Sources for Butterfly Garden Plants
When looking for butterfly nectar and caterpillar food plants, consider local growers and plant sales. Be sure to ask if the plants that you are purchasing have been treated with pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids. If the seller does not know, explain why it is important to you to have plants that are not treated with insecticides––this is a way to create more awareness about our environment and help create demand for pesticide-free plants.
Nurseries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Six nurseries that I have used and recommend are listed below. Please be sure to check their websites for opening times and/or mail order terms.
There are many other plant sources. Suggestions can be found on the NJ Native Plant Society website and from Jersey Friendly Yards.
NJ/Pa/CT Plant Sales in 2020 - UPDATED MARCH 30, 2020 - Most of these sales have been cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Please check with each sale directly to find out its status.
Plants purchased at spring sales support our local garden clubs, nature centers, and public gardens. Quite often these sales have plants that you will not find at your local garden center. If a sale features native plants, I have added bold face text “Native Plant Sale.” Sales without my bold face text designation will most likely have many native plants but natives are not advertised as the feature of the sale. Please check the listed websites for up-to-date information. Listed chronologically:
NJ - Orders accepted Dec. 2 to April 15th, 2020 State of New Jersey Tree Seedling catalog
NJ - March 7th, NJ Native Plant Society Annual Meeting Plant Sale, Native Plant Sale
CT - April 24 Order forms due Wilton High School Organic Garden Native Wildflower Sale - order by April 24th for pickup on May 9th. Native Plant Sale
CT - April 24, 25 Connecticut Conservation Districts Native Plant Sale Native Plant Sale
NJ - April 24th, (members only) & April 25, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Native Plant Sale
NJ - April 25th, Musconetcong Watershed Association, Native Plant Sale
NJ - April 25 & 26th, Leonard J. Buck Garden Plant sale and lectures
PA - April 25, 26 & May 2, 3 Churchville Nature Center, Native Plant Sale
NJ - May 2nd, Wild Birds Unlimited Scotch Plains, Native Plant Sale
NJ - May 2 & 3rd Frelinghuysen Arboretum
NJ - May 2, Cross Estates Gardens
PA - May 2, Central Pennsylvania Native Plant Society Sale, Native Plant Sale
NJ - May 4th & 5th, NJ Audubon’s Lorrimer Nature Center Native Plant Sale
NJ - May 8 & 9th, Wild Ridge Plants, Native Plant Sale
NJ - May 9th, Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum
NJ - May 9th, Rockaway Valley Garden Club, A mix of native and non-native plants.
NJ - June 6th, NJ Audubon Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary, Native Plant Sale
PA - June 6th, Lehigh Valley Native Plant Open House, Call to confirm location, Native Plant Sale
NJ - June 13, Lambertville Goes Wild , 10 - 2 at Cavallo Park, 2 Mount Hope Street, Lambertville, NJ Native Plant Sale