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King Conservation District is launching its Native Plant Sale online store Wednesday, Nov. 15.
The sale has 48 varieties of native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers for conservation purposes such as wildlife habitat, windbreaks, hedgerows, reforestation, stream enhancement, pollinator support and natural landscaping.
Each year, the sale distributes close to 70,000 native plants to customers across King County.
Plants offered are either bareroot stock or plugs. Bareroot plants are grown in a field until they are approximately 12-18’’ tall. Once the plants are dormant, they are removed straight from the ground, so they do not come in pots. Plugs being offered are young plants, having been propagated and grown for 1 year and will typically have 3-8” of growth.
“The truth is,” says KCD’s Riparian Field Operations Specialist, Marinn Carpenter, “while they’re new to some people, bareroot plants are affordable, hardy, have well-developed roots and are easy to handle, transport and plant.”
For those new to native plants, the online store has a number of helpful materials to guide customers through the benefits of native plants, choosing plants that fit their needs, and handling and planting care.
KCD will take preorders through its online store between Nov. 15 and Feb. 5, or until inventory runs out. Customers pick up their orders at designated times on March 2 and 3, at the Tukwila Community Center. Customers are advised to order early for the best availability as quantities are limited and many species sell out.
Learn more about native plants and participate in the sale by visiting kingcd.org/plantsale.