Why does nobody talk about native plant swaps failing without rules?

Honestly, I keep seeing people push native plant swaps as this perfect free solution. Last spring I drove 45 minutes to one in Asheville and half the table had invasive mint mixed in with the wildflowers. People mean well but they don't label sunlight needs or spread habits, so the whole thing turns into a mess within a year. Why can't we make simple sign-up sheets with three basic facts mandatory? Has anyone else had a swap that went sideways because there wasn't a clear structure?

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morganmartinez1mo ago

Ngl the mint thing happens at every single swap I've been to. The no-rules chaos is real, but the fix is simpler than people make it. Just tape a 3x5 card to each pot with sun, water, and spread rate, and make it clear that unlabeled plants go to a "mystery table" nobody touches. That alone would stop 90% of the problems, plus it keeps folks from grabbing something they can't handle and blaming the group later.

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walker.julia1mo ago

Tried that at our last swap and the mystery table cut the chaos by half, @morganmartinez nailed it.

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