WCCD’s 5th Annual Native Plant Expo & Marketplace: Free milkweed!
Common milkweed. Photo credit: Amos Oliver Doyle.
submitted by Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD)
The 5th annual Native Plant Expo & Marketplace is a one-stop shop for native plants and conservation education. It is hosted by the Washtenaw County Conservation District on Saturday, June 1, from 9am to 1pm, at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. The Expo offers native plant sales from Michigan-based nurseries, a speaker’s series on a variety of topics including native landscapes, and vendors offering services in design, installation, and maintenance of native plant landscapes.
New this year is the Nature Kids space for family fun, featuring Nature Play, games, music, and exploration with Michigan native plants. The Nature Kids space is provided by a new Expo sponsor, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum. Learn more about MBGNA here: https://mbgna.umich.edu/
The event is free for all and will include many organizations focusing on native plant landscapes, education, stewardship, and conservation. Information will be available on volunteer opportunities and residential practices to support native plants, protect water quality, and restore habitat in local communities.
There will be hundreds of native plant varieties available, including perennials, grasses, shrubs, trees, fruits, and seeds for landscapes of all sizes and growing conditions. Local companies that specialize in native plant design, installation, and maintenance will be sharing information about their services for residential landscapes. Vendors will also offer pollinator resources and locally made products and honey. The Milkweed Giveaway is returning, offering attendees 3 free potted milkweed and resources on improving monarch butterfly habitat, while supplies last.
Native plants are adapted to Michigan’s soils and climate. They provide food and habitat for our native animals, birds, and pollinators. These beautiful plants are well-adapted to our local growing conditions and thrive in urban and rural landscapes while saving time, money, and resources. In addition to supporting biodiversity, native plants help protect water quality, reduce erosion and flooding, and restore degraded soil and landscapes.
This event is supported in part by Washtenaw County residents through millage dollars and by the event sponsors: Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioners Office & Master Rain Gardeners, Huron River Watershed Council & Middle Huron Partners, Natural Community Services, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nature Area, Native Restoration Solutions, Wild Ones — Ann Arbor Chapter, Restoring Nature with Fire, Scarecrow Technologies, PlantWise, Michigan Wildflower Farm, Legacy Land Conservancy, and Ann Arbor Farm & Garden Club.
Find out more about the Native Plant Expo & Marketplace and this year’s vendors, exhibitors, and sponsors at nativeplantexpo.com. For further inquiries, please contact Doug Reith, Resource Specialist with the Washtenaw County Conservation District, at doug@washtenawcd.org or (734) 302-8715.
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