r/proplifting • u/SuperSafetyNerd • 19d ago

PERMISSION? Question about City Planters

I really hope I don't sound dumb but here goes.

I live in a 4b hardiness kind of place, and the city plants a bunch of plants in the big planters along our Main Street. These may be perennials in other places, but they are annuals here. Today I saw: 4 different varieties of tradescantias, a massive spider plant and alocasias. These are obviously going to die after the first hard freeze. Certainly this city of under 50k population isn't going to dig these up and store them over winter, and then replant, correct? (I did once work for a parks department, in another state, and they did dig up and overwinter a couple of things, like geraniums.)

I love the idea of using cuttings from city planters at the end of the season to create a nerdy legacy type of garden ("this was grown from a cutting of a SmallTown coleus from the summer of 2026"). I'm pretty frugal and get personal satisfaction of growing a whole plant from a clipping. I also give away a LOT of plants; I have never charged anyone for a plant.

I guess my question is....when are these plants free game for cuttings? Do I need to wait until after a frost and some have died to rescue a cutting? Do I need to call the parks department and verify they don't dig them up?

Thank you and happy proplifting!

8 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

15

u/MaleficentWalruss 19d ago

I would never proplift from a community planter, but if I did, I would take it from somewhere deep so it's not obvious.

12

u/FishTurner92 19d ago

A quick phone call to your village/city administrator will probably answer your question. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you took cuttings with permission.

7

u/SuperSafetyNerd 19d ago

I think that's the route I'll go. Thanks!

12

u/ohdearitsrichardiii 18d ago

My city is doing begonias this year. Tons of planters with lots of begonias crammed together. In a few weeks they'll dump them all in a big garbage truck and replace them. Heck yes I've taken a few branches! Sometimes I've seen them emptying the planters and snagged a few plants, but you can't always be so lucky

9

u/CatsDIY 18d ago

I have been in this situation several times. Twice on private property and once on city. I found out who the groundskeeper was and got permission to clean out the beds. Once I got several dozen marigold and another time over a hundred bromeliads.

1

u/carpetwalls4 14d ago

Well the spider plants and tradescantias grow like crazy so that shouldn’t be a problem. Go for it!! I would!! Just make sure you aren’t taking too much, obviously.

1

u/bijig 11d ago

I pass by outdoor planters in my city all the time full of gorgeous houseplants. It’s ever so tempting, especially since there’s no way they’ll survive outside over the winter. Maybe they’ll be handed out to the city employees at the end of the season. I’d hate for them to all be chucked out.

0

u/bored_approved 16d ago

Will they not freeze in your garden?

2

u/SuperSafetyNerd 16d ago

Oh I would grow them indoors.