What should I know before I arrive?

1. Please do not bring your dog. The event gets very crowded and for the safety of your pet we ask you leave them home.
2. People are often surprised by the selection and quantity of items to choose from.  It is helpful to bring boxes or box tops to carry your new plants home in. Also, bring containers to scoop up free compost, compliments of Bee Green Recycling and Supply.
3. It is important to label your donated plants.  This really helps the new owners of your plants treat them well. The form is downloadable here.​

​If you do the labeling before you arrive it makes the drop off and check in much faster and smoother. If you do not know the name of what you have, bring it anyway. We have plant identifiers here who can give you the information you need. Please do not bring invasive species. 

Tools and other inanimate objects do not need labels.

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What do you accept / Any restrictions on what to bring?

We accept anything that can be used in a yard except small plastic pots and chemicals/fertilizer. This includes all types of plants from seedlings up to full trees. If you can dig it up (with its root ball intact) it will find a new home. We take indoor and outdoor plants. We also accept anything related to yards and gardening, including books, landscape accents, tools and equipment, pots, yard art and even goldfish. But, no invasive species, please.

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Do you take pots?

Yes. We take all kinds except plastic pots one gallon or smaller. But if you need some of those, start talking to your fellow Plant Exchangers. Someone probably has a few lying around. Clay pots are very popular, but in general all pots that are donated find new homes pretty quickly.

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When will the next exchange be?

October 22, 2022. Please sign up for a 60 minute slot here. We refresh the tables every hour with plants and supplies.

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Where is the exchange?

Location: 11144 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA
Time:  10am – 3pm

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Is it accessible through public transportation?

AC Transit provides a limited bus route for this area. Call / go to 511.org

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Is there somewhere to park?

Yes, there is plenty of parking in our lot and on both sides of the street near the school that is kitty-corner to us. 

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Do you take donations / Can I just give you some plants that I do not want/need?

Absolutely, we are delighted to take donations. You are not obligated to take something back if you are just trying to downsize.

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When can I drop off my plants / Can I drop off plants early?

We accept living plant donations all year around. Contact us for dates and times you can drop off donations. For drop off times for this year’s exchange, click here.

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Do I have to pot the plants I am donating / Do you have pots that we can use to repot?

You do not need to pot the plants, just be sure to bring them wrapped in wet newspaper or plastic bags. They need to survive the few days before the exchange! If you choose to pot your donations, ACE Garden Center (Grand Avenue in Piedmont) recycles pots of all sizes. They place the pots next to the dumpsters. Feel free to stop by and take what you want.

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What if it is raining?

We hold the plant exchange rain or shine. Only once did it rain hard. It was during setup, but then the gardening gods cleared the skies for the exchange!

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I am interested in volunteering. What should I do?

We are so grateful for all the volunteers who signed up to serve on Oct. 22. We can still use help preparing for the big day. Please sign up online or drop us an email letting us know that you’d like to help prep for the event. Or call us and we will get back to you promptly to give you information on the different areas where we need help. 
 
To volunteer with us and learn more details, click here!

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How does the exchange work / How do I know what my plant is worth?

It is not a 1-for-1 trade. Bring any amount, take what you’d like. Gardeners seem to be fair and friendly people for the most part — if there’s a whole bunch of something, only take some of it, please share.

Volunteers put out donations on tables with designated areas for things like seeds, succulents, non-plant donations, etc.  As people arrive with more donations, volunteers keep running them out to the tables. In an ideal universe, everyone has labeled their plants, so you know what you’re looking at, but we have volunteers dedicated to plant identification as well as master gardeners who can tell you a little more about what you’re considering taking home.  We have a Hold area for your selected plants while you keep looking. When you are ready to go, bring your car around to the pick-up area and load.

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Can we get gardening advice?

Yes. We have plant experts and/or master gardeners who are there to answer questions and help you.

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How much does it cost / Do you accept cash?

The exchange is free-to-the-public, but it is an exchange. So, if you don’t have plants you can go to ACE Garden Center (Grand Avenue in Piedmont) to purchase something to participate in the exchange, you can volunteer, or you can give a monetary donation of $5 per person to enter. The exchange could not take place without donations.  They are our only way pay for insurance, printing fliers and posters, permits, supplies and materials we need to put on the event, as well as snacks and beverages for the volunteers.

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What if I do not have plants to donate?

When people do not have plants to share we ask for a donation.  Since it is a trade and not a giveaway the other options are to buy something to donate or give a minimum donation of $5 per person to enter.

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​What happens when I get there?

We have a designated drop-off area with people in orange vests directing traffic.  You can pull in; get help unloading your car, then go park.
Your donations will be brought out to our plant tables and you’ll get a sticker showing that you donated, and away you go.

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Didn’t see an answer to your question?

Please send us an email at connect@theplantexchange.com