11th Annual Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 7, 2016
10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Bunker Interpretive Center, West Entrance
1750 East Beltline Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.calvin.edu/go/preserve
(616) 526-7600
Prices
We accept cash or checks only.
The majority of our plants are two or three
years old, have survived a winter, and have solid root balls.
Plants are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
We do not offer early sales but do continue to sell plants
throughout the spring and summer months.
If you plan on purchasing many plants, it is helpful to bring
your own boxes, little red wagons or luggage carts, and
old towels to move the plants and keep your car clean.
Small 4 Inch Pots: $2.50 each│3 pots for $6│flat of 18 pots for $36
Large 6 Inch Pots: $4 each│4 pots for $15│flat of 8 pots for $30
Shrubs and aquatic plants are priced as marked ($1.50 to $15 each).
Proceeds benefit the educational programs at the
Ecosystem Preserve. Thank you for your support!
We greatly appreciate all of the volunteers who enable us to make this sale possible.
2016 Native Plant Sale List
KEY:
-Full Sun,
-Partial Sun,
-Full Shade
-Dry,
-Moderate,
-Moist,
-Wet
Important Information about the List and Plants
The majority of plants at this sale were grown from seeds collected in West Michigan, and germinated in our greenhouses on campus by staff, college
students and volunteers. Please be aware that we do not have a full-scale commercial nursery, and quantities and sizes available for a given species
may be quite limited and not guaranteed. Other plants not listed may be also available the day of the sale; check our whiteboard at the sale for new
additions. Interested in large quantities of one or more species? If yes, check out our list of additional native plant sales and native plant growers on
our website. At our sale, quantities of many species are limited, and we like as many people as possible to be able to try a variety of species.
Plant numbers below correspond to identification tags in the pots. Plants are sorted into their preferred growing conditions. Plants marked with 100s
plant tags prefer dry and sunny conditions. Plants marked with 200s tags prefer shady conditions with various degrees of wetness. Plants with 300s
tags prefer various degrees of wetness, and sunny to light shade conditions. 400s plant tags are aquatic plants that need their roots fully submerged in
water.
To Learn More
Additional information and color photos about individual plant species for sale can be found on our website at www.calvin.edu/academic/ecopreserve/newsandevents/NativePlantSale.html. New to native plant gardening and need more information, check out our additional resources list on
the website to discover how to create pollinator gardens, contact info for native plant landscapers, and a list of additional sources for native plants.
Prairie Plants
Plant #
Scientific Name
Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
Common Name
Height
Sun
(Dry & Sunny)
Moisture
Bloom Time
Bloom Color
Attributes & Notes
Varied
July - August
Green
This tall plant is often burgundy colored in the fall. Provides cover, nesting, and food for wildlife.
Larval host for butterflies.
A hardy, medium-sized bunch grass that produces interesting side-flowering stalks in late
summer.
Spiked flower heads turn a reddish-brown color in late June. Prefers sandy soil.
This drought-tolerant grass has foliage that turns red in the fall. Seed heads break off and
“tumble”. Seeds are eaten by birds.
Tight tuffs of leaves. Considered a cool season grass. Food source for a variety of insects such
as grasshoppers. Prefers sandy soil.
Great grass for landscaping. Important food for birds. Larval host for butterflies.
Used as cover, nesting, and food for wildlife. Larval host for butterflies. Attractive through
winter.
Hardy plant, provides food for birds. Purple colored seed heads.
101
Andropogon gerardii
Big bluestem
5-7 ft
106
Bouteloua curtipendula
Side oats grama
1-2 ft
August- October
Green
107
113
Carex brevior
Eragrostis spectabilis
Plains oval sedge
Purple love grass
1-3 ft
Up to 1 ft
May - June
June -July
Green
Green
114
Koeleria macrantha
June grass
Up to 2 ft
May- June
Green
115
116
Panicum virgatum
Schizachyrium
scoparium
Tridens flavus
Switchgrass
Little bluestem
4-5 ft
1-3 ft
July - August
August
Green
Green
Purpletop grass
2-4 ft
July - August
Green
118
Wildflowers
Varied
Varied
119
Allium cernuum
Nodding wild onion
1-2 ft
July- August
Pink
121
124
Anemone cylindrica
Asclepias syriaca
Thimbleweed
Common milkweed
1-2 ft
3-4 ft
June -July
June - July
White
White & lavender
125
Asclepias tuberosa
Butterflyweed
1-2 ft
July
Orange
Small flower clusters face downwards as if nodding. Onion-like scent. Attracts
pollinator/predatory insects*.
Thimble-like fruits develop during the summer, then transform into cottony tufts during the fall.
Attracts butterflies & bees. Very important host and nectar plant for many insects, including
Monarchs. Can become weedy in a home garden.
Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Larval host for butterflies. Provides nectar for butterflies.
*Attracts pollinators and/or predatory (beneficial) insects, based on research done by Michigan State University’s Beneficial Insects Study. http://nativeplants.msu.edu/plant_facts
2
2016 Native Plant Sale List
KEY:
-Full Sun,
-Partial Sun,
-Full Shade
Prairie Plants
-Dry,
-Moderate,
-Moist,
-Wet
(Dry & Sunny)
Plant #
Scientific Name
Common Name
Height
128
Aster oolentangiensis
130
Coreopsis lanceolata
131
132
Coreopsis tripteris
Echinacea purpurea
Prairie heart-leaved
aster
Lance-leaved
coreopsis
Tall coreopsis
Purple coneflower
177
146
Liatris scariosa
Ratibida pinnata
Northern blazing star
Yellow coneflower
2.5-5 ft
4-6 ft
July - September
July - August
147
Rudbeckia hirta
Black-eyed Susan
1-2 ft
July - August
149
150
151
152
153
Senecio plattensis
Senna hebecarpa
Silphium integrifolium
Silphium laciniatum
Silphium perfoliatum
Prairie ragwort
Wild senna
Rosinweed
Compass plant
Cup plant
1-2 ft
3-4 ft
4-6 ft
3-10 ft
4-7 ft
Varied
Varied
May-June
July -August
August - September
July – September
July - September
Yellow
Purple with orange
center
Pink
Yellow with brown
center
Yellow with black
center
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
155
Silphium
terebinthinaceum
Solidago nemoralis
Solidago rigida
Solidago speciosa
Prairie dock
5-7 ft
Varied
July
Yellow
Gray goldenrod
Stiff goldenrod
Showy goldenrod
1.5-2 ft
2-4 ft
2-4 ft
Varied
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
162
Tradescantia ohiensis
Ohio spiderwort
2-4 ft
August- October
August - September
September October
May - July
Blue
Blooms later than other goldenrods and shorter in height then most goldenrod
Large, showy, flowers.
Large, showy flowers. Attracts butterflies & bees. Provides nectar for butterflies. Attracts
pollinator/predatory insects*.
Blue-green leaves are linear & bend downwards.
163
Verbena stricta
Hoary vervain
2-5 ft
May - September
Blue-purple
Attracts butterflies.
Leadplant
1-3 ft
June - August
Purple
Shrub. Larval host for butterflies.
New! 158
159
161
Shrubs, Trees and Vines
164
Amorpha canescens
Bloom Time
Bloom Color
Attributes & Notes
2-4 ft
August - September
Drought tolerant. Attracts butterflies & bees.
1-2 ft
June -August
Blue with yellow
center
Yellow
5-7 ft
2-4 ft
Sun
Moisture
Varied
-
July - September
June- August
Persistent prairie perennial. Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for
butterflies. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Attracts birds & butterflies.
An easy-to-grow plant. Has big showy flowers. Attracts butterflies & birds. Provides nectar for
butterflies.
Flowers can reach up to 2 inches in diameter.
Great for cut flowers. Attracts birds & butterflies. Provides nectar for butterflies. Attracts
pollinator/predatory insects*. This plant profits from staking.
Great for cut flowers. Larval host for butterflies. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Attractive, downy foliage. Pollinated by bees & butterflies.
Flowers turn to pods in winter. Attracts bumblebees.
Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Large flowers. Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Opportunistic plant that colonizes aggressively without competition. Attracts
pollinator/predatory insects*.
Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for butterflies.
*Attracts pollinators and/or predatory (beneficial) insects, based on research done by Michigan State University’s Beneficial Insects Study. http://nativeplants.msu.edu/plant_facts
3
2016 Native Plant Sale List
KEY:
-Full Sun,
-Partial Sun,
-Full Shade
-Dry,
-Moderate,
-Moist,
-Wet
Shade Plants
Plant #
Scientific Name
Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
214
Cinna arundinacea
207
Diarrhena obovata
Wildflowers
Common Name
Height
Wood reed grass
Beak grass
3-5 ft
2-3 ft
Sun
Moisture
Bloom Time
Bloom Color
Attributes & Notes
August - September
July - August
Green
Green
Has grayish-green leaf blades up to 12 inches long. Flowers droop from stem.
Very attractive, dark green grass with shiny foliage. Brown seeds are eaten by birds in
summer.
June
White
This hardy plant provides clumped ground cover.
June
Red & yellow
Showy flowers. Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Larval host for butterflies. Prefers
sandy soil.
Special hybrid that was found and identified by Dr. Dave Warners here at Calvin.
218
Anemone virginiana
Thimbleweed
1-2 ft
220
Aquilegia canadensis
Wild columbine
1-2 ft
285
Aster cordifolius x
A. sagittifolius
Aster macrophyllus
Aster hybrid
2-3 ft
-
July – September
Lavender
Big-leaved aster
1-2 ft
-
July - August
Violet
Woodland joe-pye
5-7 ft
July - September
Pink
230
Eupatorium
Purpureum
Heracleum maximum
Cow parsnip
3-10 ft
June - July
White
284
Heuchera americana
Alumroot
1-2 ft
May - June
Green
231
Lysimachia cilata
1-4 ft
June - July
Yellow
232
Penstemon digitalis
3-4 ft
June
White
Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Larval host for butterflies. Attracts bees & moths.
239
Solidago caesia
Fringed yellowloosestrife
Foxglove beardtongue
Bluestem goldenrod
Flowers have sweet fragrance. Very tolerant plant that can be found in successional or
climax communities. Prefers sandy loam soil. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Open, mounding plant with leaves that turn shades of red to purple in the fall. Prefers
rich, well-drained soil.
Slightly toothed petals nod downwards.
August - October
Yellow
Provides nectar for butterflies. Attracts bees and flies.
222
228
1-3 ft
-
Varied
Rain Plants
Plant #
Scientific Name
Common Name
Height
Sedge
2-3 ft
Carex crinita
Sickle sedge
3-4 ft
Carex muskingumensis
Palm sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
302
Carex comosa
303
New! 387
379
Wildflowers
New! 388
Agastache nepetoides
-
Provides a hearty ground cover in shaded areas. Larval host for butterflies. Provides
nectar for butterflies.
Attracts butterflies.
(Varied Moisture & Sunny to Light Shade)
Bloom Time
Bloom Color
Attributes & Notes
May - June
Green
May
Green
1-3 ft
May- June
Green
Fox sedge
3 ft
May - June
Green
A wide-leaved, clump-forming species that produces thick pendant spikes in late
summer to fall.
A robust sedge with thin elongate drooping spikes emerging in late spring to early
summer.
Native to woodland lowlands does best in moist shaded areas. Thrives in clay. Deer
resistant.
Strong, dense clumping grass. Larval host for butterflies.
Giant Yellow Hyssop
3-6 ft
June- October
Greenish yellow
Sun
Varied
Moisture
This robust plant is a member of the mint family. Native to moist open woods, thickets
and woodland edges.
*Attracts pollinators and/or predatory (beneficial) insects, based on research done by Michigan State University’s Beneficial Insects Study. http://nativeplants.msu.edu/plant_facts
4
2016 Native Plant Sale List
KEY:
-Full Sun,
-Partial Sun,
Rain Plants
Plant #
Scientific Name
Common Name
Height
321
Anemone canadensis
Canada anemone
1-2 ft
322
Asclepias incarnata
Swamp milkweed
325
Aster umbellatus
329
-Full Shade
-Dry,
-Moderate,
-Moist,
-Wet
(Varied Moisture & Sunny to Light Shade)
Moisture
Bloom Time
Bloom Color
Attributes & Notes
Varied
May - June
White
3-4 ft
July - August
Pink
Flat-topped aster
2-3 ft
August - September
White
Chelone glabra
White turtlehead
2-3 ft
August - September
White
Makes an attractive ground cover. Opportunistic plant that colonizes aggressively
without competition. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Larval host for butterflies. Provides nectar for butterflies. Attracts pollinator/predatory
insects*.
This plant has erect stems with flat-topped flowers. Pollinated by moths, bees,
& butterflies.
Attracts bumblebees.
334
335
Eryngium yuccifolium
Eupatorium maculatum
Rattlesnake master
Joe-pye weed
2-4 ft
4-5 ft
July - August
July - August
White
Pink
336
385
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Gertiana andrewsii
Common boneset
Bottle gentian
2-4 ft
1-2 ft
August - September
August - September
White
Purple/Blue
New! 389
337
339
341
342
344
345
346
Geum aleppicum
Helenum autumnale
Heliopsis helianthoides
Iris versicolor
Liatris spicata
Lobelia siphilitica
Mimulus ringens
Monarda fistulosa
Yellow avens
Sneezeweed
Ox-eye sunflower
Blue flag iris
Marsh blazing star
Great blue lobelia
Monkey flower
Wild bergamot
2-3 ft
3-5 ft
4-6 ft
2-3 ft
1.5-2.5 ft
1-3 ft
1-3 ft
2-3 ft
June - August
August
July
May - June
July - August
June - July
June - September
August - September
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Blue
Pink
Blue
Blue
Lavender
Pycnanthemum
virginianum
Ranunculus hispida
Rudbeckia fulgida
Mountain mint
2-3 ft
July - September
White
Swamp Buttercup
Black-eyed susan
1-3 ft
1-2 ft
May - June
July - August
Scutellaria laterifolia
Solidago ohioensis
Solidago riddellii
Thalictrum dasycarpum
Vernonia missurica
Veronicastum
virginicum
Zizia aurea
Mad dog skullcap
Ohio goldenrod
Riddell’s goldenrod
Tall meadow rue
Missouri ironweed
Culver’s root
1-2 ft
2-3 ft
Up to 3 ft
4-5 ft
3-6 ft
3-6 ft
June -August
August - September
August - September
May - June
July - August
July - September
Yellow
Yellow-orange
with black center
Blue
Yellow
Yellow
White
Magenta
White
Golden Alexander
2-3 ft
May - June
Yellow
August - September
White
June - July
White
351
352
353
New! 392
356
358
360
362
363
364
Shrubs, Trees and Vines
331
Clematis virginiana
Wild clematis
2 to 15 ft
373
Physocarpus
opulifolius
Ninebark
6-9 ft
Sun
Varied
-
Varied
Varied
-
Has button-like flowers & yucca-like leaves. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Dark purple stem and whorled leaves complement the flowers of this handsome plant.
Provides nectar for butterflies.
Delicate flowers attract butterflies & beetles.
Bumblebees are the primary pollinators of the flowers, as they are one of the few
insects that can force their way past the closed corolla.
Grows well in partial shade and moist soils.
Flowers can reach up to 2 inches in diameter.
Attracts bees & birds.
Prefers rich soil.
Extremely showy spiked flowers attract butterflies & bees. Prefers alkaline soil.
Flower spikes. Attracts bees & hummingbirds. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Bumblebees visit the flower for nectar. Prefers rich soil.
Attracts hummingbirds. Provides seed, fruit or nectar for birds. Provides nectar for
butterflies. Easily cultivated and spreads. Opportunistic plant that colonizes
aggressively without competition.
Great for butterfly garden, but can overwhelm other plants. Minty fragrance. Prefers
humus-rich soil. Opportunistic plant that colonizes aggressively without competition.
Great ground cover.
Great for cut flowers. Attracts butterflies.
Hardy perennial herb in the mint family.
Flat-topped flower heads attract butterflies & bees.
Good for butterflies.
Has large clusters of small flowers.
Provides nectar for butterflies. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Excellent choice for middle or back of a garden bed. Provides nectar for butterflies.
Attractive to honey bees & moths. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
Larval host for butterflies. Attracts bees & wasps. Attracts pollinator/predatory insects*.
This native vine is a great plant for trellises, fences, or as an addition to any moist site.
Flowers are pollinated by butterflies & moths.
Shrub. Drought & salt tolerant. Can be used as a low hedge or in rock gardens. Prefers
rocky soil. Provides nectar for butterflies.
*Attracts pollinators and/or predatory (beneficial) insects, based on research done by Michigan State University’s Beneficial Insects Study. http://nativeplants.msu.edu/plant_facts
5
2016 Native Plant Sale List
KEY:
-Full Sun,
-Partial Sun,
-Full Shade
-Dry,
-Moderate,
-Moist,
-Wet
Caring for Your New Plants
•
•
•
•
Keep plants in a shady spot and the soil moist until you can plant them in the ground. If the plants are really small, it may be best to let them
continue to grow in their pots for several weeks before you plant them. This gives them more time to develop a strong root ball. When
transporting them, try not to disturb the root ball too much.
If a pot has multiple plants in it, do not spilt the root ball; instead, plant each pot as one single unit.
Make sure you plant them in their preferred environment (i.e., shade, rain garden, or dry prairie)
Water regularly at first until the plants are established. Once established, most native plants will thrive only on rain water, but you can water
them during dry spells if they look wilted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the plants so small?
Two reasons:
• It’s spring, and even two year old native plants are typically small this time of year, especially grasses. With cool spring weather, many of our
plants which were not place in the greenhouse are just starting to grow.
• Many native plant seedlings start small, but they do not stay small. Just give them time to grow!
I can’t attend the sale on Saturday. Do you sell plants after the sale?
We will sell plants after the sale to the general public throughout the spring and summer. If interested, contact Julie Wilbourn at (616) 526-7602 to
arrange a time to view and purchase the plants. Sales take place during normal business hours, Monday - Friday.
Do you want the pots/tags/trays back?
Yes! Please consider recycling your green, black and orange plastic pots (from the preserve), tags, and trays for future plant sales. When you return
these items to the Bunker Interpretive Center, please place them in the green barrel next to butterfly house - we’ll reuse the good ones and recycle the
old ones. Please note, we are not able to use pots from other nurseries - depending on the type, those can be cleaned and placed in your city’s recycle
bins.
*Attracts pollinators and/or predatory (beneficial) insects, based on research done by Michigan State University’s Beneficial Insects Study. http://nativeplants.msu.edu/plant_facts
6