Local plant sales forecast spring planting in Iowa

This month’s weather has been a roller-coaster in Iowa, but plant sales that begin later in April forecast that spring planting season is on the way.

Gardeners can find locally grown perennials and other plants that perform well in Iowa at the local sales.

Tender plants, such as tomatoes, peppers and annual flowers, should wait to be planted outside until after the final frost, but others, including native plants, can successfully be planted in April, weather-permitting.

Read about the Three Frozen Kings frost warning legend

Following are Eastern Iowa spring plant sales during 2026. Leave a comment if you know of others.

Scotch Grove Country Church Farmers Market & Bazaar will feature plant sales from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, April 17, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at 15791 95th Ave., Scotch Grove. Also find handcrafted soaps, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, jewelry and more from local artisans.

Save CR Heritage Home & Garden Sale, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 25; 606 Fifth Ave. SE, next to Kathy’s Pies in Cedar Rapids. Find rain lilies, Aztec lilies, ferns, Peruvian daffodils, canna, “Autumn Joy” sedum, daylilies, Siberian iris and more! Also, garden figurines, ladders and gates to support vines, windows to create cold frames, and garden accessories. Cash or check preferred. Proceeds benefit the early-1900s J.E. Halvorson House, where the sale is held, and the historic Zastera Pharmacy building. Please leave the Kathy’s Pies lot open for their customers. www.facebook.com/savecrheritage

Plants are sold during the 2025 Save CR Heritage Home & Garden Sale at the JE Halvorson House in Cedar Rapids. This year’s sale is Saturday, April 25, 2026. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

METRO Garden Market, noon to 7 p.m. Friday, April 24; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26; METRO High School, 1212 Seventh St. SE. Find garden essentials for the summer growing season and support METRO students. Students have been busy growing vegetable and flower plant starts, and will have a variety of STEAM Academy and garden-themed merchandise available.

Penn Elementary PTO Plant Sale, 3-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, Penn Elementary School, 230 N. Dubuque St., North Liberty. Native flowers and grasses, herbs, potted and rooted houseplants, vegetable plants and more.

Indian Creek Nature Center Annual Spring Plant and Art Sale, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 2; 5300 Otis Rd SE, Cedar Rapids. Wildflowers, hosta, geraniums, perennials, prairie plants and more, plus milkweed for monarch caterpillars, seedlings and seed packets, garden accessories, home decor and art. Proceeds support educational programs. https://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/annual-event/spring-plant-art-sale/

Buds & Blossoms Plant Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2; GROW at Kazimour Farm & Orchard, 2630 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. An array of favorite annuals, herbs and Iowa native perennials for pollinators. Visit with members of the Cedar Rapids Garden Club and Linn County Master Gardeners for tips and tricks on planting and growing. Enjoy guided tours and family-friendly activities, and children can plant their own herbs to take home. Presented by the Cedar Rapids Garden Club.

Cultivate Hope Spring Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2; Cultivate Hope Urban Farm, 437 G Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids. Greenhouse-grown vegetable starts, well-established herbs, perennial fruit and asparagus plants, and annual and perennial flowers, highlighting native plants, including wildflowers and grasses, to support a healthier ecosystem and provide habitat for pollinators. Proceeds support the Urban Farm’s work to grow healthy, sustainable fruits and vegetables. https://www.matthew-25.org/whats-happening/our-annual-spring-plant-sale-is-saturday-may-2/

Iowa County Master Gardeners annual plant sale, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2; American Legion Hall, 1669 Court Ave., Marengo, located just west of Gateway Park and Arboretum. Vegetable plants, perennials, annuals and more.

Plant sale/fundraiser, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 2; Blair Frank and Mary Kirkpatrick’s home, 431 Elmridge Ave., Iowa City. Prairie and other natives, flowers, vegetables, herbs and more! All proceeds donated to 100Grannies for a Livable Future, a great local organization that protects the earth. Plant donations welcomed.

Annual Gloria Dei Lutheran Church plant sale, 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 3; 123 E. Market St., Iowa City. Vegetables and blooms from Johnson County Master Gardener, Dorothy Fowles, and many others. Proceeds benefit CommUnity Crisis Services and Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. www.gdlcic.org

Native Plant Sale by Johnson County Conservation and Johnson County Master Gardeners, 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, May 3; Kent Park, 2048 Highway 6 NW, Oxford, Iowa. One of three native plant sales in 2026, along with June 14 and Sept. 13. Each sale happens concurrently with a Native Plant Speaker Series. Registration for the speaker series is required. Native plants vendor is Troutleaf Native Plants. Registration: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Johnson/Park/JOHNSON-COUNTY-EDUCATION-PROGRAMS/Events/28663/Native-Plant-Sale

Grinnell Farm to Table plant sale and pop-up market: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, May 7; 1032 Main St., Grinnell; local producers will sell plants, produce, baked goods, jams and more. grinnellfarmtotable.org

Iowa Humane Alliance 4-Day Plant Sale: 4-7 p.m. Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8 and 10-4 Saturday, May 9 and 10-2 Sunday, May 10; next to Saint Rescue, 1200 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids. Hanging flower baskets and containers, hosta, perennials, vegetable plants, herbs, succulents, house plants and more. All proceeds support lifesaving IHA programs and services. Grow plants, not pet populations. https://iowahumanealliance.org/

Charlene Woeste Memorial Plant Sale by the Linn County Master Gardeners, 4-7 p.m. Friday, May 8, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 9; Lowe Park Arts and Environment Center, 4500 N. 10^th St., Marion. Vegetables, herbs and annual flowers started and tended by Master Gardener volunteers in the greenhouse at Lowe Park, plus perennials and native plants propagated from Master Gardeners’ home gardens. Proceeds go towards educational programming.

Seed Savers Exchange Heirloom Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, Lillian Goldman Center, Heritage Farm, 3074 N. Winn Rd., Decorah. All plants grown from open-pollinated, untreated, non-hybrid, non-GMO seeds. Select from dozens of heirloom vegetable, herb, and flower plant varieties. Proceeds support Seed Savers Exchange’s nonprofit work to save and share open-pollinated seeds. Visit: https://seedsavers.org/events/heirloom-plant-sale/ for plant list.

Bird House – Johnson County Hospice Home plant sale, 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 9; 2608 Bluffwood Circle, Iowa City. Annuals, hosta, perennials, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, vintage garden items and more. Check or cash only. Proceeds benefit the Bird House, a residential hospice home.

Johnson County Master Gardeners 15th annual Plant Sale & Flea Market, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 9; Johnson County Fairgrounds, 3109 Hwy. 218 South, Iowa City. Perennial flowers, vegetables and herbs, shrubs and woody plants, as well as flea market items and gift selections.

Strawberry Point Spring Market, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9; Strawberry Point Civic Center, 401 Commercial St. Plant sale, along with handcrafted items, baked goods, jams and jelly.

Annual Johnson County Plant Sale, 3-7 p.m. Friday, May 15, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16; 5039 American Legion Road SE, Iowa City. Proceeds support Cakes From The Heart and the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation.

Global Food Project with Troutleaf Native Plants, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 17; Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, 4811 Melrose Ave., Iowa City. Shop native plants from Troutleaf and vegetable plants from the greenhouse to support the Global Food Project program.