between a true or straight species native and a cultivar, it would be best to buy the natives from folks who know and carry the true native species.

The good news is that there are an increasing number of native plant sales, nurseries and other resources in the area. But be sure to look at the labels or ask if plants are true natives. (Some dealers also have cultivars among the plants for sale.) Many seasonal plant sales are part of festivals with food, entertainment, and fun for kids, too. Below is information on several in Northern Virginia. Happy shopping and planting!

Spring 2025 Native Plant Sales and Events

Now until Friday, March 28
Walker Nature Center Native Plant Sale
Pre-order deadline March 28 at 5pm. Click here for available plants and plant pickup information. Pickup on April 12 between 9:30am and 1:00pm at Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, VA 20191.
See naturecenter@reston.org for other details.

Now until Saturday, March 29
Friends of Riverbend Park Native Plant Sale
Pre-order deadline March 29. Click here for available plants and plant pickup information. Pickup on April 12 between 10am and 5pm at Riverbend Park Educational Pavilion, 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls, VA 22066. (See below for the additional bluebells sale on April 5 during the Riverbend Park Bluebell Festival.)

Now until Friday, April 25
Arlington Native Plant Sale
Pre-order deadline April 25. Click here for available plants and plant pickup information.
Pick-up on May 3 between 10am and 4pm* at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, VA, 22204.
*Prior to May 3, you will be contacted by email to schedule a pick-up time for your plants.

Now until Saturday, April 26
Ayr Hill Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
Pre-order deadline April 26. Click here for available plants and plant pickup information.
Pickup on May 10 between 8am and 1pm at Freeman Store and Museum side lawn, 131 Church Street NE, Vienna, VA 22180.(See below for in-person sale on May 10 at Freeman Store and Museum side lawn.)

Saturday, March 29
8am–1pm
National Arboretum Native Plant Sale
2400 R Street, NE, Washington DC 20002
Held in conjunction with the National Arboretum’s Lahr Native Plant Symposium.
https://www.fona.org/seasonal-festivals/#Garden_Fair.
NOTE: This sale, while in the District of Columbia, is the first in-person sale of the season and includes mostly Virginia native plant growers.

Wednesday, April 5, and first Wednesdays of month through October
10am–1pm VNPS Potowmack Chapter Monthly Native Plant Sale
VNPS Potowmack Chapter plant sales are held at the propagation beds across the driveway behind the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312.
https://vnps.org/potowmack/events/potowmack-chapter-native-plant-sale-3/.

Saturday, April 5
10am, until supplies last.
Friends of Riverbend Park Bluebell Sale
Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls, VA 22066
Bluebells will be sold on the deck of the Visitor Center during the Bluebell Festival.
https://forb.wildapricot.org/page-1828477.

Saturday, April 5
9am–2pm
Spring Native Plant Sale at Morven Park
Morven Park, 17195 Southern Planter Ln, Leesburg, VA
https://loudounwildlife.org/event/spring-native-plant-sale/.

Friday, April 11 & Saturday, April 12
9am–3pm
American Horticultural Society Spring Garden Market
River Farm, 7931 E Boulevard Drive, Alexandria VA 22308
https://ahsgardening.org/about-river-farm/events-programs/spring-garden-market-2025/.

Saturday, April 19
10am–3pm
Glencarlyn Spring Celebration and Plant Sale
Glencarlyn Library Garden, 300 South Kensington Street, Arlington, VA 22204
https://mgnv.org/event/glencarlyn-spring-celebration-and-plant-sale-2/.

Saturday, April 26
9am–2pm
Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale
The Church of St. Clement, 1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302
https://northernalexandrianativeplantsale.weebly.com/.

Saturday, May 3
8am–12pm
Town of Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission Native Plant Sale
Vienna Community Center,120 Cherry St., Vienna, VA 22180
Please bring your used plastic nursery pots.
https://www.viennava.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/3865/18?curm=5&cury=2025.

Saturday, May 3
9am–2pm
Friends of Runnymede Park Spring Native Plant Sale
195 Herndon Parkway, Runnymede Parking Lot, Herndon, VA 20170
https://friendsofrunnymedepark.org/events.

Saturday, May 3
9am–12pm
Master Gardeners of Prince William Plant Sale
St. Benedict Monastery, 9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA 20136
Cash or check only; includes both native and non-native plants.
https://mgpw.org/plant-sales/.

Saturday, May 3
10am–1pm
Clifton Institute Spring Native Plant Sale
6712 Blantyre Rd., Warrenton, Va 20187
Local ecotype (true native plants) only
https://cliftoninstitute.org/event/spring-native-plant-sale-2/.

Friday-Sunday, May 9–11
5pm–7pm Friday
9am–4pm Saturday and Sunday
Blandy Garden Fair at Blandy Experimental Farm
400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620
https://blandy.virginia.edu/garden-fair.

Saturday, May 10
8am–1pm
Ayr Hill Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
Freeman Store and Museum side lawn, 131 Church Street NE, Vienna, VA 22180
https://ahgcplantsale.square.site/.

Saturday, May 17
9am–3pm
Green Spring Garden Day
4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria VA 22312
Assorted garden-related and native plant vendors, including the VNPS-Potowmack sale behind the Horticultural Center.
https://www.friendsofgreenspring.org/programs-a-events/spring-garden-day-2025.

Saturday, June 7
8am–2pm
GardenFest at Belle Grove Plantation
336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown, VA 22645
Includes both native and non-native plants.
https://bellegrove.org/calendar/garden_fest.

Saturday, June 21
10am–2pm
Manassas 5th Annual Bee Festival
Liberia House and Grounds, 8601 Portner Avenue, Manassas, Virginia, 20110
https://manassasbeefestival.com/.

Wait! There’s More . . . .

• Manassas
• Brambleton
• Dulles Town Center
• Four Mile Run

And local native plants nurseries:

Nature by Design, Earth Sangha in Springfield, and Watermark Woods in Hamilton, Virginia are open throughout the growing season to supply your needs.
Click here for more details on these and other resources.

Finally, here are Autumn 2025 Native Plant Sales scheduled (so far)

Wednesday, September 4, and October 2
10am–1pm
VNPS Potowmack Chapter Monthly Native Plant Sale
VNPS Potowmack Chapter plant sales are held on the first Wednesday of the month, April through October, at the propagation beds across the driveway behind the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312.
https://vnps.org/potowmack/plant-sale/.

Saturday, Sept 6
9am–12pm
Master Gardeners of Prince William Plant Sale
St. Benedict Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA 20136
Cash or check only; includes both native and non-native plants.
https://mgpw.org/plant-sales/.

Saturday, September 13
9am-2pm
Fall Native Plant Sale at Morven Park
Morven Park, 17195 Southern Planter Ln, Leesburg, VA 20176.
https://loudounwildlife.org/event/fall-native-plant-sale/.

Saturday, September 27
9am–2pm
Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale
The Church of St. Clement, 1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302.
http://www.northernalexandrianativeplantsale.org/.