Our Plant Exchange shares plants to save plants
The annual free plant swap gives all members of Plant Heritage access to rare and unusual plants. It is a great way to find plants that could be eligible for the Plant Guardian scheme. In 2025 we swapped nearly 1,000 plants and we have a great selection on offer for 2026. Why not join Plant Heritage today to take part?
It's time to get your requests in
What will you choose from the OFFERS list? and can you help find any plants for the WANTS list? Remember that you do not have to be offering any plants to request plants from the Offers list.
If you have a Plant Exchange coordinator in your area they will be in touch. If not, contact the conservation team by emailing collections@plantheritage.org.uk
Please send in your requests by the deadline of 28 February.
The 2026 Plant Exchange will take place at the members' get together in Suffolk in early June. You are welcome to collect plants that have been allocated to you there, but if you are not attending we will make sure the plants get back to you. Don't forget, the Exchange is run as a lottery, but there's no money involved! Plants are allocated anonymously, and you may not get everything you have requested.
Plant Exchange coordinators will be able to drop plants off between 3pm & 5pm on Friday 5 June. Details will be sent out closer to the time. Plants will be ready to collect by 4pm on Saturday 6 June.
Lucy Pitman, Conservation Adviser helping the exchange run smoothly
How does it work?
Offers of plants
All Plant Heritage members are welcome to take part. You can request one plant, or many. You do not need to be offering any plants to make your 'bids'. The process kicks off in the autumn with members propagating plants and sending in offers and requests. The requests for plants by members are collated through our network of volunteer plant exchange coordinators and the central conservation team.
Local coordinators arrange to bring all the plants from their area to the Plant Exchange on Members' Day, and take plants back again for members. Sometimes a plant may have lots of requests, so you may not get all those you ask for, but we hope everyone taking part will get something they've requested - we will do our best!
Is my plant rare enough to put in?
The aim of the Plant Exchange is to keep rare and unusual plants in circulation, so we focus on plants that cannot easily be bought from commercial outlets. If you know the name of your plant, check the RHS Plant Finder and if it has two or fewer suppliers listed then it will probably qualify. Or contact your local exchange coordinator or the conservation team for advice.
What do I do with plants I receive?
- Grow and enjoy them!
- Record them in the Plant Guardian scheme - they are likely to be eligible and this means we can continue to record them.
- If you wish, you can propagate and share them, back in to the Plant Exchange or make them available through local group plant sales. Just make sure they aren't covered by Plant Breeders’ Rights.
Plant health and passporting
Of course with any new plant that you bring into your garden, or share with someone else, is healthy and free of disease. Our understanding is that plant swaps organised within clubs and societies are not covered by plant passporting regulations, so assume that any plant you receive will not have a plant passport. This handy guide by the National Trust tells you more about biosecurity issues to be aware of. We keep a record of where plants have come from and go to, so we can trade them if there are problems.