It’s the time of year in Michigan when spring blossoms are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are out, and native plant sales are popping up!

Native species — plants from the area that have evolved with the local ecosystem — have a lot of benefits. They can provide a place for picky butterflies like the monarch or the endangered Karner blue to lay their eggs, they do a better job at attracting insects for birds to feed on and they’re easy to care for.

“Once you’ve established them, you don’t have to baby them,” said Jackie Manchester-Kempke, president of the Michigan Master Gardener Association. “They’re going to make it because they’re tough and they fit the environment.”

After all, those plants grow in the wild without anyone taking care of them.
Planting natives can also help protect against invasive species, plants not from the area that spread rapidly and throw off the balance of the ecosystem. If a native is established, it’s one less place for an invasive plant to grow.

If you’re new to gardening with native plants, Manchester-Kempke recommends trying black-eyed Susan because it’s cheery, New England aster because it blooms late and insects love it, anise hyssop because when you crush the leaves they smell like licorice or red osier dogwood because it has beautiful red stems.

Below, you’ll find pop-up native plant sales happening this spring around the state. The list was put together with some help from Bridge Michigan readers and is not a comprehensive list. If you don’t see a native plant sale listed near you, we recommend you reach out to your local Conservation District.

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

• Now through April 30: Friends of the Rouge Spring Sale pre-orders available online. Pick up plants on May 17 in Livonia.
• Now through May 25: Detroit Abloom Native Plant Store is open for pre-orders online. Pick up is expected on May 26 in Detroit.
• May 30: River Raisin Watershed Council’s 1st Annual Native Plant Sale, 2 to 7:30 p.m. in Tecumseh.
• May 31: Native Roots – Plant Sale & Community Market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Clarkston.
• June 7: Washtenaw County Conservation District’s Native Plant Expo & Marketplace, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor.

This article is being republished through a syndication agreement with Bridge Michigan. Bridge Michigan is Michigan’s largest nonprofit news service and one of the nation’s leading and largest nonprofit civic news providers. Their coverage is nonpartisan, fact-based, and data-driven. Find them online at  https://www.bridgemi.com/.