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North Carolina Cooperative Extension Stanly County Center is excited to announce the inaugural 4-H Native Plant Sale fundraiser is underway.

The organization has historically offered berries and fruit trees at its annual plant sale. This year, a new offering is on the menu: native trees, shrubs and perennials.

“Stanly County citizens love butterflies, songbirds and beautiful blooms,” County Extension Director Molly Alexi said. “We wanted to offer our community an opportunity to get to know the plants that our butterflies, bees and birds have depended on for thousands of years and invite them into the landscape. What an amazing way to take care of nature and help fund our growing 4-H program. We will have several varieties of perennials, shrubs and trees.”

Native plants are those found here before European settlement. These plants spent thousands of years developing and adapting to our soil and climate, and they play a necessary role in the local ecosystem. Pollinators, insects, birds, mammals and other wildlife have developed special relationships with them and depend on them to survive.

Proceeds from the native plant sale benefit the Stanly County 4-H program and will be used to send 4-Hers to camp and provide free and low-cost programming for young people in Stanly County.

Items for sale include:

Trees

• Red Maple – gallon $25

• Red Buckeye – gallon $30

• Pawpaw – gallon $40

• Redbud – sapling $10

• American Snowbell – gallon $30

• Sweetbay Magnolia – gallon $30

Perennial

• Eastern Bluestar – plug $10

• Muhly Grass – 4” pot $20

• Lance Leaf Coreopsis – 4” pot $15

• Rose Mallow – 4” pot $15

• Blue Flag Iris – plug $10

• Blazing Star – 4” pot $15

• Yucca – plug $10

Shrub

• Painted Buckeye – gallon $30

• American Beautyberry – sapling $10

• Buttonbush – gallon $30

• Ozark Witch Hazel – gallon $30

• Inkberry Holly – gallon $30

• Elderberry – gallon $30

• Silky Dogwood – gallon $30

• Arrowwood Viburnum – gallon $30

See the complete list of available plants, information on each and the order form at go.ncsu.edu/nativeplantsale.

Cooperative Extension will take orders from now through Earth Day (April 22). Pick up dates will be 5-7 p.m. April 29 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center located at 26032 Newt Road, Albemarle.

Contact Lisa Forrest at 704-983-3987 or lisa_forrest@ncsu.edu.