The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to invite residents to participate in a Plant Swap and Shop event on Thursday, June 12th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm in the Scout Camping Area of the Watchung Reservation at Trailside Nature & Science Center, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside.
This special event gives Union County residents the opportunity to swap up to three distinct invasive plants from their own gardens in exchange for up to three native plants, free of charge. In addition to the swap, attendees can shop a wider variety of native plants offered by Toadshade Native Plant Nursery.
“We’ve seen continued success with our Plant Swap and Shop, and we’re excited to bring it back with new options for 2025,” said Union County Chairwoman Lourdes M. Leon. “It’s a fun, hands-on way to help residents remove invasive species from their gardens and encourage the growth of beneficial native plants that support our local ecosystems. Local events like these can have big environmental impact, and we’re proud to promote sustainability in our community.”
Invasive plants are non-native species that harm the environment by outcompeting native plants for space and resources. They reproduce quickly and thrive in a wide range of conditions. Invasive plants often lack natural predators or competitors, which allows them to spread unchecked. Over time, they can take over an area and crowd out all other species, creating a single-species environment that greatly reduces biodiversity.
Residents are invited to bring up to three invasive plants of different species and exchange them for up to three native plants, all at no cost. This year’s event will feature a new selection of native plants available for swapping, including Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Blue Lobelia /Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia siphilitica), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Lanceleaf Loosestrife (Lysimachia lanceolata), Cliff Stonecrop (Sedum glaucophyllum), and Bucks County Magenta Violet (Viola sororia selection).
Pre-registration for the Plant Swap and Shop is required and limited to 100 participants.
In addition to the plant swap, participants will have the opportunity to shop for native plants at the event. Pre-ordering through the Toadshade website at www.toadshade.com is strongly recommended for the best selection.
Registration Form
What is an invasive plant?
Any plant that is not native (or does not naturally live in our area) that causes harm to the environment. In most cases, invasive plants are able to overtake an ecosystem and use up valuable space and resources from native plant species.
They do this by being very effective and fast reproducers and by being habitat generalists – they live well in a variety of conditions. Invasive plants have few, if any, natural predators or competitors (ie: deer, groundhogs, etc), so there is nothing to keep their population in check.
Once established, these plants can continue to grow and spread, and can eventually form a monoculture – an area with just one plant species – which is devastating to biodiversity.
How many can I bring?
As many as you would like! But we can only give you a maximum of 3 native plants per household.
How do I bring them?
Dig up the plant, roots and all, and place in a box, bag, etc. Be sure to tie or tape the container so nothing “escapes”!
Where do I bring them?
Use GPS directions for 452 New Providence Rd, Mountainside, NJ. Before entering the Trailside Nature & Science Center parking lot, take the Dead End service road to the left of the yellow and green Trailside sign. Follow that road downhill to the Scout Camping Area. There will be signs to help guide you.
How do I register and what plants will I be given in return?Please use the form above on this page. Any additional questions should be directed to park.env.services@ucnj.org. Plants that will be available for swapping (while supplies last) include:
- Swamp Milkweed
- Dense Blazing Star
- Blue False Indigo
- Joe Pye Weed
- Black Eyed Susan
- Blue Cardinal Flower
- Swamp Sunflower
How do I pre-order plants from Toadshade Wildflower Farm for this event?
Simply go to toadshade.com, and during checkout enter “Union County Swap and Shop” in the special requests box. For the shipping option, choose “pickup.”
What are examples of invasive plants?
Questions?
Any questions can be directed to park.env.services@ucnj.org