Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don’t miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15

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1868 x1451 Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
It’s time to make your seasonal selections! Photo via Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Beat the summer heat by planning your fall garden! If the start of some cooler weather has you ready to dig in the dirt, the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a must-visit! Don’t miss out on the fun September 14-15.

Fall Plant Sale Details

1868 x1826 Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
Little green thumbs welcome, too! Photo via Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Plant sales hosted by the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens are some of the most anticipated weekends of the year for expert and amateur gardeners alike! The annual Fall Plant Sale is quickly approaching.

Here’s where to find it:

  • Saturday, Sept. 14 | 9AM-4PM
  • Sunday, Sept. 15 | 11AM-3PM
  • Hosted at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
  • 2612 Lane Park Rd, Birmingham, AL 35223
  • Blount Plaza (right by the entrance)
  • Rain or Shine

Not only are plants available for purchase at this event—but the sale also features the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ annual Member Plant Giveaway!

Join the Friends of the Gardens today and stop by the sale in September to receive your free plant!

The Lineup

1868 x1386 Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
Truckloads full of plants = our kind of weekend. Photo via Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Autumn is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. There will be hundreds of varieties available at the sale—here’s a sneak preview of the headliners:

  • Azaleas
  • Camellias
  • Bonsai
  • Herbs
  • Irises
  • Natives 
  • Perennials
  • Trees
  • Shrubs
  • Ferns

One of the best things about buying plants from a plant sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is the items available for purchase are always selected especially for Birmingham’s climate and conditions. 

There are also plenty of great volunteers, many of whom are Master Gardeners, on hand to answer your planting and plant care questions.

Special Natives

At most Birmingham Botanical Gardens plant sales, there are quite a few special native plants that are available for purchase. This fall is no exception! Here’s a preview:

Alabama Warbonnet

Jamesianthus alabamenis Alabama Warbonnet Gail Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
Jamesianthus alabamensis or Alabama Warbonnet is perfect for all you bee lovers! Photo via Friend of the Gardens Gail Snyder
  • Jamesianthus alabamensis
  • Rare plant found only in Alabama and Georgia
  • Native bees enjoy the nectar
  • Loves moisture and can take morning sun, yet also blooms in the shade

Butterfly Weed and Swamp Milkweed

Ascleplias tuberosa Butterfly Weed Patricia Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
A patch of Asclepias tuberosa or Butterfly Weed can bring all the Monarchs to your yard! Photo via Friend of the Gardens Gail Snyder
  • Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias incarnata
  • Both wonderful Monarch host plants

Buy a Plant, Help the Planet

1868 x1772 Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
Volunteers make these sales possible! Photo via Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

When you buy plants from the sale, you help more than just your own garden!

Choose from long-lived native trees, which add to local biodiversity, and non-invasive exotics.

The Fall Plant Sale will also offer a carefully selected and diverse collection of native and non-native plants that are excellent host plants for butterflies.

This season’s selections have proven easy to grow as well as heat- and drought-tolerant.

Our Favorite Kind of Event

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Spring Plant Sale
Come one, come all—we’re all smiles for free events! Photo via Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

This event is FREE and open to the public! We love some free events around here.

Purchases made at the sale will benefit the ongoing stewardship and enhancement of the Gardens, educational programs, and outreach activities.

Another fun event that’s quickly approaching—and free for Members of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens—is Antiques at the Gardens, happening October 3-6.

Check out the Fall Plant Sale on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss an update.

Snack While You Shop

Screen Shot 2019 09 06 at 8.52.19 AM Bonsai, camellias, ferns, oh my! Don't miss the Fall Plant Sale at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sept. 14-15
Yeah—we’ll see you there. Photo via Tamale Queen on Facebook

Plants are the main event here, but if you’re bringing friends or little ones along, there’s something for them, too—and who doesn’t love food trucks?

On Saturday, September 14 from 11AM-4PM, Nuzzi Gelato and Tamale Queen will be at the Gardens! Gelato AND tamales? Sounds like perfect shopping fuel to me.

On Sunday, September 15 from 11QM-3PM, Little London Kitchen and Steel City Pops will be staked out! Grab some fish and chips, then beat the heat with a cold popsicle. Perfect for the kiddos (and adults, too).

What plants are on your list this year? Let us know!

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Beth Cunningham
Beth Cunningham

A Birmingham transplant who can usually be found hitting a new hiking trail or restaurant opening when she's not writing stories and snapping photos for Bham Now.

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