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Native Plant Plugs

New for 2024: Native plant plugs!

What is a plug?

Plugs are seedlings that are sold at smaller sizes. Because they are sold at smaller sizes, they provide a more budget-friendly method for purchasing large numbers of plants.

Our native plant plugs are sold in flats of 50 with each plug cell being 2 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep. The depth of the plugs allows the seedling plenty of room to produce a robust root system that will often nearly fill the entire cell. That strong root system will allow the seedling to take off once it is planted in the ground.

Are you looking for a budget-friendly way to purchase native plants? Check out our native plant plugs – new for 2024!

When will the plugs be ready?

The exact dates that the native plant plugs are ready will depend on two primary factors: the species and the weather.

Some species grow really well in cooler spring conditions. Other species don’t grow well until we get warmer summer conditions. It’s the reason why you can’t go to the farmer’s market in April to get a fresh pumpkin and why the only local tomatoes that you can find at that time have been grown in a greenhouse. To accommodate the differences between species, some plugs will be available in the spring and some plugs will be available in the fall.

We grow all our native plants, including plugs, so they are fully adapted to and in sync with the natural conditions. (We aren’t growing them in a greenhouse where we can make them grow faster by making it artificially warmer.) That means your plants are ready to go in the ground when you pick them up – you don’t have to do any special hardening off or coddling to get them used to being outside. It also means Mother Nature has a say in when the plants are ready. A long, cool spring could delay things a bit. An abnormally warm spring could speed things up.

We anticipate the spring plants will be ready in May and the fall plants will be ready in September. We’ll keep you informed if it looks like your plugs will be ready significantly earlier or later than anticipated. We’ll also be in touch as we get closer to May and September to let you know when and where your plugs will be ready for pickup. (Don’t worry, we’ll likely have multiple pickup opportunities.)

We’re offering 38 different species as native plant plugs. Pick your site conditions below to see what we have available that will work for your location.

What species will you have available in plugs?

We plan to grow 38 native plant species as plugs. The names of those species can be found below. To make it easier for you to choose which ones are right for your site, we’ve divided them up by light requirements then by how wet or dry your soil is. Some species, such as those that can grow in full sun or part sun, are listed in multiple locations. Each species name includes a link where you can go to learn more about it.

Full sun (6 hours or more direct sun)

🌿 Medium to dry soil 🌿

Spring Availability (May)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

Fall Availability (September)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

🌾Grasses

🌿 Medium to wet soil 🌿

Spring Availability (May)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

Fall Availability (September)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

🌾Grasses

Part sun (3-6 hours direct sun)

🌿 Medium to dry soil 🌿

Spring Availability (May)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

Fall Availability (September)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

🌾Grasses

🌿 Medium to wet soil 🌿

Spring Availability (May)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

Fall Availability (September)

🌻Forbs / Wildflowers

🌾Grasses

Shade (3 hours or less direct sun)

🌿 Medium to wet soil 🌿

Fall Availability (September)

🌾Grasses

Place an Order

How many plugs do I have to order? Is there a minimum number?

Our native plant plugs are sold in flats of 50 and we only sell plugs in full flats. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a friend or two and put in a joint order. When putting in a joint order, you and your friend(s) will need to nominate one person to put in the official order and be our point of contact.

We also anticipate having all these species (and more) available in larger sizes for the 2024 growing season if you want to purchase a smaller number of native plants.

Do I have to order 50 of the same species?

No, you can mix and match species but the total number of plugs must be an interval of 50 for that season. For example, you can order 15 butterfly milkweed, 5 common milkweed, 10 sweet goldenrod, 10 little bluestem, and 10 river oats because they will all be available in the fall. However, you can’t order 25 butterfly milkweed and 25 hairy mountain mint because the mountain mints will be available in the spring and the milkweed will be available in the fall. (If you have questions, ask. We’ll work with you if we can.)

Are these the only species you’ll have available this year? Can I get other species as plugs?

We will have other native plant species available in larger sizes, but these are the only ones we are offering as plugs. (Some species do better if you let them grow a little more before planting. We want to set you up for success so aren’t offering those species as plugs.)

Looking for a native plant species that we aren’t offering as plugs? Check out our Comprehensive List of species that we plan to have available in larger sizes. We’ll be adding multiple new species to that list during the winter.

Purchasing details:

Pricing:

  • $175 / flat ($3.50 / plug)

Payment:

  • 50% up front; 50% on delivery
  • Cash, check, or card

Ordering deadlines:

  • Spring native plant plugs: January 1, 2024
  • Fall native plant plugs: July 1, 2024
Place an Order

What if I have another question?

Send us an email at info@busybeenurseryandconsulting.com. We’ll be happy to answer your questions.