Plant Exchange

Diversify your collection of garden and house plants for FREE by trading with others at our biannual plant exchange. Each spring and fall you can meet other gardeners in Columbia Heights, explore their available plants, bring some of your own, or just come as you are. Traders often give away:

  • Perennial plants
  • House plants
  • Seeds
  • Gardening tools
  • Gardening magazines
  • Garden decorations

When

Spring Exchange

CANCELED

Fall Exchange

CANCELED

If heavy rain or extreme weather occurs, the event will be rescheduled. Watch this page and social media for updates.

Event Cancelled

Jumping worm

Jumping Worms are an invasive species that are radically altering the soil structure and chemistry. They spread from gardening, horticulture, composting, landscaping, and events like this plant exchange. Learn more about Jumping Worms on the MN DNR website.

Where

Park near the other gardeners to keep the event collected in a single area.

Face masks and social distancing are required.

Preparing your plants

Individually labeled plants in cups ready to be traded at a plant exchange.
It’s best to separate plants into individual items, rather than having multiple giveaways in a single container.

Plants do not need to be potted, but must be in some kind of container, such as:

  • Cups
  • Boxes
  • Buckets
  • Plastic bags

Please label your plants ahead of time. It’s helpful to include:

  • Common name of the plant
  • Sun/shade requirement
  • Height/space needs

Additional labeling materials will be available at the event check-in.

How it Works

Unlike other plant exchanges, this is not a first-come-first-serve sprint. Everyone is welcome. Even those who come without anything to trade can participate in this plant exchange.

First, arrive on time and park near the other gardeners. Unload your plants and other items for trade directly behind your vehicle.

Then, check in with the organizers, and get to know other people in the community. Everyone will freely browse the available items for 5 minutes before the exchange begins.

The plant exchange happens in rounds to encourage fairness for everyone at all levels of mobility.

  1. At the beginning of each round, everyone meets in the middle of the parking lot.
  2. When directed, all participants simultaneously choose one plant each, put it inside their own vehicle, and return to the middle of the parking lot.

Rounds continue until the plants and other giveaway items are spoken for.

Residents trade their houseplants at the Columbia Heights plant exchange.

TIP: Sometimes multiple plants arrive in one container. You might want only one, so it’s best to bring a few empty containers of your own, just in case.

Enjoy your new plants!

Watch this page and social media for announcements about the next seasonal plant exchange.