Where to Find Native Plants in WNC and Upstate SC
Nurseries, garden centers, and plants sales, updated for 2026
If you live in Western North Carolina or Upstate South Carolina and you’re feeling inspired to restore a piece of nature right where you live, where can you find the native plants you need? Native plants are the key to supporting more pollinators, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. But many garden centers don’t carry them. Fortunately, there are lots of places to get native plants if you know where to look.
Here’s an updated list of local businesses, spring plant sales, and native plant resources so you can make your garden truly a place of wonder.
Why Native Plants?
Many common garden plants come from other parts of the world and many of them are lovely. You can definitely have a great looking garden with or without native plants. So why grow natives? Because insects like to eat them! That might seem counterintuitive at first, but think about it.
Many insects, including most butterflies and moths, are extremely picky in their larval stage. They will only eat their native host plants. It’s well known that monarch butterflies will only eat milkweed in their caterpillar stage. And this is also the case with many other insects. They have relationships with native plants that they need to survive.
And those caterpillars and other insects are what birds like to eat. Insects are the base of our whole food web—and we’ve actually seen a scary drop in insect numbers so we need to bring them back. The more native plants you grow, the more wildlife of every kind you’re supporting. You’re helping restore much needed habitat and you’ll be rewarded with more pollinators, butterflies, birds, and more.
Learn more: Want to learn more about gardening for butterflies? Check out this full guide to butterfly gardening in Western NC and Upstate SC.
Where to Get Native Plants
We asked a number of native plant gardeners what their favorite spots are to get native plants, and this is what we heard back. We are not necessarily endorsing these businesses, but if you’re looking for natives, check out these options. You can definitely find a great source to meet your needs!
Local and Regional Businesses
- Bells Creek Wildflower Farm, Walhalla, SC is open by appointment
- Big Pine Native Gardens in Marshall, NC is open by appointment
- Blue Oak Horticulture in Taylors, SC
- Bullington Gardens in Hendersonville, NC
- Colonial Acres in Brevard, NC
- Raymond’s Garden Center in Hendersonville, NC
- Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville, NC
- The Farm Connection in Marshall, NC
- Flower Moon Nursery in Morganton, NC
- Joe Pye Ecological Consulting & Nursery in Asheville, NC
- Milkweed Meadows in Fruitland sells at events throughout the region.
- Mountain Moss Enterprises in Brevard specializes in moss, with shop visits by appointment
- MR Gardens in Asheville
- Painters Greenhouse in Old Fort
- Red Root Native Nursery in Barnardsville
- Reems Creek Nursery in Weaverville is not exclusively native, but has a reputation for carrying a larger selection of natives.
- Sandy Mush Herb Nursery in Leicester
- Saturnia Farm in Weaverville, NC
- Seven Springs Farm and Plant Nursery in Six Mile, SC is open by appointment
- Sow True Seed in Asheville sells a mix of native and heirloom varieties
- Tanager Plants in Mars Hill, NC is open by appointment
- Wildbud Natives, LLC in Marshall
- Willow Creek Nursery in Weaverville, NC is open for retail by appointment
- Winding Stair Farm in Franklin
- Woodwise Botanicals in Mills River
2026 Plant Sales and Events
- Plants for Everyone pre-orders are open through noon on February 15. Pre-order pick-up dates are February 26 and 27. The General Plant Sale will be held from 12:00 – 6:00 pm on February 28.
- Gardening for Life Spring Native Plant Sale will be held at Congregational Church, UCC in Tryon on April 11.
- Montreat Landcare Festival & Arbor Day Celebration will be held on April 11.
- Upstate SCNPS Spring Plant Sale will be held at Conestee Park on April 18.
- Blue Ridge Community College Horticulture Program Plant Sale will be held April 18 – 19.
- Bullington Gardens Spring Plant Sale will be held April 23 – 25.
- Asheville Herb Festival will be held at the WNC Ag Center April 24 – 26.
- Travelers Rest Farmers Market Opening Day & Plant Sale will be held from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm on April 25.
- Blue Ridge Artisan Market’s From the Earth Festival will be held from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm at Lennox Station in Hendersonville on April 25.
- French Broad River Garden Club Spring Plant Sale will be held from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 2.
- Growing in the Mountains Plant Sale will be held at the WNC Farmers Market May 1 – 3.
- Asheville Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale will be held from 12:00 – 5:00 pm on May 15 and from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm on May 16.
- Black Mountain Garden Sale will be held 1:00 to 6:00 pm on May 15 and 9 am – 3:30 pm on May 16.
- Buncombe Co. Master Gardeners’ Spring Fling Plant Sale will be held May 16.
- Haywood Co. Master Gardeners’ Garden Extravaganza will be held on May 16.
- Garden Jubilee in downtown Hendersonville will be held May 23 – 24.
- NC Arboretum Spring Plant Sale & Market will be held May 29 – 30.
Favorites Outside Our Region
In addition to many local businesses, we heard good things about these sources:
- Prairie Moon Nursery, based in the Midwest, is great for meadow seed mixes, bare root plants, and plant starts that you can order online. Their website and customer service staff provide good advice on how to get your meadow or native garden started.
- Woodthrush Native Nursery in Floyd, Virginia, is worth a stop if you’re up that way.
More Places to Find Native Plants
Both the NC and SC Native Plant Societies put out lists of where you can find native plants statewide. You can find those lists here:
- North Carolina Native Plant Society’s native plant nursery list
- South Carolina Native Plant Society’s native plant nursery list
