Meet-Ups: How Plant Sharing Works

Sharing happens through Meet-Ups—public and local in-person exchange events. PlantShare does not support postal shipping or direct mailing requests. Instead, members join existing Meet-Ups displayed on the interactive map or host their own Meet-Up in a convenient public location.

Visit the Meet-Ups section (/meet-up) to explore the interactive map or toggle to the list view. Tap any event pin to view the date, time, location, and attending members. To participate, simply click Join Meet-Up.

Any registered member can click Add New Meet-Up (/add-new-meet-up):

• • • Select a public exchange location on Google Maps;
    • Set the date, time, title, and event description;
    • Add the plants you will bring to share, and publish the event to the map.

Inside each Meet-Up page, participants tag specific plants:

• • • 🌸 I'll share some: Cuttings, starts, seedlings, or divisions you plan to bring;
    • 💚 I'd love some: Plants you hope fellow attendees might bring for you.

Each Meet-Up features an integrated Meet-Up Chat. Attendees can coordinate arrival times, describe container sizes, and recognize each other at the venue without sharing personal phone numbers.

• • • Always host exchanges during daylight hours in well-lit public venues (parks, community centers, nursery parking areas, coffee shops);
    • Water plants 24 hours prior to the exchange, wrap bare roots/cuttings in damp paper towels sealed in a bag or cup, and label the variety;
    • Never bring plants showing signs of pests or disease (spider mites, scale, mealybugs, rot). Attendees have the full right to politely decline an unhealthy specimen.

The host marks the event as Complete. Attendees can submit mutual reviews with photos to celebrate the swap. Additionally, the event creator can convert a successful Meet-Up into a permanent Community club with a single click.

If you GET a plant that has a problem, please reach out to the member who shared it ASAP via the Meet-Up Chat or My Contacts. They may not be aware of the problem. If they were unaware, it’s highly likely that they will want to know and will be grateful to you!

Please don’t. Never bring plants showing signs of pests or disease (spider mites, scale, mealybugs, rot). Attendees have the full right to politely decline an unhealthy specimen, and it is likely to be reflected in the mutual reviews of the Meet-Up.

To safeguard our food from pests and diseases, countries and regions within them regulate the transport, propagation, and sale of soil and plants. Unless you have the correct licences and certifications, shipping plants is illegal in the US and in many other countries because it spreads plant diseases to the environment and to crops (e.g., US regulations here | Washington State regulations here). It's like not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom or coming in contact with someone who has a cold – it makes you sick. You stay at home from work or school when you are sick so that you do not spread diseases. Plants, like humans, need to stay at home too when they are sick!

Be on time. Consider the other person’s schedule and needs as well as your own, i.e., don’t overstay your welcome and say goodbye when you need to go. If you are not enjoying the Meet-Up or feel uncomfortable in any way, politely and firmly excuse yourself.