Free native plant giveaway!

Whether your yard is 10 square feet or 1,000 acres, you can do your part to restore the ecosystem by planting native plants. We'll be hosting over a dozen giveaways this year, so stop by our nursery to pick up free seedlings!

The only requirement - time and space to plant them and a commitment to maintain them so they can grow into the ecosystem powerhouses that benefit the people, animals, and water quality of our ecoregion.

And if you're a beginner don't fret - we have numerous resources to guide you.

• Seedling division guide
• Soil prep guide
• Demonstration video

Available seedlings:

Our seedlings range from from several weeks old to several months old. They're grown in densely packed community pots, which we will divide in increments of approximately 10, 25, 50 seedlings for distribution at our giveaway.

Availabililty subject to change. LE = local ecotype.

• Panicum anceps LE (Beaked Panicum Grass)
• Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)
• Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-Eyed Grass)
• Symphyotrichum lateriflorum LE (Calico Aster)
• Eupatorium perfoliatum LE (Common Boneset)
• Solidago juncea LE (Early Goldenrod)
• Sambucus canadensis (Elderberry)
• Oenothera biennis LE (Evening Primrose)
• Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue)
• Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leaved Coreopsis)
• Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem)
• Verbesina occidentalis LE (Maryland Gold Crown)
• Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)
• Allium cernum (Nodding Onion)
• Symphyotrichum lanceolatum LE (Panicled Aster)
• Tridens flavus LE (Purpletop)
• Prunella vulgaris LE (Self Heal)
• Symphotrichium laeve (Smooth Aster)
• Symphyotrichum laeve LE (Smooth Blue Aster)
• Oligoneuron rigidum (Stiff Goldenrod)
• Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
• Solidago altissima LE (Tall Goldenrod)
• Verbesina alternifolia LE (Wingstem)
• Achillea millefolium LE (Yarrow)

Example of what young seedlings look like.​

Background:

Bona Terra is a family run 100% native plant nursery in Friendship, MD with the largest selection of strictly native plants in the Washington, DC area.

We realized we could get more plants in the ground if we gave them away for free, so last year we launched Plant Grant, with a goal of distributing 1 million native seedlings annually to not for profits, schools, churches, and other groups in the DC region. This is entirely supported by sales from our retail nursery and small dollar donations from supporters, and so far we've approved 125+ grantees and given away 45 plants for every plant sold. We are taking applications on a rolling basis - apply here https://bonaterradc.com/plant-grant/

We're hosting these giveaways so that individuals can also access free plants. We have hundreds of thousands of plants to distribute - so please tell your family, friends, frenemies, neighbors, and coworkers!

Location and accessibility:

We're located in the small town of Friendship, MD, on the border of Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties, just a little over mile from the bayfront towns of North Beach and Chesapeake Beach (worth a trip!)

Our nursery parking lot is at 391 Friendship Rd. Please park in the gravel lot and follow the signs to enter the nursery. We have an electric cart available for folks with limited mobility.

Tips for a successful visit:

• We do not have a public restroom on site
• Please leave dogs at home
• Check the weather - bring umbrellas, boots, water, snacks, shade as appropriate
• Please be prepared to walk up to a quarter mile on uneven terrain from the parking lot to the giveaway site