HOUSTON – Ready to get planting?
There are plenty of options to buy plants around Houston. There are big box stores, nurseries and grocery stores, but we’re into finding the good neighborhood options that help support local organizations and causes.
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Though a few may have already happened this spring, we’re going to list them all. We recommend bookmarking this list so you can come back to it year after year to find the best plant sales. We’ll be updating it regularly so you’ll be able to find the best sales and know when they’re coming up. (And if you know about a sale that we didn’t list, do us a solid and drop a comment so we can include it in our next update.)
Harris County Master Gardeners 🌿
The Harris County Master Gardener Association holds several public plant sales throughout the year. The funds raised are used to support Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in its educational mission to bring relevant, research-based information about horticulture to the public.
“Our plant sales are special events. We pride ourselves in offering the best varieties of fruit trees, vegetables and ornamental plants for our area at our plant sales,” its website reads. ”Compost and other useful gardening accessories are also available. Most sales host free seminars about growing and caring for gardens, with emphasis on what is being sold at that particular sale. ... Come early for best selection as quantities are sometimes limited.”
See the 2023 handbook for all dates and information about varieties and prices.
Northwest sales
Spring Sale - Perennials and peppers - April 22 at 5373 Franz Rd, Katy, Texas at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. or while supplies last
Cy-Fair Home and outdoor Living Show at the Berry Center - March 25-26 Spring Sale - Fruit trees and perennials, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. or until supplies last - 8877 Barker Cypress Rd, Cypress, Texas
Southeast sales
Genoa Friendship Gardens, 1210 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Houston - Go here for online sale.
9 a.m.- 1 p.m. or until supplies last
April 15, 17 - Perennials and peppers - Online store opens April 1- April 13, pickup day April 15
May 20, 22 - Vegetables and herbs - Online store opens May 1- May 18, pickup day May 20
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center 🪷
Spring Plant Sale March 24 & 25 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 4501 Woodway. For more information: houstonarboretum.org.
See the full plant list. It has 88 varieties listed. A variety of Texas natives will be featured, including perennial and annual wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees – perfect for attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to your yard or garden while helping to conserve water, reduce mowing, protect the soil, and save money on fertilizer and pesticides. Proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s conservation and education efforts. Members receive discounts on all Plant Sale purchases.
Whoa. You may need to plan your buying before you go. Here’s a great guide on ones that can stand up to Houston’s heat you may want to use in your planning. Plants range from $4.50 to $30. A couple tips: Enter via the 610 Entrance and park along the parking loop for easy access to the Plant Sale and bring your own cart if you have one. Limited carts will be available to transport plants at the sale.
Rice University - The Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden
The Spring Plant Sale has ended but remaining inventory will be available for purchase in the Garden by cash or check only on March 24 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., March 25 from 12 p.m.-2 p.m., and March 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden holds several regular plant sales each year, including a Fall Plant Sale of cool-season vegetables and herbs, a Spring Plant Sale of warm-season vegetables and herbs, and a Songbird and Pollinator Plant Sale of pollinator plants, many of which are native to the region.
“The goal of our fall and spring vegetable plant sales is to sell high-quality organic produce to the Rice community and to be a resource for our community members as they learn how to grow and harvest their own produce at home,” according to its website. “The goal of our Songbird and Pollinator Plant Sale is to showcase the beneficial role gardens can play in our regional ecosystem. The plants featured in this sale support the health of pollinators in the greater Houston area by providing nectar, pollen, and habitat for songbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This sale also aims to introduce our community members to the environmental benefits of planting native plants.”
March Mart Plant Sale - An annual, in-person, two-day plant sale fundraiser will offer nearly 1,200 varieties of plants rarely found at local retail nurseries. Discover Mercer-grown plants, raised at nearby greenhouses by experienced staff and volunteers, that are adaptable to the variety of soils and weather conditions in the Gulf Coast region. Presented by Friends of Mercer Botanic Gardens. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. March 24-25. 22306 Aldine Westfield, Humble. For more information and plant sale list: friendsofmercer.com
Annual Spring Plant Sale: Shop for home and garden at this annual fundraiser located at the Woodlands Farmer’s Market. Cash or check, no credit cards. Presented by the Woodlands Garden Club. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. March 25. Grogan’s Mill. 7 Switchbud Place, The Woodlands. For more information: thewoodlandsgardenclub.org
More than 40 local plant, craft, art, and food vendors will be available in the garden. Presented by Houston Plant Market at Houston Botanic Garden. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. March 25. Free with general admission. 1 Botanic Lane, Houston. For more information, go here.
Texas Rare Plant Market offers a variety of aroids, such as philodendron, monstera, alocasia, hoya, succulents, orchids, and more. Happening from 11 a.m - 6 p.m. March 26. at Houston Marriott Westchase, 2900 Briarpark. Go here for tickets to the event. You can also go here for FREE ENTRANCE into the market.
Natives Nursery at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary specializes in local native prairie grasses and wildflowers with a small selection of understory plants. The plants sold are grown only from seed collected in coastal prairie remnants in Harris or surrounding counties. These seeds were collected and planted by the hands of Houston Audubon staff and volunteers. The Natives Nursery fills a unique niche by offering native plants not readily found elsewhere.
Next plant sale is April 1 at Wild Birds Unlimited on Memorial. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Online sales are ongoing. Go here for the Houston Audubon’s online shop.
Clear Lake Chapter - Native Plant Society of Texas🌻
The spring plant sale is happening April 14 and 15 on the University of Houston Clear Lake campus at 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Enter Entrance 2, take a left on Bayou Rd., and follow the signs to the NOA I Bldg. Or use Entrance 3 on Middlebrook Dr. and take a right into parking lot D4.
The sale will be held on Friday, April 14, 5 – 6 p.m. for Chapter Members only. On Saturday, April 15, from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. the plant sale will be open to public.
Bring your wagon or cart if you have one. As of this writing, 44 varieties will be represented. Credit cards and cash accepted.
Did we miss a great plant sale? Don’t be shy, friends. Let us know in the comments and we could include it in an update on this story.