Your garden loves native plants, and Audubon Society sells them
“Less is more” is a phrase rarely uttered by avid gardeners. With over 200 native plant species available for purchase at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, even the most disciplined plant lover would find it hard to resist buying one, or two ... or 10.
For 20 years, the Audubon Society has been planting from seed or propagating perennials that grow naturally in Western Pennsylvania and selling them to the public.
“We have at least doubled in the past three years the number of plants that we have available,” said Rachel Handel, the society’s communications director.
Handel said interest in native plants has bloomed as gardeners seek to support the region’s ecology. Berries from trees and flowering plants support the birds and insects of the region.
“Native plants have uniquely developed to withstand our weather conditions and our soil conditions, but also have developed alongside the wildlife here in Western Pennsylvania,” she said.
Plants are grown at the Audubon Society’s on-site Native Plant Nurseryat the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel. One fulltime employee, two seasonal employees and 50 volunteers plant and nurture the native perennials to a marketable size. Trees and shrubs are sourced locally.
Plants are available to the public for purchase now through October. Nursery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
Last year, more than 15,000 plants, trees and shrubs were sold. Though many species sell through by summer, about 75 species of the 200 are most plentiful and always on hand.
Handel’s favorite, the New York ironweed ( Vernonia noveboracensis), grows locally, despite its name. It is a fall-flowering wonder, she said, consuming space up to 6 feet high by 4 feet wide with intense purple blooms. It does well as a vertical accent, natural screening or in a rain garden.
Milkweed plants are in demand and support the monarch butterfly population. The two have a symbiotic relationship. Monarch caterpillars feed solely on milkweed, morph into butterflies and return to pollinate the plant. Handel said common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed ( A. incarnata) and butterfly weed ( A. tuberosa) are available but sell quickly.
Milkweed is deer-resistant, as is beebalm ( Monarda didyma), anise hyssop ( Agastache foeniculum) and Jack-in-the-pulpit ( Arisaema triphyllum). Jack-in-the-pulpit is an intriguing plant with a large, cylindrical striped hood, but can cause nausea and vomiting if ingested.
Swamp rose mallow ( Hibiscus moscheutos) is known to outsmart even the hungriest of deer. Flowers are large and bright or pale pink and the sheer number of blooms, Handel said,outpaces deer’s appetite.
“Though not actually deer-resistant, even if the deer eat some of the flowers, there are so many left the plant still looks beautiful.”
A lesser known plant, Allegheny vine (Adlumia fungosa), is a biennial creeper with white and pink
flowers. It can grow up to 12 feet in length in wet and wooded slopes.
Several species of trees are offered, including the popular Eastern redbud tree ( Cercis canadensis), with its fuchsia buds in the spring and heart-shaped leaves in the fall, as well as six dogwood species. The red-osier dogwood ( Cornus sericea), with its bright red stems, and silky dogwood ( C. amomum), which bears edible blueberry-like clusters of fruits, are always on hand at the Native Plant Nursery.
Plants vary in size, from 3 inches to 1-gallon pots, with a cost of $3-$20 per plant. Handel recommends small plants, as they are affordable and grow quickly. Bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis) is challenging to propagate and will set you back about $40. Trees and shrubs range in price from $15-$125, depending on size.
The first Audubon’s Spring Eco-Market will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 25 at Beechwood Farms. Sixteen vendors, including Cutting Root Farm of Butler, The Purple Spoon of Gibsonia, and The Painter’s Nest of Wheeling, W.Va., will sell nature-themed wares.
The Audubon Society was founded more than a century ago by John James Audubon, a French American artist and naturalist, to protect birds. It has since evolved to conserve and restore natural ecosystems.
The Western Pennsylvania chapter was founded in 1942. While headquartered at Beechwood Farms, there
also are locations at Buffalo Creek Nature Park and Todd Nature Reserve in Sarver and Succop Nature Park in Butler.
The Audubon Society hosts activities year round, including summer Nature Day Camps for kids and adults, a Master Birder program and free monthly Lunch and Learn Zoom classes, to name a few. The May 29 class will focus on identifying invasive plants.
Beechwood Farms is at 614 Dorseyville Road in Fox Chapel. For the list of plants always available, visit aswp.org. To inquire about specific plant availability, call 412-963-6100.