It's Ohio Native Plant Month!

In case you hadn't heard yet, it is Ohio Native Plant Month! In July 2019, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine designated the month of April as Ohio Native Plant Month, making it the first state in the Country to have a law recognizing the importance of native plants for a whole month. 

Well, it is 2023 and here we are still celebrating native plants in Ohio and the incredible role they play in our environment! Native plants are plants that occur naturally in an area and that have evolved in harmony with wildlife to coexist and support one another. They provide many benefits, so many that I'll highlight just a few. 

• Native plants have deep and extensive root systems that stabilize soil and provide pathways for water and microorganisms living in the soil. 
• Native plants, because they have evolved to survive in our region's climate, require little to no watering and no fertilizing to be successful. 
• Native plants provide food for wildlife -- like leaves for caterpillars, nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and seeds for birds in the winter months.

Ohio is home to almost 2,000 different species of native plants which include flowers, vines, grasses, shrubs, and trees. It is critical now more than ever, to choose native this spring when making landscaping decisions. If you're wondering, how do I "choose native"? There are several native plant sales going on already this spring that have a fantastic variety of native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees to choose from! Listed below are a few of those sales:

• Lucas SWCD's very own Backyard Conservation & Native Plant Sale: order online by May 5th at https://lswcd-natives.square.site/. Pick-up is May 12th. 
• The Toledo Zoo's Wild Toledo Native Plant Sale: order online at https://wildtoledo.org/ and pick-up plants starting April 29th.
• Wood County Parks Friends Plant Sale: May 13th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Wood County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green. 
• Oak Openings Blue Week Native Plant Sale: May 20th (12-4 PM) and May 21st (10 AM - 12 PM) at Blue Creek Seed Nursery in Whitehouse, Ohio.  
• Toledo Public Schools Natural Resource Technology Center Student Plant Sale: stay tuned for more information on this one! 

If you have questions or need recommendations on what native plants to place in your landscape, contact our office and we are happy to help! We will also be highlighting some of our staff's favorite native plants through the month of April. Follow along on our social media @LucasSWCD.  

Happy planting!

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