8th Annual Native Plant Festival returning to New Hanover County Arboretum Sept. 16
WILMINGTON (WWAY) — The Native Plant Alliance will host its 8th Annual Native Plant Festival on Saturday, September 16.
Eleven plant growers from six counties will participate in this year’s Native Plant Festival, offering attendees the chance to buy native plants and learn how to care for them.
The educational exhibits and presentations will be at the New Hanover County Arboretum; Native plants will be for sale at five different locations throughout New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties.
Where to Learn
The festival takes place from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. The Arboretum will be the site of hands-on activities from 19 educational exhibitors, including Friends of the NHC Arboretum and New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.
The Arboretum will host hourly in-person presentations by native plant experts in its Education Center. Topics will be the Nature at Home certification program, eco-friendly alternatives to harmful ornamental plants, and stormwater 101. At noon, Keynote Speaker Justin Robinson, Special Projects Botanist from the NC Natural Heritage Program, will present on the botanical history of the U.S.
Walk through the Arboretum’s Native Plant Demonstration Garden to see plants that thrive in our coastal climate and soils, and visit the Seed Swap booth to pick up free seeds. Extension Master Gardener Volunteers at the Arboretum Plant Clinic, at Shelton Herb Farm and at Pender Pines can answer gardening-related questions.
Where to Buy – Plants will not be for sale at the Arboretum
Native plants from eleven regional vendors will be for sale at five sites: Blooms+Branches Garden Center, The Garden Shop on Moss (2 vendors), Shelton Herb Farm (5+ vendors), Wild Bird and Garden (2 vendors) and first-time festival participant Pender Pines. Maps of all Festival sites are available at all Festival locations, and online here. (Note: Not all vendors can accept credit cards.)
“The 2023 Native Plant Festival is a wonderful event for all types of gardeners,” says Nancy Laffey, co-chair of the SE Coastal Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society. “The NHC Arboretum’s education sessions and exhibitors will provide information about native gardening, including ‘how to’ support on designing, selecting, and maintaining native plants. The vendors will allow for purchasing native plants from growers from six counties. The 2023 Festival has the largest selection of native plant vendors to date. Come out September 16 to enjoy the Native Plant Festival’s informational and purchasing opportunities!”
The event is free (donations are welcome); parking is free at all sites. Learn more at go.ncsu.edu/2023-nativeplantfestival or call (910) 798-7660.
