Hundreds of native plants will come from the Wood County Park District’s greenhouse for the Friends of the Wood County Parks plant sale next month.
The sale is May 4 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Champion Building at the Wood County Fairgrounds.
The plants and shrubs available for purchase are all local genome native species grown by the stewardship department, located at the J.C. Reuthinger Memorial Preserve in Perrysburg Township.
The Friends of the Parks purchase the plants for sale to the community in a fundraiser supporting the parks.
The native plant program was moved to the memorial preserve in 2007.
“We are preserving the local species,” said Sanja Jennings, stewardship specialist, at the district’s April board meeting, which was held at the memorial preserve.
There are 44 raised beds and 90 in-ground beds in 2.25 acres of native seed nurseries, 5 acres of woodland, 40 acres of wetlands, and a 5-acre pond at the preserve, she said.
The district collected 150 plant species in 2023, which amounted to 80 million seeds weighing 110 pounds and valued at $22,000.
“That saves us money. Our goal is to grow, grow, grow” and disperse them, Jennings said.
“What we do here in the county is grow woodland species from the seeds,” she said.
In September 2023, stewards were recognized by the American Public Garden Association, in part because they are growing eight species not found elsewhere.
“We are protecting those species,” Jennings said.
The district also maintains Cedar Creek Preserve, which includes a butterfly garden installed in 2013.
“This is probably the most beautiful butterfly garden I’ve seen in a public space,” Jennings said.
At the plant sale, native forbs are $5 each and woody shrubs are $10 each.
“We are there to help pick the right plant for the right soil,” Jennings said.
There are more than 60 species of native plants that will be available and can be found at https://www.wcparks.org/nativeplantsale/.
Cash, check, and credit are accepted. Plants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking and entrance are free.
Each year, tens of thousands of native plants are grown by the Wood County Park District environmental conservation, land management, and habitat restoration purposes. The fall and spring native plant sales support these efforts and allow the community to utilize the benefits of native plants at their office or home.
Last year’s plant sales raised $28,909.
The benefits of native plants are many. Native plants have long root systems that create drought-resistant and flood-resistant areas, they sequester carbon, filter runoff, replenish soil nutrients, and provide habitat for pollinators. Bring birds and butterflies to your yard with native plants.
