Frequently Asked Questions
Below you’ll find answers to our frequently asked questions. Don’t see your question here? Send us an email.
Plants
What plants do you sell?
We sell North American native plants with a focus on plants that are native to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US (with a few exceptions from a bit further outside of these ranges). We prefer to grow our plants from open-pollinated seed to ensure greater genetic diversity.
Do you sell native plant seeds?
We do not sell seeds, only live plants.
What sizes do you sell plants in?
Our container sizes reflect the preferred growing conditions of individual species and may vary according to seasonal growth patterns or growth stages of the plant. We have included a photo below of the different container sizes we use to grow our plants.
Our herbaceous wildflowers, grasses/sedges, vines, and ferns are typically grown in “quart” pots, and occasionally in 1-gallon pots. “Quart” pots can vary in shape to provide the best growing conditions for the type of roots a plant species has. Cube shaped “quart” pots are best for smaller wildflowers or those with very shallow roots. Tall narrow “quart” pots are well-suited for plants with tap roots, and species that require good drainage. Tall and wide “quart” pots provide the root space needed for species with dense and fibrous root systems. All of these various “quart” pot shapes will produce similarly sized plants that are ready to root into the soil of your garden or landscape. We occasionally have some of our herbaceous plants available in 1-gallon sizes if they have been in our care for a while and are outgrowing their “quart” containers. Herbaceous plants in a 1-gallon container will be larger, both in root mass and foliage mass, than those in a “quart” container.
Our woody trees and shrubs are typically grown in tree pots, or 1-gallon, 2-gallon, or 3-gallon pots. Tree pots are tall, but narrow, and are typically supporting our younger, smaller-sized trees and shrubs, while the 1-, 2-, and 3-gallon pots are housing our increasingly larger woody plants.
Do you sell plugs?
We do not grow plugs here at the nursery as a finished product for sale, we only grow plants in the above mentioned sizes. However, we are able to source plugs from wholesale growers. Any plugs brought in would need to be purchased as a whole tray of a single species; we do not sell partial trays or mixed trays. Pricing is dependent on the source. If you have a large project requiring lots of plants or need large quantities of a single species, email us to get a quote for plug trays.
Where is this plant species native?
The plant profile for each species we grow includes a range map from The Biota of North America Project. Our focus is on plants that are native to the greater Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, with a few exceptions with a native range a bit further out. We have customers from several states, so we like to let our customers decide how strict they are with their plant selections. If you’d like to know the native range of a plant of interest, take a look at the range map on the plant’s webstore profile.
Do you sell cultivars?
We sell wild-type (also known as straight-species) plants. We do not grow cultivars.
Do you sell sexed plants for dioecious species (species having separate male and female plants)?
Plant species that are dioecious and need a male and female plant for seed/fruit production are sold unsexed in our nursery. Since our plants are seed grown, and not grown from cuttings, the only way for us to know the sex of a plant is to have it in our care when it reaches the level of sexual maturity where it flowers, and many plants leave our nursery before reaching that stage. Occasionally, when a dioecious plant does flower in our care, we mark it with the appropriate sex. However, this does not happen often, and we cannot guarantee that we will have any sexed plants in stock.
What plants are good for my planting conditions?
Once you have determined the conditions of your planting site, you can use the filters on our webstore or product list page to help narrow down your search by filtering for product type (tree, shrub, wildflower, grass/sedge, etc.), light exposure (sun, partial, shade), soil moisture (dry, medium, moist, wet), as well as bloom color and time, if you are looking to fill some color or bloom gaps in your gardens.
What plants do not get eaten by deer?
The short answer is “nothing.” Deer can and will eat just about anything if they are hungry enough. However, there are certainly plants that they prefer over others and some that they tend to avoid. Here on our property, we have found that plants in the mint family like Monarda (Monarda didyma seems to only have moderate deer resistance), Agastache, Pycnanthemum, Salvia, and Mimulus are often avoided, as well as Allium, Penstemon, Packera, Aquilegia, sedges and grasses, and ferns are often left untouched. Lobelia are often avoided by deer, but cardinal flower is more likely to be nipped by herbivores than great blue lobelia, in our experience. Milkweed (Asclepias) species are often listed as deer-resistant, but we have had them munched here by deer and/or groundhogs in the past.
Unfortunately, we can only speak to our experiences with plants on our property, and the herbivores that visit here, or of observations we may have made out in natural areas. Since different deer herds and populations often have different tastes, we cannot guarantee the deer resistance of any of our plants, and trial and error on your property is sometimes required to fine tune the deer resistance of your plantings. Another thing to note, as that deer may “try” something that is new, even if it has high deer resistance. Sometimes they’ll return to that plant if they like it, or if they tried it and don’t like it, you may never have that plant nipped again.
Do you use pesticides?
We do not use any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or neonicotinoids in our nursery. We use organic potting mixes for our container grown plants and we only use organic-certified fertilizers, amendments, and biological controls. The plants that we grow and sell are safe for all pollinators and wildlife. As a result, you may find signs of insect herbivory on our plants, and, if you’re lucky, you may find a milkweed plant with a monarch caterpillar already on it or go home with a spicebush already housing a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar!
We prefer to utilize the balance of nature when it comes to managing plant stress and unwelcome insects. We often rely on manual removal through pruning or directly removing insects by hand, control by way of natural predators of insects that visit our nursery, or in extreme cases only, organic-certified soaps/sprays.
Which plants are in stock?
We have a filter on our webstore that can be turned on to display only plants and products that are currently in stock. Click here to view in-stock products on our webstore.
What does it mean when a plant is out of stock?
When a plant is out of stock, that means we do not have any of that species available to sell at the moment. Some plants may sell out temporarily and become available later in the season, some species are only available for part of the season, and some plants we may not have every season. Just a note, when we are closed for the season, all of our plants will be marked as “out of stock” in the webstore.
The “anticipated availability” for each species can be found on the plant profile on our webstore, along with other plant attributes under the part that says “Additional information” (see photo below), and also as a column in our product list page. The anticipated availability of a species could have the anticipated year of availability, a month or a season if we’re able to make that prediction, it may be marked as “TBD” if we are trying to make a determination on the availability, or it may be listed as “not available this season”, which means that we do not have that plant species in a stage of propagation that would allow it to be ready during the current season. In addition to viewing the anticipated availability that is displayed on the plant webstore profile or on our product list page, we have a filter available on our webstore and product list page that can filter products based on their “anticipated availability” status.
How do I know when a plant will be available?
In addition to taking a look at the “anticipated availability” attribute of a plant species on its webstore profile, or on our product list page, you can sign up for an in-stock notification for an out-of-stock plant by visiting that plants profile, scrolling down until you find the form to enter your name and email address, that will be titled “Join the waitlist to be emailed when this product is back in stock” (see photo below).
Can I reserve or preorder plants?
We do not offer pre-orders or holds on plants. Orders are first come, first served. Be among the first to know when an out-of-stock plant becomes available by signing up for an in-stock notification via the “Join the waitlist…” form on the plant’s webstore profile.
Retail Shopping
When is the nursery open?
Climate dependent, we are typically open for business beginning in early to mid-April through the end of October or early November. We are open by appointment only, and appointments can be made using our online appointment scheduler.
Can I visit and shop in person?
Although the majority of our plants are ordered online and picked up by appointment at our location, we do sometimes offer in-person shopping, and may occasionally have plant sale events, which would be announced in advance on our website and social media accounts. When we are offering in-person shopping, it will show up as an option on our online appointment scheduler. If it is not available as an option, then we are not currently available for in-person shopping here at the nursery. If you’re unsure, you can always email us to find out. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for our notifications for the most current news on hours and sales.
When can I pick up my order?
Orders can be picked up at our location during any available appointment day and time that you find in our online appointment scheduler. If there are no appointment options that work for your schedule, please contact us to see if we can work out an alternative day/time that works for both you and us.
Do you offer same day pickup?
We do not offer same day pickup as we need about 24 hours to get an order ready for pickup once it is received.
I am having trouble ordering online. Can you help me?
If you are having trouble accessing or using our webstore, you can email us or call us at (609) 287-0596 to place an order.
Do you have gift certificates?
Yes, we do have gift certificates available to be purchased through our eGift Card store. If you have a gift card and would like to make a purchase, please email us your order so we can send you an invoice that will have a secure link to pay by gift card, as the gift cards cannot currently be used on the webstore.
Do you ship plants?
We do not ship plants, so any purchases made on our webstore, by phone, or through email will need to be picked up by appointment at our location in Mays Landing.
Do you offer wholesale pricing?
We are a retail-only nursery and do not offer wholesale pricing.
Do you do garden design or consulting?
We do not currently offer any garden design or consulting services; growing and selling our plants takes up all of our time! You can visit our Native Plant Resources page to find links for some of our favorite books, websites, podcasts, and botanic gardens for inspiration and our product filters on our webstore and product list page can help you narrow down your plant selection. We do not have any business dealings or collaborations with any garden designers, landscape architects, or consultants, but we do know of some great designers/firms in the region that we can direct you to.
Where are you located?
We are located on the western edge of Mays Landing, close to the border with Buena Vista Township, in Atlantic County. Since the nursery is located at our home, we ask that you do not visit without an appointment. Our address is below.
Summersweet Native Plants
6863 Harding Highway
Mays Landing, NJ 08330