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Watershed-friendly native tree and shrub sale continues through Aug. 25

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Add native beauty to your landscape and support local projects such as stream health, tree plantings, adult and youth education, and more. The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward online watershed-friendly tree and shrub sale is open now through August 25th.

Choose from 24 species of trees and shrubs that provide benefits such as attractiveness, reduced erosion, pollinator support, and increased shade and property privacy as they grow.

Pick-up will be at the Adams County Agricultural & Natural Resources Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Rd., Gettysburg, on Oct. 9 or by special arrangement.

Native plants offer a variety of benefits to our communities, including environmental, social, and even economic benefits. Native trees, shrubs, and other plants improve air and water quality, reduce stormwater runoff and pollution, and enrich property and enhance enjoyment. Planting native trees and shrubs expands crucial habitat for pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, and countless resident and migratory bird species by providing nesting habitat and year-round direct and indirect food sources. By increasing the native plant diversity on your property, you may discover additional indirect benefits such as beneficial insects that control pests, increased wildlife diversity, including new-to-your-yard bird species that rely on caterpillars to feed their young, and plant features with multi-season interest.

Once established, native plants require less watering and, when used correctly, fertilizer, saving both time and money. Planting native trees and shrubs along waterways as riparian buffers provides many benefits. These plantings stabilize bank soil, preventing erosion, and shade streams, keeping water temperatures cooler and increasing oxygen levels that benefit fish and other stream organisms. Streamside trees provide an important food source for stream life when leaves drop in the fall. They further protect our waterways by filtering a portion of pollutants, such as chemical residue and road salt from paved surfaces.

Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward program helps residents across the Commonwealth access native trees and shrubs while raising money for projects that educate communities and promote healthy watersheds.

Source: Watershed Alliance of Adams County

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