How To Get Free Or Cheap Plants?

Gardening is a fun, relaxing hobby that results in a reward of immaculate flowerbeds, tasty veggies, and beautiful landscapes. However, a well-designed garden can put a significant dent in your wallet.

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Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with a bare and dull garden this season. There are quick and easy ways to fill your garden with life. Dig into our list of resourceful ways to find free or cheap plants.

The 15 Best ways to get free of cheap plants are below. Scroll down to see them all!

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• How To Get Free Or Cheap Plants?
  • 1. Explore Construction Sites
  • 2. Curb Shopping
  • 3. Explore Your Yard
  • 4. Save Seeds
  • 5. Cultivate Cuttings
  • 6. Arrange A Plant & Seed Swap
  • 7. Locate Rescue Plants
  • 8. Get Free Plants Online
  • 9. Join The Arbor Day Foundation
  • 10. Take Advantage Of Plant Catalogs
  • 11. Offer Digging Services
  • 12. Join Mailing Lists
  • 13. Ask Churches & Schools
  • 14. Visit Yard Sales & Flea Markets
  • 15. Request A Plant For Your Birthday
• Related Questions
  • What Is The Best Time To Buy Plants For Cheap?
  • Can You Get Rare Plants For Free?
  • Can You Get Free Seeds Online?

Key Takeaways

• Explore construction sites, curbs, and your own yard for free plants.
• Turn your garden into a paradise by saving seeds, using cuttings, division, and rescue plants.
• You can exchange plants or get free and cheap plants from online sites, including Facebook Market Groups, Craigslist, Freecycle, Houzz Plant Exchange, NextDoor, etc.
• Join the Arbor Day Foundation and score ten free trees according to your zip code.
• Take advantage of plant catalogs and mailing lists to get free seeds, discounts, and coupons.
• Ask around at local churches or schools for trees they’ll be getting rid of during construction, renovation, or after gatherings. You can also visit yard sales and flea markets for cheap plants.
• If all else fails, request a plant for your birthday, and keep your fingers crossed that your friends and family grant you your wish.

How To Get Free Or Cheap Plants?

There’s a variety of hacks to fill your garden with plants at little to no cost. Here are 15 ways to get plants for free or cheap.

1. Explore Construction Sites

Explore nearby construction sites for free native plants, perennials, and mature shrubs.

Many of these new building sites are filled with foliage that needs removing to proceed with renovations.

Scout for free foliage further than new building sites road expansion projects or renovations can offer many free plants.

Contact the construction company for permission if the plants catch your eye.

2. Curb Shopping

As the name implies, curb shopping is shopping around your local street curbs.

Once the town’s weather warms up, avid gardeners get to work dividing, thinning, or replacing plants. The extras often end up at the curb.

So, keep an eye out for free bulbs, divisions, or unwanted plants when you drive around the neighborhood.

3. Explore Your Yard

Don’t forget that you find an array of free plants right in the comfort of your own home.

Scan your yard for stater plants or seedings. These bad boys are usually incredibly easy to replant.

Then, take a peek through your garden beds for flowers and decorative grasses that had grown larger than when you first planted them. Divide these plants by digging up a portion of their root system and transplanting them somewhere else.

It’s healthy for your plants and great for your pocket!

4. Save Seeds

You can also collect seeds from your favorite self-pollinating flowers and vegetables to regrow them without paying for a packet of seeds.

You’ll be able to liven your garden early next year at zero cost.

5. Cultivate Cuttings

Cuttings are exceptionally straightforward and allow you to create new plants.

You can propagate your (or a friend’s) existing plants by trimming off a healthy piece of stem and rooting system. You can also use leaf cuttings or offsets if you have succulents.

Gather some courage and ask people in your neighborhood for a stem cutting of a beautiful tree or plant and try growing the plant at home.

6. Arrange A Plant & Seed Swap

Chances are high you and your gardening friends have an abundance of certain plants or seeds.

Consider hosting a fun and exciting plant and seed swap day where everyone gets to trade plants without costing a dime.

Everyone wins!

7. Locate Rescue Plants

Find rescue plants and nurse them back to health.

You can contact lawn care companies, trash areas of florists, and garden centers for thrown-out plants, rejects, or discounted last-season stock.

8. Get Free Plants Online

You can score free plants by looking and asking around on websites. Sites like Craigslist, Freecycle, and Facebook Marketplace are excellent places to start.

Gardeners often leave a “curb post” on these sites, offering free plants at the house listed. You can also find local plant-swapping community groups online.

Join or scan the following online sites:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• Freecycle
• Houzz Plant Exchange
• NextDoor

Ensure to check online groups regularly as their offerings constantly change.

9. Join The Arbor Day Foundation

Join the Arbor Day Foundation to learn more about tree care. A fantastic perk of becoming a member is receiving ten free trees chosen explicitly for your zip code.

You will also receive discounts through their nursery when purchasing trees and shrubs.

While this option isn’t completely free, $10 for a six-month membership is more than affordable. And don’t forget, you’ll be receiving ten free trees.

10. Take Advantage Of Plant Catalogs

Many plant companies offer a discount deal or free products when you order their catalog for the first time.

These freebies aren’t always available, but they occur often enough to recommend scouring the internet for these deals.

11. Offer Digging Services

You can offer free plant-digging services to your local community and score a few free plants.

Use sites like Craigslist or NextDoor to communicate with neighbors or nearby communities.

The idea is to help your neighbors by digging up the plants they no longer want. Plenty of homeowners want changes in their landscape but don’t have time to do the grunting work. They’ll be grateful for the free labor, and you get to add a few new plants to the collection at no cost.

12. Join Mailing Lists

Mailing lists will rarely offer plants or seeds for free. But you can technically get some free plants by scoring “buy-one-get-one-free” coupons.

Otherwise, enjoy saving on these mailing lists’ promo codes and discounts.

Examples of plant mailing lists with great discounts and coupons include:

• Home Depot
• Brecks
• Plant Therapy

13. Ask Churches & Schools

Churches and schools frequently change their landscaping or do structural improvements and add-ons to their buildings.

You can ask local churches and schools if they plan to remove plants and if they’d be willing to give you some of them.

Schools and churches often host gatherings or services that feature potted plants. These plants are mostly tossed after the function. It doesn’t hurt to ask them if you can take the plants home instead.

14. Visit Yard Sales & Flea Markets

Pay a visit to yard sales or flea markets for cheap houseplants.

Plants are often overlooked at a garage sale. However, you can score mature plants at lower prices than retailers.

Flea markets are ideal for finding inexpensive plants well adapted to your local climate. The sellers generally sell the plants at highly affordable prices to ensure they get them off their backs while still in good shape.

Tip: Arrive later in the day, toward the end of the sale, to grab the items once they’re reduced drastically. You’ll be able to nurse some slightly neglected plants back to health with a bit of gardening know-how.

15. Request A Plant For Your Birthday

You can always request a plant for a birthday or holiday present if all your other schemes fail to score free plants.

Suggest a few plants you are enthusiastic about to your friends and family, and keep your fingers crossed that someone will pitch a beautiful plant as a gift.

You also can request a garden center gift card or seeds.

Related Questions

Scroll through the most frequently asked question for more insight regarding how to get free or cheap plants.

What Is The Best Time To Buy Plants For Cheap?

Spruce up your garden in or after September. Nurseries tend to clear out the remaining summer plants at discount prices to create room for their fall stock.

Can You Get Rare Plants For Free?

You can visit garden clubs and environmental organizations to get plants for free or cheap. Many of these sales offer rare, exotic plants at average plants.

Can You Get Free Seeds Online?

Browse for veggies, fruits, nuts, species, grains, and flowers on Seed Saver Exchange to find free seeds online. Note that you may have to pay for the handling and shipping fees. You can see our full resource about this here.