Seal of Dane County County of Dane
Translate
Ripple Effects

The 2023 Plant Dane Native Plant Sale has ended. We will start accepting orders for the 2024 sale in Feb. 2024.

Sign up to for our Plant Dane Newsletter to receive updates on the program.

Plant Dane Native Plant Program

Native Plantings and Rain Gardens have Ripple Effects on our Waters

Convert some of your lawn into a native garden this spring. Not only are native plants beautiful, but they provide important ecosystem services such as habitat for pollinators and wildlife and improved water quality. Native gardens act as sponges helping rainwater to soak into the ground preventing stormwater runoff from draining into our lakes, rivers and streams.

The Plant Dane Program provides Dane County residents access to native plants at the discounted price of $2.75/plant, about half the normal retail price. It's open to schools, non-profit organizations (lake and neighborhood associations, youth groups, faith centers, clubs, etc.), municipalities and individual residents in Dane County, Wisconsin.

 

Pickup Details

Participants must pick up plants on their assigned pick up date. If you are unsure of your pickup date, please check your order receipt. Arrange to have a relative, friend, or neighbor pick up plants if you aren't available.

Pickup Date 1 (order #'s 4262- 4725):
Saturday, May 13 from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. 
Plant Pick Up Date for first 17,000 plants ordered. Plants must be picked up at the location below:

Dane County Land and Water Resources Dept. Office
5201 Fen Oak Drive
Madison, WI 53718

Pickup Date 2 (order #'s 4726-5094):
Wednesday, May 24 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Plant Pick Up Date for all subsequent orders (after the first 17,000 plants ordered). Plants must be picked up at the location below:

Dane County Parks Building
4212 Robertson Rd.
Madison, WI 53714

Order Plants

The Plant Dane Native Plant order period for 2023 has ended.

The order process is simple:

  1. Review the 2023 Plant Dane Native Species List and make note of which plants you'd like to order (especially their Latin name, as this is how they are listed on the order form).
  2. Place your order using the Plant Dane Order System.  Plants are sold in packs of four, and pre-selected plant garden kits come in packs of 16 or 32. 
  3. Participants must pick up plants on their assigned pick up date (see the Pickup Details tab for more details). Please arrange to have a relative, friend, or neighbor pick up plants if you aren't available.

Pricing:

  • Individual Plant Species (4-Pack) - $11.00 ($2.75/plant)
  • Plant Kit w/ 16 Plants - $40 ($2.50/plant)
  • Plant Kit w/ 32 Plants - $80 ($2.50/plant)

Garden Planning

Are you interested in incorporating native plants into your landscaping, but aren't sure where to start? Well, you've come to the right place. First, you'll want to decide what type of native garden you'd like to plant. Then, you'll want to select your plants, and finally, you'll want to order them. Let's get started! 

What type of garden?

There are three primary types of gardens that feature native plants: rain gardens, downspout gardens, and native gardens.

  • Rain gardens are shallow depressions often covered with native plants that collect stormwater runoff from roofs, parking lots, and other hard surfaces and allow it to slowly soak into the ground. If you are interested in signing up for a one-on-one coaching session with a rain garden expert, check out the upcoming event on March 4, 2023, Dig into Rain Gardens- 1:1 Coaching Sessions with the Experts.
  • Downspout gardens are planted near the outlet of the downspout. They have compost mixed into the soil and native plants with deep roots to help roof runoff slowly soak into the ground.
  • Native gardens are planted with species that are naturally occurring in the area. Once established, native plants don’t require watering, fertilizers, or other chemicals, making them a great option for a low maintenance garden. They also provide habitat for wildlife and help stormwater soak into the ground, protecting our waters.

Donate Plants

 

Dane County Land and Water Resources Dept. is accepting donations to provide native plants for community and school projects through our Free Native Plants for School and Community Projects Program. Consider a donation to purchase plants that support a local community/school native garden project. It’s easy, just click on DONATE, select a project from the pull down menu and the number of plants you wish to donate. Plants donations must be made in set of 4 (4 plants ($11), 8 plants ($22), 12 plants ($33)….). The cost of plants will simply be added to your order total. Plant donation recipients will select the plants from species list that best suit the needs of their specific project. Deadline to donate is March 21st.

 

Apply for Free Plants

The application period for the spring cycle of the Free Native Plants for School and Community Program is closed. 

The Dane County Land and Water Resources Dept. has a limited supply of free native plants that are available for use in school or community projects within Dane County that benefit water quality and education. Plants for the fall cycle are grown by volunteers. Plants will be available for pick up in late summer. To find out more about the program please visit the program website. The program can also help provide seeds and supplies to teachers that would like to grow plants with their students. 

Helpful Resources