Every Spring and Fall, we hold Native Plant Sales that include locally-grown perennials, shrubs and trees. We work with local vendors (and Umstead's very own Ranger Nick) to offer an excellent variety of native plants to help pollinators and birds while building and restoring our local ecosystems. 

FALL NATIVE PLANT SALE

Saturday, October 5: Noon-3pm

Fall is the best time to plant! We'll be offering an excellent selection of native plants, with a focus on more trees and shrubs than our Spring sale. The plant list and pricing will be provided closer to the event. Check back soon! 

EARLY ENTRY! Umstead Coalition Members (with current membership or donations over $15 from October 1, 2023) will get early access from 11am-noon. 

Registration isn't required to attend, but it helps us know how many to expect. 

RSVP NOW

Location: Reedy Creek entrance to Umstead State Park: 2100 N Harrison Ave, Cary, NC 27513

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.