UF Native Plant Sale to be held this weekend

Press release from UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences

BY SUZETTE COOK

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida Native Plant Nursery is holding its third annual extension plant sale on June 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

A variety of plants from grasses to trees will be up for sale at prices ranging from $1 to $40. 

This year, experts will be on hand to talk about native plants, urban landscaping, meadows, rural lands restoration, invasive species management, and wildlife habitat creation. 

The event will take place on UF’s main campus in Gainesville at the corner where Hull and Mowry roads intersect. 

The UF Native Plant Nursery is currently a project run by UF School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) Associate Professor Dr. Michael Andreu, and Ph.D. Candidate and Nursery Manager Gage LaPierre, along with staff, instructors, and volunteers from UF’s SFFGS and several departments from multiple areas of studies across UF’s campus.   

The nursery began in 2020 and is dedicated to teaching, extension, and research concerning native plant materials. Native plant materials are actively produced year-round for restoration and ecological enhancement work on UF-owned lands. This includes restoration of UF conservation areas and urban forests, as well as enhancement of green spaces with pollinator gardens, meadows, and more. The nursery also provides space and opportunities for UF students to learn about native flora, restoration work, native landscaping, and nursery operations and gain hands-on experience in growing plant materials.  

To date, the UF Native Plant Nursery has produced more than 22,000 individual plants for its restoration and enhancement projects. 

The nursery space also serves as a center for interdisciplinary work and research concerning native plant materials. This includes work with the propagation of rare and or endangered native plants for research and conservation via relationships with the Florida Museum for Natural History, Department of Plant Industry, Austin Cary Forest, and the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL). 

“We will be selling more than 100 different species,” LaPierre said about the event. A price sheet describing those plants and prices can be found here, and cash, check, and credit cards are all accepted forms of payment. 

Folks who attend the event will have “access to native plants and knowledge,” LaPierre added. “Come early as plants go fast.” 

Learn more about the UF Native Plant Nursery here and follow the Facebook page for workshop and sale event notices.