Some others around here may disagree with me, but I am partial to chelone (turtlehead). Such a good grower that really comes into its own later in the season. The bees went crazy for it, buzzing into the somewhat enclosed flowers and doing their thing in private :-)

I tend to avoid garden club plant sales :-) Most of the plants offered tend to be ones that spread rapidly, hence their presence at the sale (spreads rapidly = too many plants/lots of divisions). So you see things like the common orange crocosmia (a weed in my book), the spiderwort, various aggressive groundcovers, bearded iris.......things I have no interest in or do not want in my garden.

There is always the possibility that someone may be sharing something wonderful but that happens rarely enough that I don't go out of my way to attend :-)) Other plant sales, especially those at botanical gardens, have more appeal for me as the plants tend to be the less common stuff and usually better behaved.

The garden club plant sale in my area often buy plants from nurseries to supplement their sales tables. But from members, I like the dwarf iris because they seem to seek out unusual colors. Finding a place to plant them becomes a challenge as I have so many.

Woodland plants are a big hit and sell quickly. I'm not much help, sorry.

I'm surprised that spiderwort is invasive. I've noticed it discussed on the thread discussing headaches/invasives. I had one single patch in my NH garden, and it didn't do anything but slowly grow. Maybe it was a cultivar? I inherited it, so I have no idea, but if it was a cultivar there was certainly nothing noteworthy to differentiate it.

I got a Quilt/Friendship Plant (houseplant), Pilea involucrata, at our garden sale. I have it in a terrarium type setting in the bathroom and am glad to have it.

It is not invasive - that has a very specific definition - but it can spread aggressively. And that applies to any cultivars as well as the species. If in a good siting and with the conditions it prefers, it can pop up all over the surrounding area.

But if one thing became clear from the "invasives" thread it is that plants will behave differently under different situations and what may be an aggressive spreader in one garden may be perfectly well behaved in another.

I'm sorry. After the thread I should know to be more careful with my language! Mine was not at all aggressive. I would have thought my conditions were ideal, but maybe not.

I'm a big fan of garden club sales. But I think as with anything, a little education can go a long way. Some of the better sales can provide lists in advance and you can actually spend some time doing some advance planning. Again, what is a thug in your garden, might not be in someone else's. Also, do you want the "I will always remain in the controlled clump look" or something a bit more free form? The only thing that I ever really described as a thug that I intentionally planted in my garden was petasites japonicus, and that was mainly because it was diving down and spreading itself ten feet away in order to take a stranglehold on my central bed. I think not - I clamped down on that one fast!

It's a catch 22 with local horticultural sales for beginning mixed perennial gardeners; there can be some very economical buys but it's a very good idea to know what you're buying (likely a problem for beginning gardeners).

Short of knowing, keeping a very close eye one what you obtained and planted is also a very good idea, as LaLennoxa indicates. I had the same experience myself with perennials like Anenome canadensis.

It's obviously true that plants tend to behave in part according to their growing condition, but some can be quite invasive (last word: traditional gardening usage - not a matter of botanical nomenclature).

Re turtlehead, mentioned by LeLennoxa above: I found (red) turtlehead (not pink turtlehead) to be an aggressive spreader, though it seemed to always remain in a clump. The well-watered clump below (in a more formal part of the garden) required division and reduction every two years.

Thugs may show up at garden club sales, but you may also find plants that can be divided or groundcovers that spread in a more friendly way, plants such as Hosta or some of the Geraniums. I would take a tablet or your phone and look things up on a reliable website such as the MOBOT Plant Finder or the New England wildflower's GoBotany or even just type in the plant name and the word invasive or thug to find out if it is invasive in the scientific sense (spreading into wild areas via wind, water, or animals and displacing natives) or just a thug in the garden like your spiderwort can be if give free reign to seed around.

I would also encourage you to look at nonnatives since many are loved by insects and other pollinators when added to the mix. For instance many of the native plants to New England where I live tend to be woodland plants since our climax vegetation is forest, and many gardens have at least some sun.

Rgardless, ask the folks if behind the counter if they are familiar with the plants you are considering and whether they spread aggressively.

Um, jensyen, looks like you might be in my area. Where is this sale? :D

Posierosie, the sale is in Rock Hall, Md. On the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake bay . Where are you?

NHBabs, Last year I took my cell phone and looked up the plant name and added the term invasive. Thanks for the web sites you suggested.

I am a seed collector and trader so l also look up the hybrids to see if they are sterile or don't grow true.

Thanks! I'm near D.C. It's too much of a drive for me.

Ps - the mid Atlantic plant swap is the Saturday before Mothers Day.

There's a HAVES, WANTS and POTLUCK thread. Give it a look and see if you would be interested in the drive. Great group of people and a lovely private garden to enjoy while eating after a morning of swapping.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/haves-plants-you-have-list-2018-spring-mag-swap-saturday-5-12-18-dsvw-vd~5107485

Posierosie, Sounds like fun. But, it falls on the same date as my local garden club plant sale here on the Eastern Shore. Maybe I'll go next year.