Iron County holding native plant sale

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Hurley — Iron County residents once again have the chance to purchase a variety of native plants for their properties, as the Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department is holding its annual native plant sale.

The department is selling a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers that naturally grow in Iron County, with orders due by Feb. 22.

“By planting natives, they are already acclimated to our soil conditions, our growing season and sunlight conditions. So they’re better adapted. They also provide habitat for wildlife,” County Conservationist Heather Palmquist said.

She added the native plants are also less work.

“After they start establishing, it will be less maintenance overall than ornamental,” she said.

Several new plants are offered in this year’s sale; including New England aster, Cardinal flower, Woodland phlox, Mountain mint, Ohio spiderwort, Button bush and Golden alexander.

Palmquist said the department is also offering smaller bundles of 10 shrubs and trees — rather than the standard bundles of 25 — this year, which is designed for landowners in the county’s more populated areas that don’t have the space for the larger numbers.

The larger bundles are also available.

Many of the plants, particularly the grasses and wildflowers, offered in the sale are designed to attract pollinators. For those that don’t want to have to choose between plant varieties, the department is offering a pollinator pack that features a variety of plants.

“That’s kind of like a garden in a package,” Palmquist said. “That will give them a bunch of different grasses and wildflowers.”

Tree and shrub orders can be picked up May 3, with the grasses and wildflowers available for pickup June 7.

The orders can be picked up from the Mercer Public Library and the Iron County Forestry Building in Hurley.

For more information contact Palmquist at 715-561-2234.