Native Plant Sale
Ecosystem Preserve / Programs / Native Plant Sale
2024 Native Plant sale on Venema Plaza
May 11, 10 AM - 4 PM
Support student employment and internships
Strengthen local ecosystems with native species
NEW THIS YEAR:
Children's Programming | TWO Food Trucks from 10 AM - 2 PM --> Pronto Pups GR and Pizza Parliament | Live Music
(Plan to park in lot 13 to the north of the Preserve parking lot)
Start of 2024 Online Sale: May 18
Look for details for in-person and online sales dates on this page or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
View our Native Plant List & Cultural Guide for an idea of what products are available throughout the year.
Native plants are flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs that have inhabited Michigan since before European settlement. Each year, we collect native seeds from West Michigan and propagate them in our greenhouses. The Native Plant Sale features more than 100 rare, unusual, and favorite varieties of native wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses for all growing conditions, including drought-tolerant, rain garden, and shade species.
When the online native plant sale is open, orders are fulfilled on Thursdays and available for pickup on Fridays from the glass house at 1750 East Beltline Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
Proceeds benefit educational and stewardship programs at the preserve. Thank you for your support!
Learn more
For additional species information and photos, visit these online databases:
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Illinois Wildflowers
- Prairie Moon Nursery
- Michigan Flora
- Minnesota Wildflowers
- Audubon Native Plant Database (best plants for birds)
Additional Resources
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Did you know?
Native plants...
- Are easy to grow and maintain, and require little watering and no fertilizing after they are established.
- Provide beautiful, colorful plants that reflect Michigan's rich natural heritage.
- Encourage biodiversity by providing food and shelter for native pollinators like monarch butterflies and seed eaters such as American goldfinches and cardinals.
- Provide important sources of genetic diversity for wild populations of plants.
- Help reduce global warming by sequestering carbon through their extensive root system which returns carbon to the soil.
Native landscaping video
Check out a GVSU student video created for the Wild Ones River City Chapter about the importance of landscaping with native plants. A portion of the video was filmed at the Bunker Interpretive Center and in our native gardens, and features our own Professor David Dornbos.
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Plant Resources
Native Plant Guild: This is a group of local businesses dedicated to providing West Michigan with ecological landscape design, native plants, installation and maintenance.
Calvin University's Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS): For locations within the Plaster Creek watershed, PCS provides businesses, schools, churches, and landowners with native landscape design services, native plants, installation and maintenance. Their fees support their amazing work in educating about watershed issues and equipping the local community to take action to restore their watershed. If interested in contracting their services, contact plastercreekstewards@calvin.edu.
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Educational Resources
Ecosystem Preserve Pinterest page: If you are an educator looking to educate others about native plants and pollinators, check out our favorite list of educational resources, storybooks, art projects, apps, videos, and funding sources for creating native plant gardens.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Our former first lady and actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes. This website introduces people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants. It contains an extensive national native plant database, image gallery, step-by-step gardening instructions, literature, and amazing educational resources for teachers.
Michigan Audubon Do you want to attract more birds to your property? Our state's Audubon has quality information about creating a bird-friendly landscape. Their website includes elements of a bird-friendly yard, recommended plant lists, and wonderful landscape design ideas for a dozen different site types.
Michigan State University–Native Plants and Ecosystem Services: This website contains the latest research from Michigan State University about native plants and their beneficial pollinators. It is packed with native plant fact sheets, information on beneficial insects, scientific publications and teaching tools.
Midwest Invasive Plant Network: MIPN's mission is to reduce the impact of invasive plant species in the Midwest. It includes a diverse group of participants and partners. Their website provides the latest research and education materials about the prevention, control and management of invasive species in the Midwest.
The Pollinator Partnership: This nonprofit organization is the largest in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. Two of our favorite resources on their website include ecoregional planting guides and the Bee Smart® Pollinator Gardener's app. These resources help you find the right plants for your area to attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, bats, and other pollinators to the garden, farm, school, and every landscape.
Wild Ones: Wild Ones is a national, volunteer-powered, nonprofit environmental education and advocacy organization. Their website has helpful information about starting a native garden as well as beautiful, detailed garden design ideas created by professional designers and landscape architects. The designs were created with the premise that using native plants in landscaping can be achievable for gardeners of all skillsets. The designs also allow gardeners to take an incremental approach in developing their plan, adding new areas and native species as time and funds permit.
Wild Ones River City Chapter: Grand Rapids' local Wild Ones chapter promotes the benefits of native plants and sustainable landscape practices through monthly educational programs, field trips, and community service projects. The group is composed of citizens who possess varying levels of plant and gardening knowledge, from beginner to advanced. Visitors and new members are always welcome.