Since its formation in 1975, the Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary Native Plant Rescue program has been committed to saving, growing, and educating on the importance of native plants.

Native Plant Rescue volunteers trek through ankle-deep mud, secluded woods, and pouring rain, often during frigid temperatures, to rescue plants from being wiped out at construction or other endangered sites. The rescued plants are then sold at the Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary's Annual Spring Plant Sale in May, planted in the Native Plant/Wildflower Garden or other gardens at Cranbrook House & Gardens, or donated to school gardens, community gardens, or nature centers. 

Native plants attract pollinators, birds, and mammals to gardens by offering food and shelter necessary for their survival, and ultimately help to sustain our ecosystem. Once established, native plants require less maintenance and often thrive in a home garden since they are adapted to Michigan's climate and soil. Native plants are also a beautiful way to sustain the natural heritage of the Great Lakes region!

Proceeds from Native Plant Rescue apparel sales and donations will help support the efforts of the Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary, a volunteer organization affiliated with the Cranbrook Educational Community, a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Cranbrook's 319-acre campus--featuring pre-kindergarten through 12th grade independent college preparatory schools, a graduate art academy, contemporary art museum, a natural science museum, historic houses, formal gardens, and extensive archives and collections--was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. 

To learn more about Cranbrook House & Gardens, the Auxiliary, and how you can get involved with the Native Plant Rescue program, please visit: http://housegardens.cranbrook.edu.