UPDATED: FEB 1, 2025
We are here to assist you in choosing the best plants for your spaces and learning about native plant ecology, but we know our sales may not be like others you’ve experienced! So here's a bit about what to expect when you preorder and/or attend the public sale(s). For even more details about native plant sales (ours and in general) see our blog post "What to Expect from a Native Plant Sale."
REMEMBER:
NPU is a very small family business. Our sales are hosted by Geist Nursery, another (separate, different, please don't call them looking for us) small family business. We purchase from small to mid-sized regional growers, most are also family owned.
We do not grow our own plants, and WE DO NOT SHIP POTTED PLANTS. We do offer bare roots for shipping, but these will be clearly marked in the listing title.
We do not offer warranties because the plants are subject to too many variables after they leave our care. Our promise is to be sure the plants we sell are healthy and vigorous. If we end up with a sad one, we’ll let you know and you can decide for yourself whether to take the chance on it.
PREORDERS:
Because we do not have our own property, we rely heavily on preorders for our seasonal sales. This helps us estimate our order for the grower- that "Goldilocks" number- not too many, not too few.
You are NEVER obligated to purchase a plant from us. If you need to cancel a preorder, you may do so - no questions asked. If you pick up your preorder and a plant isn’t what you expected, please let us know and we will offer an exchange or refund.
WHY preorder? Preorders guarantee that what you want will be available when you come to the sale. In addition, preorder customers choose a time slot in which to pick up their order. During that time they can ask us questions and shop at a less busy time, as well as get first selection of the species that are ONLY at the public sale.
PUBLIC SALE:
We do our best with online listings, but there’s nothing like seeing a plant in person to know what you’re getting. That’s why, after preorders are picked up, we offer a public sale period. The lengths of the sales may vary. About half the species we carry are only available to purchase in-person, whether during your preorder pickup or once the public sale opens.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT:
We welcome questions! We want your efforts to succeed and we are here to help as best we can. Email, text, or call!
In addition, the listings include a lot of information such as growing conditions, and special considerations for each species. An abbreviated version of that info is on our Species and Requirements page for easy reference. Other information, like HOW to put in your new plant, and protect them from rabbits and deer, can be found on the Blog Page.
POT RETURNS:
We can take back most of our pots and trays to the growers for reuse which is wonderful, and we’re more than happy to do that- *BUT ONLY THE ONES THAT COME FROM OUR SALES*. Please follow the instructions on other pots as to if/how they can be recycled.
SALE SPECIFIC INFO:
The Spring Herbaceous Sale in May & June, with online preorders February 2 through April 1 features wildflowers (forbs), grasses, sedges, rushes, and ferns- more than 200 species in total! These plants are in small pots, and all species in the online preorder will be in 2x2x3 inch pots, unless otherwise stated in the listing. 30 species are also available in 1 gallon pots this year!
The Fall Woody Plant Sale in September, with online preorders beginning late July (exact timing is weather and grower dependent) to September 1 features trees, shrubs, and vines- more than 100 species in total! Plants available in the online preorder will be in three gallon pots unless otherwise stated in the listing. We are adding 1 gallon herbaceous species to the fall sale preorder this year. The Fall Public Sale is about 3 weeks, beginning in mid September and running through the first week of October.
Our main sale is hosted by Geist Nursery (9890 Mollenkopf Road). Geist Nursery is a separate organization, so please contact NPU. We now have a second sale site in Lewisburg, Ohio, at Wild Hearts African Farm. The homepage will always have current dates, locations, and hours posted. We have also added Whistle Stop events around Indiana. Check the Event Schedule to see if we'll be at a location near you!
Please note that we do not grow our plants ourselves and do not have our own location, so typically do not have plants on hand when our sales are not open! We may be able to special order full flats of single species by request, depending on availability, but do not take small retail orders when our sales aren’t open. Again, WE CANNOT SHIP PLANTS.
Contact us at info@nativeplantsunlimited with questions. Don't miss sale announcements and updates -- sign up for our email newsletter !
