Rust Belt Natives

08/05/2026

It’s time to think fall planting 🍁at this Saturday’s East End Pop Up located at the corner of North Pacific & Gem Way in Garfield. Now’s a great time to get things in the ground so they can root into native soil before things get chilly 🥶. I know - who wants to think about frost right now! This week’s pics feature great plants for moist to wet areas - think rain gardens, pond edges and sloppy splashy downspout areas. Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) features electric purpley-blue blooms, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) sports crazy ball shaped blooms, and Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a classic landscape shrub that hails from wet habitats but adapts well to all kinds of soils including our PA clay. Come visit us at our host Minette’s Audubon Certified Backyard Habitat and check out her monarch tagging station and wildlife pond! We love to answer your native plant questions. See you there - rain or shine!
Corner of North Pacific and Gem Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, 10am-1pm, please bring a box or tote for your new plant friends

07/31/2026

Host plants mean more than just caterpillars - did you know that Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) supports over 450 species of insects? This includes moths, butterflies, bees, flies, beetles, and more! Although it’s true that some insects can only feed on one plant (Monarch caterpillars are a “specialist” that can only survive on milkweed) - this exclusivity is not as common in the inverse when it comes to native plants. Plants in the Aster and Goldenrods families both support over 100 species, native sunflowers & Monardas support over 70 each. Even plain old fashioned Black Eyed Susans support over 40 different species! Take into account creatures higher up the food chain such as birds and chipmunks that eat plant seeds and the counts tick further upward. In my yard last night I spotted these two beefy Monarch cats munching alongside Milkweed Beetles with an impressively gross amount of Milkweed Tussock cats dining on the same stalk below 😝. (I don’t love viewing things crawling en mass, but it comes with the territory!) It was nice to see them all sharing👏🌱❤️

07/30/2026

Get ready for fall planting! Shop native perennial wildflowers, trees & shrubs for all growing conditions while surrounded by gorgeous native plantings in our host’s Audubon Certified Backyard Habitat! Second Saturday each month through October from 10am-1pm rain or shine. Rotating selections change each month! We’ll help you find the perfect plants for any space to turn your yard into a wildlife oasis 🌱❤️🐤🪲🌺🦉🐝🐸🪺
Corner of N. Pacific & Gem Way, Pittsburgh

Join us at a gorgeous native plant demo garden in the Garfield neighborhood in Pittsburgh's East End for a Rust Belt Natives Pop Up Plant Sale from May to October

07/21/2026

Thanks for your patience as we’ve been trudging through the dog days of this summer’s 100 degree days and air quality alerts with limited hours. I’m closed this week through next Tuesday for vacation. I’ll be posting the schedule for August pick ups on our website soon, plus mark our next Garfield pop up on your calendars - it’s Aug 8th! See you soon!

07/11/2026

Pop Up Tour! We’re here til 1pm today with a huge selection of plants for shopping and for viewing in our host Minette’s amazing garden!
Corner of N. Pacific Ave & Gem Way

07/09/2026

While enjoying the show of pollinators on my Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) I spotted a clump of dried petals wiggling. 🤔 Turns out it was a Wavy-Lined Emerald caterpillar (Synchlora aerata)! It had decorated itself with flower petals which they do as a form of camouflage! It was super bizarre to watch what looked like plant stuff walking around. Have you spotted any cool cats in your garden? Post a pic in the comments below! 🐛

07/08/2026

We’re back this Saturday for our East End Pop Up, corner of N. Pacific Ave. & Gem Way in the lovely neighborhood of Garfield. Stock up on summer blooming perennials, add a shrub or two to an empty corner of your yard, plus check out our host Minette’s Monarch Waystation and wildlife pond! There’s lots to see and learn about and a wide variety of plants to peruse. Snag the last of our Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), and Orange Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) all are super low in stock. I’m also releasing a few of this year’s limited inventory of Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens). Plenty more surprises coming along that are too low in number to add to the list. As always, bring your own box or tote for purchases and please, no early birds! 🐦 10am-1pm

07/06/2026

I got to spend some time in Clearfield County, my OG home last week and took a few pics of fun chores and the treasures I came upon while doing them. The last of my family’s giant front yard maple trees was wiped out in one of those recent wind storms, so first came the clean up. Losing an old tree felt a little like losing a family member, but the walks in the surrounding landscape are always healing and loaded with surprises. This is what I missed about city living - stopping to pick a delicious wild berry and spotting some incredible caterpillar or insect. I never get bored of exploring the meadows and forest there. Pics in order, collected Columbine seeds, a huge Common Bracken on the edge of the forest, an unusually outgoing Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly who was not afraid to sit still and pose, and a crazy White-marked Tussock Moth cat.

07/03/2026

Shop native perennial wildflowers, trees & shrubs for all growing conditions while surrounded by gorgeous native plantings in our host’s Audubon Certified Backyard Habitat! Second Saturday each month through October from 10am-1pm rain or shine. Rotating selections change each month! We’ll help you find the perfect plants for any space to turn your yard into a wildlife oasis 🌱❤️🐤🪲🌺🦉🐝🐸🪺
Corner of N. Pacific & Gem Way, Pittsburgh

Join us at a gorgeous native plant demo garden in the Garfield neighborhood in Pittsburgh's East End for a Rust Belt Natives Pop Up Plant Sale from May to October

07/02/2026

I’m slowing down over the next couple of days for some family time. Rest assured many more babies have been potted up over the last few weeks and will be rooting out for y’all. Pick ups resume July 8th, plus coming up just around the corner is our next East End Pop Up on July 11th. Mark your calendars, water in the new plants you’ve added so far this year, and enjoy a good rest in the garden this holiday weekend!