| Upcoming Schedule | Plant Sale | Grant Info | Member Guide | Videos | Henry Eilers Blog
2021 Native Plant Sale Cancelled
Recall our collective disappointment in March of this year when we announced: “Unfortunately, the 2020 spring plant sale conducted by the INPS Central Chapter is joining the long list of event cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic…Preparations of the plants for the sale require extensive hands-on work, thus extensive in-person, close proximity interactions, all in direct conflict with best practices to limit the possibility of infections.” All of this continues to be relevant as we consider conducting a plant sale in spring 2021 so, once again, we have decided to cancel the sale.
The plant sale planning committee is considering options that would help increase the availability of native plants and their distribution among interested growers throughout our membership area. Coordinating member-to-member exchanges of seed and/or plants is one approach. Increasing members’ knowledge of native plant propagation is another goal, whether forbs, grasses, woodies. Many other activities are being discussed and committee members would like to hear of members’ ideas that would help inform these discussions. Share your ideas with planning committee coordinator, Mary Ring at westring@frontier.com or with Central Chapter president, Trish Quintenz at trishquintenz@gmail.com. We hope to develop multiple approaches to increasing the interest in, and the availability of native plants throughout Central Illinois. We want these approaches to be varied and flexible so we are prepared for the unique circumstances and disruptions that we might face in the future. Let’s look for new ways of doing what we all love – “…the study, appreciation, and conservation of the native flora and natural communities of Illinois.”
——————————–
The 2019 species list is now available! There will be periodic updates, potentially adding a few more species if possible. On the day of the sale, plants will be organized just like the list: alphabetically, divided into woody and herbaceous sections. About 200 species will be available at this year’s sale, but numbers of each are limited! Many are grown and donated by members of INPS.
2019 Plant Sale Species List
(Updated 4/27/19)
Note: species in green print have been added since last update. Those with “NEW” noted after the name have never been sold at past central chapter sales.
Pollinator Plant Collections
New to native gardening and looking for some plants that will work well for your site, look great, and fit your ecological goals? We’re excited to offer these five pre-selected plant collections to do just that!
This year, we will have collections benefiting monarchs, swallowtails, and a general pollinator group. New this year: two shade collections! The collections feature herbaceous plants, however we will be glad to offer suggestions of trees and shrubs to supplement these collections on sale day.
See the 2019 Native Plant Collections.
Below are the designs created for the 2018 sale. While we won’t be offering these plants as a group, most will be available for purchase individually.
For more information on pollinators and native plants, see this
shared by member Carol Anderson at a presentation at the Lincoln Library on April 27th.
What is special about these native plants we sell to our community? Most of them are lovingly grown and nurtured so when they come home with you, they have healthy root and foliage growth and when planted immediately, may successfully flourish and provide years of enjoyment to your home.
Many of our plants have local provenance, meaning the plants contain indigenous genetic variation. They have been grown and sourced in Central Illinois which makes them naturally adapted to local environmental conditions. When added into our yards, they enrich biodiversity and in turn enhance the quality of our environment to the benefit of our health and spirit.
Purchasing these plants invests in you – Our Community! This event is our primary fundraiser of the year, it provides funds for the grants we award to individuals and groups that are creating special landscapes with native plants, as well as organizations working to preserve native habitats in central Illinois. Thousands of dollars seed worthwhile projects each year so Thank You for your generous support of our plant sale and visit the Grant Program information on our website to learn more.
