Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Plant Sales Run From Late April to June

April 3, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is hosting a series of spring plant sales late April into June, with plants from and for this region.

Regionally native plants are some of the best to tolerate landscape challenges such as poor soils, limited space, dry shade, extremely variable moisture and diseases, said Bob Henrickson, horticulture program coordinator. "That means gardeners are also planting for pollinators, which can increase garden production in their own yards while benefitting the larger environment."

There will be many edible landscape plants for gardeners wanting to grow more of their own food and some under-planted beauties for a more interesting and sustainable landscape. Nut trees include hickory, walnut, pecan and hazelnut. Persimmon and pawpaw trees will be available as well as fruits such as raspberry, currant, serviceberry and grape.

Wildflower lovers will be pleased with a wide selection of prairie plants: aster, coneflower, false indigo, primrose, gayfeather and penstemon. There are woodland plants for shady areas – Bradbury beebalm, woodland phlox, wild columbine, jack-in-the-pulpit, etc.

For difficult spots such as dry shade and rain gardens, Henrickson recommends sedges. "They've proven very hardy and have a variety of ornamental characteristics." A newer one is seersucker sedge, with deeply ridged veins as the name implies.

There will be a great selection of trees native to the region and some unusual trees for the collector that have proven hardy but are not widely available: sweet birch, sassafras, Turkish filbert blackgum and ironwood to name a few. One of the smaller trees Henrickson recommends is Shantung maple, a small ornamental tree with beautiful sweetgum-like foliage and good fall color.

Spring sales are at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus unless otherwise indicated. They include:

– April 25-26 Spring Affair garden event and plant sale at Lancaster Event Center

– May 2-3 Men's Garden Club sale at Douglas/Sarpy County Extension office

– May 10 Spring Plant Sale at UNL East Campus

– May 10 Community Crops Spring Plant Sale at EcoStores Nebraska

– May 16 to June 13 Plant sales every Friday from noon till 5 p.m. at UNL East Campus

– June 7 Wildflower Week Plant Sale UNL East Campus

Whatever your existing landscape, Henrickson welcomes gardeners to bring photos to get "the right plant in the right place."

A plant list with photos is at https://nsa.gostorego.com/ or call 402-472-2971. Proceeds from the plant sale sustain the arboretum's mission and fund programs and services.