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Fall is the best time to plant! Prepare by shopping Adkins Arboretum’s online Fall Native Plant Sale, beginning Thursday, August 13 for Arboretum Members, and Saturday, August 15 for the general public. The sale is conducted online at adkinsarboretum.org and orders are collected via scheduled pick-up appointments in mid-September.
The sale will include an extensive selection of native, landscape-ready trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, grasses, and vines, all of which will add interest and diversity to your garden. Beyond beauty, native plants attract colorful wildlife, like butterflies, bees, and songbirds. Coral honeysuckle, sweet pepperbush, and milkweed all provide food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial critters.
Many native plants provide food for people, too. Enhance your garden's sensory experience and widen your palate by growing edible and fragrant beebalm, mountain mint, spicebush, and sweetbay magnolia. Highbush blueberry, pawpaw, beautyberry, and persimmon all produce delicious, edible fruits. Eat them straight from the plant or make jams and baked goods.
Some gardeners don’t realize that many common ornamental plants are invasive, provide minimal habitat, and offer insufficient nutrition to native insects and animals. Butterfly bush, for example, is a popular ornamental, but it can take over natural habitat and actually damage butterfly populations, as it cannot act as a host for most caterpillars. Consider planting Joe-pye weed or Virginia sweetspire instead, as both are native, support the full lifecycle of pollinators, and have beautiful, fragrant flowers. Winterberry holly and wax myrtle are both native shrubs with striking foliage and showy berries, making them nice alternatives to burning bush, a popular invasive ornamental with similar qualities.
Native landscaping can even save money and resources in the long run. Once established, native gardens often require significantly less water, fertilizer, and pesticide than lawns or traditional gardens. Adkins Arboretum staff are happy to provide information about native gardening and recommend plants ideal for your space.
Adkins Arboretum Members receive discounts on native plant sales. Consider joining before the sale to take advantage of the Member discount. Visit adkinsarboretum.org for details.
