We Are On A Mission to Bring Life Back to Yards and Communities!
Will you join us? Explore the website to learn more!
Shop for Wicked Awesome Native Plants!
The Plant Emporium is located on Barneyville Road at the exact border of Swansea, MA and Barrington, RI. Look for the red barn, the plants and the buzz! Click below for hours, plant lists and other shopping details.
Why Plant Native Plants?
Native plants evolved with native wildlife over millions of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat for songbirds, pollinators and many other wonderful creatures. A plant is considered native if it occurred naturally in a region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction. Extensive research has shown that exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not support wildlife as well as native plants. Occasionally, they can even escape into the wild and become invasive exotics that destroy natural habitat. Native plants are also at the root of resilient gardening. They are adapted to our climate and soil types and most have very low water requirements once established. And in a healthy native plant landscape there is no need to use the artificial fertilizers, pesticides or other chemical interventions that are negatively impacting our health, the environment and our beloved Bay.
Despite these many benefits, studies have shown that less than 15% of plants sold in conventional nurseries are "native" plants. That's why at Prickly Ed's we focus nearly exclusively on filling this important market niche. We hope if more people have access to high quality bird and pollinator friendly plants that in turn more people will begin to build back habitat at home.
We don't just sell plants - we seed change
We are a Business on a Mission
We believe that the space right outside our doors - the doors of our homes, businesses, schools, churches, government buildings and more -all represents vast opportunity to build back vital habitat that has been lost to development. We also know that when many people work together to embrace ecologically sound landscaping practices that it builds resiliency and vital connections. Our newsletters, newspaper articles, social media, community engagement and educational events are all focused on supporting this goal. We hope you will connect with us to learn more!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a Cactus Patch Roadside Stand?
Just what it sounds like. Picture bird, bee and butterfly friendly yard sale meets farm stand except with hundreds of varieties of wicked awesome hard to find native (indigenous) plants, prickly pear cactus, organic herb and veggie plants, amazing fun flowers and a few other interesting things mixed in...🌵.
Is Ed Prickly or are the Cactus Prickly? 🌵🤔
Apparently you’ve never met Ed...! Stop on by and you decide.
What kinds of cactus do you sell?
We only carry one type of cactus, the native Eastern Prickly Pear. it is our very favorite native plant and if you look closely you will see a giant outdoor prickly pear garden right as you turn into to the entrance to our Roadside Stand. This is the origin of our name (well that and Ed, refer to the question above).
I’m not sure I want a Birdscape in my Yard Gone Wild...?
The earth and your fellow creatures don’t have time to care what you want...they need you to start helping right in your own backyard today!! Join the movement to save our planet, starting right where you live! We can help. 🐝🦋🐦🌻
Why aren't you open more hours?
Here at Prickly Ed’s we have just two people to cover all the positions of President, VP, CEO, COO, Accountant, Purchasing Coordinator, Supply Chain Manager, Plant Caretaker, Truck Unloader, Inventory Manager, Creative Director, Community Engagement Coordinator, Webmaster, Blogger, Social Media Manager, Customer Service Rep, Head of Sales and Marketing and lots more, you get the point! We are doing this for fun and because no one should have to drive for hours just to find really cool native plants! We also figure if we can help like-minded folks in the area connect, maybe we can start a whole movement and really get things buzzing. The hip term for this we believe is "passion project"! More importantly, a significant portion of our business revolves around taking and filling special orders for projects large and small. During the hours the stand is not open we are working to fill orders and equally importantly to restock the shelves. New plants arrive each and every week throughout the season! Learn more ABOUT US HERE.
But if I plant a pollinator garden, won't I attract bugs?
Yes, yes you will. That is the entire point. Bugs will come - mostly good bugs. Bees will be buzzing, caterpillars will be munching on your plants (yup, holes in leaves are good). We are experiencing a biodiversity crisis and if the pollinators go they are taking us with them. We are running out of time - get planting!
Are you the kind of place that will make me feel bad if I don't know all the Latin Plant Names?
HaHaHa ... Nope! You call them whatever you'd like and we look forward to learning about plants and gardening together. If you are a pretentious Fancy Plants kind of person then we are probably not the right roadside stand for you! Because common names can get really confusing we do encourage you to at least look up the botanical (Latin) name for any plants you are looking for just to be sure we are all talking about the same plant.
Can you help me design my garden?
Not exactly. The honest truth is that native plants have a mind of their own and every single site is quite different. We can help you think about the kinds of plants that are most likely to work well in your yard and the plants that are likely to have the greatest benefit there. But in the end some plants will thrive, some will die, some will move around and pick new spots to grow and your yard and garden will change over time. You will be its best steward. What we are happy to do is help to coach you, share our own lessons and information we've learned along the way to help you become confident in your own ability to design the perfect habitat for your site. We are also happy to refer you to professional designers and installers if you need additional help.
Other questions?
Send us a note and we might just answer! If enough people ask the same thing we might even add it here. And be sure to follow along on social media for all the latest news.
What’s your address? And what are your hours?
You’ll find all those details along with things you probably never wanted to know on the “Contact Us” page of this website.