Start your fall gardening with perennial native plants that attract pollinators and can tolerate drought.
Check out local native plant sales happening this month, and find a variety of wildflowers, sedges, grasses, trees and shrubs.
Buying local from native plant nurseries can make a big difference in ensuring you are getting truly native species that support wildlife and thrive in local conditions. Native plant sales are one of the best ways to source plants for a thriving garden.
Many of the participating nurseries are accepting pre-orders, but will also have a wide selection of plants available during the sales.
Upcoming sales in the Kansas City area
Saturday, Sept. 7 – Kansas City, MO Hosted by Platte Land Trust
- Location: Backyard Bird Center, 6212 NW Barry Rd., Kansas City, MO
- Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Nurseries include Missouri Wildflowers Nursery
Saturday, Sept. 7 – Lenexa, KS Hosted by Lenexa Farmers Market
- Location: Lenexa Farmers Market,17201 West 87th St., Lenexa, KS
- Hours: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Nurseries include City Roots Nursery
Saturday, Sept. 7 – Paola, KS Hosted by Miami County Conservation District
- Location: USDA Field Office, 100 Angela St., Paola, KS
- Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 14 – Kansas City, MO Hosted by the Missouri Prairie Foundation
- Location: Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO
- Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Nurseries include City Roots, Gaylena’s Garden, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Ozark Soul Native Plants, Sow Wild Natives
- Parking: Due to current construction at the Discovery Center, there will be limited parking on site. Overflow parking is available across Troost Avenue in the KCUR parking lot. Watch for directional signage.
Saturday, Sept. 28 – Fairway, KS Hosted by Shawnee Indian Mission
- Location: Shawnee Indian Mission,3403 West 53rd., Fairway, KS
- Hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Nurseries include Missouri Wildflowers Nursery
Click the event links to learn more about each event
In addition to seasonal plant sales, you can also buy plants directly from local and regional native plant nurseries. Some local garden centers also carry native plants. To find these, check out the Deep Roots KC website.
Find local resources and planting advice
- Deep Roots is inspiring Kansas City to plant successful native gardens with its free webinars, Plant a Garden series, Sweet 16 Most Likely to Succeed plant list, and its Nature Advisors program.
- Missouri Prairie Foundation’s GrowNative! website includes free landscape plans, top 10 lists, and the Native Plant Database in addition to other expert resources.
- The Johnson County K-State Extension website features native gardening advice for the metro and you can ask questions through its Garden Hotline.
- The Missouri Department of Conservation hosts regular free webinars and in-person events on native plants for beginners and experienced gardeners.
Feature photo: Hummingbird finding nectar at a native cardinal flower