I’m grateful we no longer have overcast skies, iced-over puddles, and light snow showers as we did on March 18, 2026 when I first published this post.
A few new plant swaps have been publicly announced since the original post, so I updated this post to include them.
This year marks the third year I’ve compiled a list of publicly announced spring plant swaps and sales in southeast Michigan.
If you’re new to gardening or an avid gardener and looking to expand your garden this year, check out my list.
Note: some of the plant swaps are only native plants while others include house plants, vegetables, annuals, and non-native perennials.
Native Plant Swaps and Sales
One of my favorite ways to learn about native plants is from community-organized plant swaps.
Thanks to fellow local gardeners I’ve met at plant swaps, I’ve learned a lot over the past three years.
I’ve extended my own garden with new native plants as well as new perennials I’ve wanted to try out.
One more thing I find cool about the swaps: I’ve found seeds, shrubs, and tree saplings.
In addition to plant swaps, county extensions, friends’ groups, and native plant nurseries have time-limited plant sales in spring where you can purchase single plants, flats of plants, and individual/large quantities of tree saplings for your garden.
Note: all times are Eastern Daylight Time.
Native Plant Swaps
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Canton Public Library Springtime Plant Swap
- Where: Canton Public Library in Canton, Michigan
- When: May 9, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Community Room
- Details: Join fellow gardeners to share your extra plants and find new plants for your garden. Bring a labeled plant (or plants) in a box or bag. For your plant labels, include plant name, sun or shade requirement, whether it’s a perennial or annual, and any other plant details.
Plymouth Pollinators members will be available to discuss native plants and creating pollinator gardens.
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Farmington Community Library 3rd Annual Plant Swap
- Where: Farmington Community Library at 23500 Liberty Street, Farmington, MI 48335
- When: May 16, 2026 from 11:00 AM to noon in the Meeting Room
- Details: Share your seeds and potted plants with fellow gardeners at the plant swap.
Share seeds or or potted plants with neighbors, find new plants for your garden, and meet other gardening enthusiasts.
Label all plants for swapping, on the container include the plant name, sun requirements, perennial information, and care tips.
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Ypsilanti District Library-Whittaker Native Plant Swap
- Where: Ypsilanti District Library-Whittaker in Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
- When: May 16, 2026 from 11:00 AM to noon in the Whittaker Garden (next to the parking lot, southwest of the library building)
- Details: Join Washtenaw County Master Rain Gardeners members for their spring plant swap. Bring your plants/shrubs/trees to swap, be sure to label plants with name and their sun preference.
I’ve attended the swap for the past three years, one of my favorite swaps! Each time I bring my Lanceleaf coreopsis and Great blue lobelia, which are favorites for many gardeners.
At their fall swap last year, I picked up another Pawpaw sapling, which did make it through our harsh southeast Michigan winter.
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Downriver Butterflies Spring Plant/Seed Swap/Giveaway
- Where: Park Ave between McLain and Harrison, Allen Park, MI 48101 (public parking lot between McLain and Harrison)
- When: May 17, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Details: Free event where folks will be trading out of their vehicles. People bring a wagon or cart to go from vehicle to vehicle. You can also bring a folding table to set your plants on, or set them directly on the ground next to your vehicle.
Note: this is a swap, no sales of plants are permitted. Label plants and seeds, don’t bring diseased plants.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any public website for their event. It seems Downriver Butterflies is no longer posting their events on AllEvents or sharing their event info with their NewsHerald local newspaper.
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Westland Public Library Plant Swap
- Where: Westland Public Library, 6123 Central City Parkway, Westland, MI 48185
- When: May 30, 2026 from 10:00 AM to noon
- Details: Bring your perennials, extra seedlings, pack annuals, houseplants, vegetables, and other plants to trade with neighbors and friends. Plants should be in a container with soil, or as rooted cuttings in water or moist paper towel. Label plants (annual/perennial, size, sun/shade, bloom color, etc.)
Remember to bring flats, trays or boxes so you can take your new plants home. Plants should be well-watered, pest and disease free.
Master Gardeners of Western Wayne County will be available to answer questions.
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Native Plant Swap with Huron-Clinton Metroparks
- Where: Detroit Public Library – Sherwood Forest Branch, 7117 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48221
- When: May 16, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Details: Join Huron-Clinton Metroparks for a Native Plant Swap. this is a perfect event to share native plants you’ve divided this spring. Or native plants you have too many of.
You can attend even if you don’t have any native plants to share! And pick up some native plants to take home for your garden or yard.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn about native plants, invasive species, and how you can become a Master Rain Gardener.
Plant Sales
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Fair Lane Estate Annual Plant Sale
- Where: Henry Ford Estate, 1 Fair Lane Drive, Dearborn, MI 48128
- When: May 15 and 16, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Details: The annual garden volunteers fundraiser will have a variety of plants for sale, including native plants, vegetables, herbs, annuals, and perennials as well as bee houses and birdhouses.
The plant sale will be in a large tent next to the parking lot.
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Washtenaw County Conservation District Spring Native Plant Pre-Sale
- Where: Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
- When: Spring Tree & Shrub Sale orders can be placed online by March 23, 2026; pickup is April 24, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM or April 25, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. Spring Native Plant Sales orders can be placed online by March 23, 2026; pickup is June 6, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Native Plant Expo & Marketplace.
- Details: Credit card or check is accepted for online orders.
Native plants can also be bought from vendors at the Native Plant Expo on June 6, 2026.
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Native Plant Sale at Bowers School Farm Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Where: Bowers Farm – Bloomfield Hills Schools 1219 East Square Lake Road Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48304
- When: Pre-order your native plants from March 5, 2026 to May 1, 2026. Pickup is June 6, 2026 (time not given as of March 18, 2026).
- Details: Plants are three-inch junior sizes at $6 each. The kits are a tray of three-inch pot size with 32 pre-selected plants and come with a design plan for $120.
All proceeds from the plant sale support the Master Gardeners of Oakland County who volunteer to provide Bowers School Farm horticultural gardens.
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Clinton River Watershed County Native Plant Sale
- Where: Spencer Park, 3701 John R. Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307
- When: Pre-orders until April 22, 2026. Pickup is May 16, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Shop in person at Spencer Park on May 16, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
- Details: Native plants, grasses, sedges, garden kits, and plug flats (38 plugs of single species only, woodland and sedge flats aren’t available).
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Friends of the Rouge Spring Sale
- Where: Ford Field Park, 22051 Cherry Hill St, Dearborn, MI 48124 for pickup near South Shelter.
- When: Pre-orders until April 22, 2026. Pickup pre-orders on May 16, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
- Details: Build your own native kit (three species), native garden kit, native wildflower flat (single species), and native grass flat (single species).
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Kensington Metropark Nature Center Native Plant Sale
- Where: Kensington Metropark Nature Center, 4570 Huron River Parkway, Milford, Michigan 48381
- When: May 16, 2026 and May 17, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- 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 southeast Michigan metroparks.
Boxes and bags may be available, but they recommend you bring your own. In the past, I’ve brought a large cardboard packing box lid.
Best selection is Saturday; plants get picked over quickly.
No pricing was available on their event description.
Summary
As I do every year, I can’t wait to see what I find at this spring’s plant swaps and sales.
If you know of other plant swaps and native plants sales in southeast Michigan, share details and info in the comments.
Originally published March 18, 2026.
