Native Plant Sale Opening Soon!

 By: Amanda Lamm, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Writing Intern

The geological consensus is in: April showers are officially here! And you know what that means… Starting Wednesday, April 30, Beaver Creek is having their annual online Native Plant Sale! New this year, we've added bundles to our sale, perfect for people looking to attract certain species, or for beginner gardeners. Our bundles of Wisconsin wildlife-friendly plants come in three types; each designed to attract bees, butterflies, or birds. 

Calico Aster

May the flower ‘bee’ with you, and plenty of pollinators, too, with our bee bundle! As the breadbasket of the U.S., bees play a massive role in our agricultural success through pollination, not to mention their help in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and, well…honey!

This bundle includes:

• Anise Hyssop, a drought tolerant plant with a plethora of petite purple blossoms

• Spotted Bee Balm, its willowy petals range in color from pink to maroon

• Calico Aster, an ivory cluster of disc-like flowers

• Early Figwort, a particularly nectar-rich plant that blooms from May to July

• Common Ironweed, a plant with spectacular magenta blooms especially valuable to native

Common Milkweed

Turn your yard into a free-range butterfly garden with our next bundle! In addition to being pollinators, the presence of butterflies is a great indicator of a healthy ecosystem. The bundle has nectar plants as well as host plants which are essential for butterflies. This includes:

• Common Milkweed, the Monarch butterfly’s host plant on which they exclusively lay their eggs

• Prairie Blazingstar, a plant that features electric purple blooms and attracts all types of pollinators

• New England Aster, bold and late-blooming, this plant provides for butterflies well into the fall

• Wild Bergamot, known for its medicinal properties, it’s butterfly-approved too

• Brown-eyed Susan, a drought tolerant plant sporting abundant yellow coneflowers

Cardinal Flower

The birds! Not Hitchcock’s, but Wisconsin’s diverse range of native aviators (and Turkeys, too)! In addition to pollinating, birds are responsible for seed dispersal and nutrient recycling.

This bundle includes:

•  Cup Plant, standing tall at six feet, its seeds provide birds with a hearty meal

• Cardinal Flower, hued as the bird of its namesake, this plant specifically attracts hummingbirds

• Purple Coneflower, this beautiful prairie bloom is deer-resistant, but bird-attracting

• Little Bluestem, a native grass that’s seeds keep the songbirds fed

• Round-headed Bush Clover, a rose-hearted flowering plant whose seeds feed songbirds and game birds alike

Our online sale opens at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, April 30. The online store closes Wednesday, May 7 at 4:00 PM with order pick-up being at the Wise Nature Center on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10. Some plants will be available to purchase in-person during order pick-up, but most plants will be sold online. To view the list of available plants and plan your garden, you can head to- https://www.beavercreekreserve.org/events/native-plant-sale/