Every Spring and Fall, we hold Native Plant Sales that include locally-grown ferns, flowers, shrubs and trees. We work with local vendors to offer an excellent variety of plants to help pollinators and birds while building and restoring our local ecosystems. 

Fall Native Plant sale - September 23, 11am-3pm

Save the date for our 2023 Fall Native Plant Sale! More details will be published as we get closer to the date. Stay tuned!

Why Are Native Plants So Important?

"Nearly all of us get our plants from nurseries, but the plants in most nurseries fall into two very distinct categories: they are either native to your area — that is, they share an evolutionary history with the plant and animal communities in your ecoregion or biome — or they are plants that have developed the traits that make them unique species elsewhere", said Doug Tallamy in Nature's Best Hope.

Many typical garden ornamentals come from East Asia, the Mediterranean and the tropics. Tallamy says, "...plants native to the region are almost always far better at performing local ecological roles than plants introduced from somewhere else."

Native plants are crucial for biodiversity. Learn more about the benefits of native plants from Dr. Doug Tallamy. 

Learn about non-native, invasive species and the impact they're having on William B. Umstead State Park in this blog written by Ranger Nick Dioguardi. 

Learn More About Native Plants

• North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - View detailed descriptions and photographs of thousands of plants that grow in and around North Carolina.
• North Carolina Native Plant Forum - An active group on Facebook. Join in the conversation!
• North Carolina Native Plant Society
• North Carolina Botanical Garden
• Homegrown National Park - A nonprofit with an extensive resource library including links to NC native plant landscape architects and designers.

Find the Best Plants for Your Zip Code

Visit the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder to find plants that host the highest numbers of butterflies and moths to feed birds and other wildlife where you live. 

Want to Volunteer?

Our plant sales draw hundreds of people and we need lots of volunteers to help make them successful. If you're interested in helping out at one of our events, please contact us.

Interested in Donating Native Plants? 

Are you a home gardener with extra native plants in your garden that you'd like to donate? Or are you a native plant vendor and interested in donating or selling plants to the Umstead Coalition? We'd love to talk with you! The plants must be local to the state of North Carolina, ideally the Piedmont region, straight-species (no cultivars please) and pesticide/herbicide free. Contact us.