Why this year’s event will look different than in seasons past. 

This past December, record-level flooding submerged the Snoqualmie Valley, including Oxbow’s 5,000-square-foot Native Plant Nursery. More than 16,000 plants were lost—many of them months, and in some cases years, into their propagation cycle.

While seasonal flooding is a natural and familiar part of life in the valley, the unexpected scale of this event significantly disrupted our nursery operations. Beyond lost plants, it altered growing timelines, reduced inventory for community planting projects, and required hundreds of hours of cleanup, repairs, and reorganization.

A Visual Snapshot

Recovery required tough decisions, but also an opportunity to reshape our plans rather than cancel them. 

This Year, Oxbow’s Spring Native Plant Sale Becomes a Festival 

With a limited number of plants for sale, the event is expanding beyond shopping to offer a more immersive day on the farm. 

If you’re a returning shopper hoping to browse a big selection like in years past, please know that this year’s festival will look different. We will have a significantly smaller selection with lower quantities per species (about one-third of what we’ve offered in prior years). If you’re primarily interested in purchasing plants, our Plant Stand opens April 4 and will offer a small, rotating selection throughout the season.

Beyond plant purchases, there are plenty of ways to support the Native Plant Nursery at the festival. Attend a workshop, take a tour, or make a donation and snag one of our new Oxbow tees and hoodies. Design photos will drop closer to the event, so stay tuned and get excited to wear your native plant pride.