SEASONAL FESTIVALS & PLANT SALES
LAHR NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM & NATIVE PLANT SALE
38TH ANNUAL LAHR NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM
Join the U.S. National Arboretum on Saturday, March 29th from 9 AM to 4 PM for a day of engaging presentations about native plants, pollinators, and ecosystems. This event is perfect for the home gardener! You will learn from seven expert speakers about:
- Supporting native pollinators
- Utilizing native plants in a historic estate garden
- Uses of preserved specimens from the Arboretum’s Herbarium (demonstration included)
- Species versus cultivars in regional trial gardens
- Backyard stormwater management
- Local foraging
The suggested registration cost is $95 (or $76 for FONA members), but please pay what you can to attend starting at $50. We want this educational program to be accessible to as many people as possible. The base fee of $50 covers the Arboretum’s costs to pay for speakers and lunches for all attendees. Any amount you pay over $50 directly supports the Arboretum’s Fern Valley Native Plant Collection.
Photo by the National Arboretum
NATIVE PLANT SALE
Stop by FONA’s Native Plant Sale on Saturday, March 29th from 8 AM to 1 PM. This sale is held in conjunction with the National Arboretum’s Lahr Native Plant Symposium. You don’t need to attend the Symposium to shop the sale. But make sure to shop early! In the past, some vendors have sold out by lunchtime.
Our annual Native Plant Sale includes a small number of native plant vendors (~5 vendors) from across the mid-Atlantic region selling spring ephemerals and many other choice perennials and woody plants.
Save the date — a list of vendors is coming soon!
GARDEN FAIR & PLANT SALE
Save the date for Saturday, April 26th for the 2025 Garden Fair & Plant Sale! This is our largest seasonal festival and is an important fundraiser for FONA.
Celebrate spring with us at the National Arboretum! Shop thousands of plants, browse from dozens of local vendors, and enjoy free family activities. You can also get advice from our expert gardeners! We will share more details in early 2025.
GARLIC PLANTING PARTY & BULB SALE
Our annual Garlic Planting Party & Bulb Sale is a great way to celebrate fall and FONA’s community at the National Arboretum! This event takes place each year in the Washington Youth Garden on the last Saturday in October. Attendees can plant garlic, harvest sweet potatoes, try fresh sugar cane juice, and enjoy free nature-based family activities. They can also buy edible and ornamental bulbs to plant in their own gardens. We will share information about the 2025 event in the late summer or early fall of 2025.
CHRISTMAS TREE SALE
Thank you to all who joined us for our 2024 Christmas Tree Sale! This important annual fundraiser supports our work at the National Arboretum. We hold this event each year in early December. We will share more information about the 2025 Tree Sale in the late summer or early fall of 2025.
EVENT VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering at FONA’s events throughout the year is a great way to support our work building community at the National Arboretum. Spend a day enjoying plants and people by volunteering at our annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale, or help with other seasonal festivals, concerts, 5K races, and more. No experience is required, but we greatly appreciate when people can commit to volunteering at multiple events throughout the year. Fill out our event volunteer interest form and we will get back to you with more details.
