While two nights of hard frosts last week had gardeners concerned (including me, I moved many of my flower and vegetable pots into the garage), spring seems to have finally arrived to southeast Michigan.
Forsythia are mostly finished blooming. Eastern Redbud trees are covered in lovely purple flowers.
We’ve had hundreds of thousands of birds migrating through: I saw my first-of-year Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole at our neighborhood park this week.
And yesterday’s warmth brought four to six inches of growth in one day to my Swamp Milkweed.
All these changes mean it’s time for spring native plant swaps and sales in our southeast Michigan area.
If you’re interested in native plants, I’ve compiled a quick list of activities happening this month. Enjoy!
Native Plant Swaps and Sales
For folks not familiar with plant swaps, it’s where you share plants you no longer want or have too many of. They’re free activities, often hosted by libraries, extension services, parks, or garden clubs.
Whether they’re plants you’ve grown from seed, need division, or are popping up in your garden and you have nowhere else to plant them.
Swaps are free and a great way to meet other gardeners and learn about plants.
Here are a few swaps and sales I know about:
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Springtime Plant Swap at the Canton Public Library
- Where: Canton Public Library in Canton, Michigan
- When: Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 11am to 12:30PM
- Details: Bring labeled plants in a box or bag (I found it interesting they didn’t also include pots). Label each plant with name, sun or shade requirement, whether it’s a perennial/annual, any other helpful info about the plant.
- The library will also provide native plants (limited number) to folks who don’t have any plants to share.
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Kensington Metropark Native Plant Sale
- Where: Kensington Metropark in Milford, Michigan
- When: Saturday, May 18, 2024 and Sunday, May 19, 2024 from 10am to 4pm
- Details: Native plants, shrubs, and trees will be for sale. “All plants for sale are Michigan native genotypes, which means they are more likely to thrive in our area and will be more beneficial to local wildlife.” Plants are from Wildtype Native Plant Nursery, which collects seeds from various southeast Michigan metroparks.
Boxes and bags may be available, but they recommend you bring your own. I think I brought a large cardboard packing box lid last year when I bought plants at the sale.
My recommendation: come early on Saturday. I came late on Saturday afternoon, and most of the plants were picked over. Though I did buy some Prairie Dropseed and Southern Flag Iris.
If I’m remembering correctly, cost for wildflower plugs were in the $4 (US dollar) range. I don’t recall pricing on shrubs or trees. And there’s no info on whether it’s cash or credit card for purchases.
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Friends of the Rouge Spring Sale Spectacular
- Where: Canton Department of Public Works (DPW) in Canton, Michigan
- When: Saturday, May 18, 2024 from noon to 4pm
- Details: Plant plugs, quarts, and one to three-gallon pots of native flowers, grasses, and shrubs will be available for purchase. Plants are from Designs By Nature LLC. Credit cards and cash accepted.
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Ypsilanti District Library-Whittaker Native Plant Swap
- Where: Ypsilanti District Library-Whittaker in Ypsilanti, Michigan
- When: Sunday, May 19, 2024 from 1pm to 2:30pm in the Whittaker Garden (next to the parking lot, in the back)
- Details: Join staff from Washtenaw County Water Resources Office in a native plant swap. Bring your plants/shrubs/trees to swap, be sure to label plants with name and their sun preference.
I attended the swap last year and loved it! I spoke with a lot of other gardeners and learned about some new plants.
My coreopsis and great blue lobelia were popular and were quickly picked up by other gardeners.
Summary
Years ago, when I worked at an Ann Arbor software company, I used to organize plant swaps in spring and fall.
Coworkers would dig up plants they had too many of or wanted to share and we would meet in the parking lot to exchange plants to our vehicle’s trunks.
Which is how I first got coreopsis and ostrich ferns in my garden.
I’m glad organizations are hosting native plant swaps and sales in my southeast Michigan area!
Know about other native plant swaps and sales in southeast Michigan? Share details and info in the comments.
