We Are On A Mission to Bring Life Back to Yards and Communities!
Will you join us? Explore the website to learn more!
We don't just sell plants - we seed change!
We are a Business with a Mission
We believe that the space right outside our doors - the doors of our homes, businesses, schools, churches, government buildings and more - can and should be space that is healthy for all community residents and good for the environment. We also believe this space holds vast opportunity to build back vital habitat that has been lost to development. When many people work together to embrace ecologically sound landscaping practices it improves community health and well-being, builds resiliency, and forms vital connections. Our newsletters, newspaper articles, social media, community engagement, educational events, resources, and advice we offer are all focused on supporting this goal. Throughout this website you will discover an array of resources carefully selected to help bring ecological gardening knowledge, resources, and inspiration to our local communities - take time to explore and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. We hope you will connect with us to learn more!
Notes on Navigating Our Website
We are an Ecological Gardening Business with a focus on helping homeowners, landscapers, municipalities, conservation organizations, schools, non-profits and others secure the native plants they need to build back healthy landscapes across our communities.
If you are interested in learning more about ecological gardening, we encourage you to spend time going through the many pages of this website. You will find a collection of some of the very best resources available to help you learn - and share - information on the importance of your landscaping choices. Included in the site are articles, videos, and garden planning tools and resources. You will find plant lists to help you research the right plants for your own space and you will even discover sample planting plants to provide inspiration. The website is also intended to introduce you to and connect you with an array of talented and committed individuals and organizations working to seed change across the industry. We encourage you to visit the site frequently and spend time exploring all of the many resources. You can also use the buttons below to quickly find information on the most frequently searched topics! Be sure to connect with us on social media for even more information.
We are all in on the Less Lawn More Life Challenge - an initiative sweeping across America. It is one of many initiatives bringing people together with the common goal of building health and resilience back into our landscapes - starting right outside our own doors. Learn more - and get connected!
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. This is critical at a time when we are facing rapid losses of pollinators and songbirds - essential components of the web of biodiversity that we all rely on. 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 - when you prioritize native plants you don't run the risk of accidentally introducing an invasive plant into the environment. 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. Utilizing deep rooted native plants helps manage stormwater runoff, mitigates flooding, absorbs pollutants, and helps sequester carbon, 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.
Some Frequently Asked Questions!
What’s a Cactus Patch Native Plant Emporium (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 Cactus 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). Opuntia humifusa, New England's only native cactus, is a perfect poster child for a plant emporium focused on returning us to our roots. Prickly Pear Cacti are much more than just a pretty face in the plant world. Their ability to thrive in tough environments due to millions of years of adaptation to the local environment, their important role in supporting wildlife, and their deep cultural significance make them truly remarkable plants. Learning more about Prickly Pear is a great intro to much needed discussions about the importance of prioritizing plants that don't only offer great beauty but also offer benefits to ecosystems and people alike.
What’s your address? And what are your hours?
You’ll find all those details on the “Contact Us” page of this website.
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 landscape pros, conservation organizations, municipalities, schools, non-profits and the like for projects large and small. During the weekday hours the stand is not open we are working to get these orders out into the community and equally importantly to restock the shelves for drop in shopping days. Hundreds (sometimes thousands) of new plants arrive each and every week throughout the April - September season! Learn more ABOUT US HERE.
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. 🐝🦋🐦🌻
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. Good garden design happens on site after developing a sound understanding of comprehensive site conditions and we don't have the capacity to provide one-on-one support to individuals in this way. However, we do go to go great lengths to gather and provide all of the latest and greatest ecological gardening information here on our website, develop resources you can use, share our own lessons and information we've learned along the way through social media and our newsletters, and periodically host informative community programs in this way we are able to help the largest number of individuals help themselves and their land! We want to help you become confident in your own ability to design the perfect habitat for your site - that's a win for everyone. 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.
Have More Questions?
Be sure to explore more about plants and planting...