Native and Pollinator Plant Dissemination and Education

Thanks to a Park Partners Grant that Highland Park residents voted on, and other opportunities, Sustainable Highland Park has given away free native plants several times a year.

Plants offered have included:

• Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
• Sweet Joe Pye (Eupatorium purpureum)
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Future giveaways will be posted on our events page and Facebook page.

For the 2023 Park Partners grant, we gave away 552 plants; over the last 3 years, we have given away approximately 1,300 seedlings. The seedlings are butterfly weed, anise hyssop, and bee balm. 

For the 2024 Park Partners grant, we gave away about 30 different species, including:

• 200 plugs on June 8 & 9
• 100 plugs on Aug 15
• 105 containers on Sept 8
• 122 containers on Oct 20

On Earth Day 2025, we will be giving away butterfly weed and anise hyssop seedlings.

Native/pollinator plant-related educational activities have included compiling articles, links to websites, and videos with information about planting and maintaining native plant and pollinator gardens. These are regularly posted on the Resources page.

We also publicize talks and webinars on these topics, which are sponsored by other Highland Park committees and groups, other NJ towns, and Middlesex County organizations, such as the Master Gardeners. These are posted on the event calendar on this website.