spring native plant sale
Saturday, May 17, 2025
10am–6pm
887 Hancock St, Brooklyn, NY 11233 (Bed-Stuy)
Come browse a thoughtfully curated selection of native plants for sun and shade—especially chosen for their ability to survive the challenges of urban gardening. These are tough, ecologically valuable species that support pollinators and other wildlife, while thriving in the built environment.
We’ll be offering plants in landscape plugs and quart pots—smaller sizes that are easier on your budget and quicker to establish in the garden. Whether you're planting a stoop, container or overhauling a whole yard, this is a great chance to bring home resilient, beautiful plants.
Offerings
Plants for shade
Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh)
Light:Part shade to full shade
Moisture:Prefers moist, humus-rich soil
Size:4–6 ft tall
Bloom:White flowers in late summer
Wildlife:Attracts butterflies and other pollinators
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Red Columbine)
Light:Part shade; tolerates more sun with adequate moisture
Moisture:Prefers moist, well-drained soil
Size:Up to 3 ft tall
Bloom:Red and yellow flowers in early spring
Wildlife:Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees; seeds are consumed by finches and bunting
Carex flaccosperma (Blue Wood Sedge)
Light:Shade to part shade
Moisture:Prefers moist condition
Size:6–12 in tall
Bloom:Greenish-white flowers in late springWildlife:Supports various Satyr butterfly larva
Dryopteris marginalis (Marginal Woodfern)
Light:Part shade to full shade
Moisture:Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil
Size:1.5–2 ft tall
Bloom:Non-flowering fern
Wildlife:Provides cover for small wildlife
Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush Grass)
Light:Part shade to shade
Moisture:Adaptable to various moisture levels
Size:2–4 ft tall
Bloom:Green to brown flowers from May to July
Wildlife:Seeds attract birds
Erigeron pulchellus 'Lynnhaven Carpet' (Robin's Plantain)
Light:Full shade to part shade
Moisture:Low to moderate water needs
Size:12–15 in tall
Bloom:White flowers in late spring
Wildlife:Attracts pollinators
Eurybia divaricata (White Wood Aster)
Light: Part shade to full shade
Moisture: Dry to average
Height: 1.5–2.5 ft
Bloom time: Late summer to early fall
Bloom color: White
Wildlife value: A great late-season nectar source for native bees and small butterflies, especially in shady, dry sites. Its airy structure also provides cover for small critters.
Notes: A quietly tough plant for dry shade, it spreads gently and looks lovely with ferns or woodland grasses.
Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride' (Coral Bells)
Light:Shade to part shade
Moisture:Tolerates dry to moist conditions
Size:12–18 in tall
Bloom:White flowers from late summer to frost
Wildlife:Flowers attract pollinators
Phlox divaricata 'Blue Moon' (Woodland Phlox)
Light:Bright shade
Moisture:Moist, rich, well-drained soil
Size:12–18 in tall
Bloom:Lilac-blue flowers in early to mid-spring
Wildlife:Provides early nectar for hummingbirds, swallowtail butterflies, and other pollinators
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)
Light:Part shade to full shade
Moisture:Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil
Size:1–2 ft tallBloom:Non-flowering fern
Wildlife:Provides winter cover for songbirds; used in nest construction
Tiarella cordifolia 'New Moon Motley' (Foamflower)
Light:Shade to part shade
Moisture:Prefers moist, well-drained soil
Size:8–12 in tall
Bloom:White flowers in spring
Wildlife:Provides early nectar for pollinators
Viola walteri 'Silver Gem' (Prostrate Blue Violet)
Light:Part shade to shade
Moisture:Moist, well-drained soil
Size:4–6 in tall
Bloom:Showy purple flowers in spring
Wildlife:Attracts pollinators; seeds consumed by songbirds
Plants for sun
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 1–2.5’Bloom: Summer; bright orange flowers
Wildlife: Critical host plant for Monarch butterfly larvae; abundant nectar source for a variety of pollinators.
Aster cordifolium ‘Little Carlow’ (Blue Wood Aster)
Light: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Medium
Height: 2–3’
Bloom: Late summer to fall; masses of violet-blue daisy-like flowers
Wildlife: Vital late-season nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 12–18"
Bloom: Summer; soft purplish flowers with distinctive eyebrow-shaped seed heads
Wildlife: Supports native pollinators; seeds feed birds like finches. A tough, drought-tolerant grass ideal for low-input landscapes.
Callirhoe involucrata (Purple Poppy Mallow)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 6–12", trailing
Bloom: Late spring through summer; magenta cup-shaped flowers
Wildlife: Attracts bees and butterflies; long bloom season offers extended nectar source.
Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 1–2’
Bloom: Late summer; fine, cloud-like reddish-purple seed heads
Wildlife: Seeds attract small birds; great for erosion control and soft texture in plantings.
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (Narrowleaf Mountain Mint)
Light: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Medium to dry
Height: 2–3’
Bloom: Summer; small white flowers in dense clusters
Wildlife: One of the top pollinator plants—supports a wide array of native bees, butterflies, and beneficial wasps.
Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia)
Light: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 12–18"
Bloom: Summer; trumpet-shaped lavender flowers
Wildlife: Attracts bees and butterflies; larval host for several Lepidoptera species.
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to average
Height: 3–5 ft (can be floppy—pinch early for bushier growth)
Bloom time: Late summer to frost
Bloom color: Clear sky blue
Wildlife value: Loved by long-tongued native bees and hummingbirds. A nectar powerhouse that keeps blooming well into fall.
Notes: An airy, architectural wildflower that brings vibrant late color and thrives in poor, dry soils.
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to average
Height: 2–4 ft
Bloom time: Late summer; foliage turns striking red-orange in fall
Bloom color: Silvery seedheads
Wildlife value: A host plant for many skipper butterfly species and a seed source for birds in winter. Provides important overwintering habitat for insects.
Notes: One of the best native grasses for tough urban sites—low maintenance and highly ornamental year-round.
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 2–3’
Bloom: Late summer; fragrant flower panicles
Wildlife: Seeds eaten by birds; excellent structural grass and matrix plant.
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry to medium
Height: 18–24"
Bloom: Summer; airy, wispy golden seed heads
Wildlife: Offers nesting material for birds; visually softens garden edges.
Like what you see? Place your order ahead of time and pick it up at the sale!