UW-Green Bay’s Heirloom Plant Sale is Back for its 28th Year with Online and In-Person Shopping
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Natural and Applied Sciences academic unit will be holding its 28th annual Heirloom Plant Sale again this year in support of student research.
The Lab Sciences greenhouses will be open for browsing on Friday, May 16th, 2025 from 9am-12pm and 2-5pm and on Saturday, May 17th, 2025 from 9am-2pm for all plants that were not reserved in pre-orders. The plant sale website (https://www.uwgb.edu/heirloom-plant-sale/) will again be used to pre-order plants that can be picked up during sale hours on Friday or Saturday (May 16th or 17th). Pre-orders are not necessary so come in person during sale hours to shop. The quantity of pre-orders is limited this year which will ensure a wide selection for the days of the sale.
Online ordering is now open, and will close when the shop receives 150 online orders. Payment will be made at pick up (cash or check only). Questions about the ordering process can be submitted by e-mail at uwgbplantsale@uwgb.edu.
Unlike other plant sales, the UW-Green Bay sale intentionally features unique and rare heirloom varieties, held in part to introduce local gardeners to new varieties and to protect agricultural biodiversity. Gardeners can dabble with Bull Nose Bell peppers, Tommy Toe tomatoes, or the Teddy Bear sunflower.
This year the sale features 66 varieties of tomatoes and 41 varieties of peppers from sweet to scorching hot. Come try something new, like the Micro Tom, a compact tomato perfect for growing in containers! Or a popular heirloom with local history such as the Wisconsin Lakes bell pepper. Explore a variety of vegetables and herbs, including numerous basils, as well as a thoughtfully curated collection of flowers. There will be an expanded collection of native flowering plants excellent for attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects (UW-Green Bay is an official “Bee Campus USA” ), including prairie blazing star, purple prairie clover, prairie hyssop and culver’s root. Overall, there will be approximately 239 different heirloom and open-pollinated cultivars and varieties for gardeners. (Details are available at the website.)
The annual sale, sponsored by the Natural and Applied Sciences academic unit, began in 1997 with 300 plants. The proceeds are used to bring scientists and specialists to the University, to support student research projects and to enable students to travel to conferences, where they can present results of their research and meet scientists in their fields. Over the past few years this fund has supported research on the genetics of wild rice and invasive Phragmites, a study of local aquifer composition and water quality, a survey of the emerald ash borer on the Cofrin Arboretum, collection and analysis of microplastics in the Bay of Green Bay, migration ecology of Lake Whitefish, and development of a website to understand fish diversity in relation to aquatic invasive species.
Additionally, Emeritus Prof. Steve Meyer’s homemade salsa (mild, medium, and hot) makes its return at the “checkout stand.” Meyer makes 300+ pints of salsa each year with donated proceeds going directly to the Katie Hemauer Memorial Scholarship. Hemauer was an exceptional student, and Meyer was a friend and mentor. She passed away in November of 2005 in a tragic car accident, killed as the result of someone driving while intoxicated. Meyer established the scholarship in her memory in 2014 to support future generations of students who shared her curiosity of the natural environment and commitment to campus and community. Meyer’s salsa (mild, medium, and hot) will also be available Friday and Saturday at the “checkout stand” if you wish to pick some up and make a donation to the Katie Hemauer Memorial Scholarship.
