Native Plant Sale

Our annual sale is one of the biggest one-day native plant sales in New England. In past years we have offered both a pre-order option and a one-day sale open to the public. Now, in the era of COVID-19, we are re-tooling the sale to be pre-order only. Our combined sale in past years has included over 4,000 plants representing more than 120 native species. Our plant selections include:

  • Perennials for sun, shade, part-shade, and all types of soil conditions. 
  • A large selection of ferns, both evergreen and deciduous.
  • Grasses and sedges, for cool season and warm season interest. 
  • Trees and shrubs, at small sizes you can take home in your car. Remember that native trees and shrubs do the most to increase biodiversity and to enhance the wildlife value of your landscapes.  

Most of the species we sell are native to Massachusetts and New England. We include a few additional species from the eastern United States, especially if we believe they have ecological value here or they are great finds that are otherwise hard to source.

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    Our annual native plant sale this year will be pre-order only in response to the current coronavirus pandemic and the need to operate the sale safely. Orders must be picked up between June 18-20 at scheduled pick-up times.

    When:

    June 18 - 20 | All day

    Where:

    Waltham Field Station, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham

  • The Pre-Order Process: How It Works

    Pre-ordering plants for pick up is available to Grow Native members at the Advocate/Family level and above, allowing you to select the exact quantity of plants desired and reserving them in advance. In 2020, we are offering 80 species through pre-order. Your member contributions are essential to our ability to orchestrate this complex process, and we love being able to offer this service and thank you for your generous support!

    Our 2020 Sale

    Managing this year's sale has been, of course, complicated by the coronavirus crisis. We have been monitoring the public health guidelines throughout the winter and spring, as our plant sale planning begins in earnest in January. With the dedication of our two wonderful staff, our board of directors, and many additional volunteers, we are doing everything we can to meet this year's challenges and continue to run this sale— working hard to source as many species and plants as possible for all of you. We already know that we will have many more orders than we have ever had in previous years. Simultaneously, our suppliers face many challenges, and some species availability may be more limited than in prior years. We thus appreciate your patience and flexibility while we manage this greatly modified sale process. We are grateful to still be able to source over 3,000 native plants and help them find homes with you all over our region.
     

    Pre-Order Schedule

    • The Pre-Sale catalog and order form was e-mailed to all members on May 22. Orders are due by Wednesday, June 3. The minimum order is $150. 
    • Pre-Sale orders will be scheduled for pick up over a multi-day period from June 18–20. Participants are offered a choice of dates and times during that period, and need to sign up in advance for a defined order pick-up slot (a specific day and time). Orders will be processed and ready for you to load in your car, with appropriate social distancing from our staff and volunteers.

    Pre-Order Details

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    Custom grown plants!

    We are committed to bringing more species of native plants to market, and for the past few years we have been working with a nursery to custom grow species that are not readily available. Antennaria neglecta is one of our new offerings this year. Also called Field pussytoes, the flowers of this diminutive but hardy perennial resemble tiny cat paws. It is a groundcover with gray-green leaves that spread to form delicate mats. It does best in poor, dry soil—sand, gravel or clay—with limited competition from taller plants. Very importantly, it is a host plant of the American painted lady butterfly.

    Our other custom grown species this year include Solidago flexicaulis (Zig-zag goldenrod), Solidago odora (Sweet goldenrod), and Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby St. John's wort).