Seedlings are symbols of metaphorical growth, resilience, hope in the future, and more. By planting native plants in our community, we can turn metaphors into realities. Plants adapted to our local climate and soils support native pollinators and other wildlife while requiring less maintenance and water. Many are wildfire resistant and contribute to cleaner air, cooler summers, an enhanced natural environment, and beauty. That is why we celebrate Spring every year by providing affordable native plants for our community!

Over a thousand community members joined us on the first and second days of Spring for our thirty-third Annual Native Plant Sale! They left the celebration with almost thirty-seven thousand native plants that will now be planted across Whatcom County!

Community members with large orders had the option of pre-ordering their plants! This allowed them to reserve larger quantities and enjoy a quick drive-through pick-up at Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association Friday. Four hundred and sixty-six people opted to pre-order their plants this year and picked up those plants on the first day of Spring!

On Saturday, over eight hundred and forty people joined us for the celebration at Pioneer Park in Ferndale! They could visit eighteen exhibitors and vendors, including local beekeeping groups, the native plant society, local non-profits, and more! Fourth Corner Nursery donated free plants for kids, as did the Ferndale Rotary Club. After visiting the exhibitors, shoppers could grab food from My Little Mexico food truck, and shop for their new plants!

Over forty species of native shrubs, evergreens, perennials, groundcovers, ferns, and hardwoods were available in 2026. The selection of species varied to accommodate the diverse landscape of the county. Someone in Sudden Valley could find deer fern, salal, Pacific rhododendron and other shade-loving plants. A property in Lynden may have better luck with madrona, evergreen huckleberry, or red flowering currant that love well-draining soils.

We could not have facilitated this large of a celebration alone! Thank you to the City of Ferndale and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association for hosting and sponsoring the events. Thank you to the twenty-one volunteers who packed plants for pre-orders or assisted with the pre-order pick-up and/or sale. Thank you to the vendors and exhibitors who joined us at the celebration, making it truly festive: Big Leaf Nursery, Ferndale Rotary Club, Ferny's Nursery, Kortenhoeven Farms, More Life Landscaping, Mt. Baker Beekeepers, Namaste Gardens, Native Plant Society, Plantas nativa, Reeds Seeds, Re-Sources, Salish Seed Guild, Tuxedo Garden, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Whatcom County Library System, Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board, and Whatcom Land Trust.

The Whatcom CD Native Plant Sale is a self-supporting event with the mission to make conservation grade plant materials available to the public at an affordable price. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Native Plant Sale! We look forward to seeing more beautiful, low-maintenance, and beneficial native plants across the landscapes of Whatcom County!