Bayfield Regional Conservancy’s 16th Annual Northern Native Plant Sale returns on Saturday, June 2 to a new location, but with the same goal: encouraging gardeners to mix native plants into their gardens for a healthier ecosystem. 
 
Becky Brown of Wildflower Woods Nursery in Washburn has been helping to coordinate this sale since its beginnings.  “Over the years the interest in native plants has grown tremendously, and the sale has become a popular annual event for gardeners and native plant enthusiasts from all around our region.”
 
In years past, the sale has been held on the Northland College campus, but this year the event moves to the City of Bayfield’s Lakeside Pavilion on the waterfront, as part of “Bayfield in Bloom,” the city’s month-long celebration of spring.
 
“We’re happy to bring the Northern Native Plant Sale to Bayfield this year and help kick off the city’s annual Garden Tour on the very same day,” says BRC Director of Advancement, Mary O’Brien.  “Moving the sale is a fresh approach to a much-beloved tradition.  But what better way to ring in spring than touring a variety of private gardens, meeting the homeowners who tend them, and then taking home some native plants of your own?  We hope visitors will leave feeling inspired and ready to wield their green thumbs!”
 
The event will feature native plant vendors selling dozens of varieties of plants, along with experts on hand to answer questions and activities for kids.  The sale is a one-day event, with no online pre-sales.
 
“This has always been more than a plant sale,” says Brown.  “It's a great opportunity not only to purchase a wide variety of native plants, but also to get information and guidance on how to use native wildflowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs in their home landscapes.”  This year, three knowledgeable professionals will host an "Ask the Expert" table; Sarah Boles of Northern Native Plantscapes; Phil Freeman, a retired USFS forester, and Nile Merton of Bay Area Restoration Services who specializes in invasive plant control and removal. 
 
“The goal of the sale is to encourage the use of plant species that are native to the northern region,” Brown says. “That means plants grown from seeds collected in the north and which are best suited for growing conditions here. We try to encourage ‘buy local, plant local.’”

Available plants

Tall Milkweed
Asclepias exaltata

Flowers: White
June-July
Conditions: Shade, Moist Soil
Height: 3-5'

Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata

Flowers: Red/Pink
June-August
Conditions: Sun, Wet Soil
Height: 3-5'

Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca

Flowers: Lavender
June-August
Conditions: Full/Part Sun, Dry/Moist Soil
Height: 2-4'

Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa

Flowers: Orange
June-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun, Dry/Moist Soil
Height: 1-2'

Purple-Stemmed Aster
Aster puniceus

Flowers: Purple
August-October
Conditions: Sun, Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 2-4'

Lance-leaf coreopsis
(Coreopsis lanceolata) 

Flowers: Yellow
Summer to Fall
Conditions: Full Sun, Half Sun / Half Shade
Height: 18-36 inches tall

Joe Pyeweed
Eupatorium maculatum

Flowers: Pink
July-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 4-6'

Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum

Flowers: White
July-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 3-4'

Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale

Flowers: Yellow
August-October
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 2-5'

Ox Eyed Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides

Flowers: Yellow
June-October
Conditions: Full/Part Sun, Dry/Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 2-4'

Rough Blazing Star
Liatris aspera

Flowers: Purple
July-Sept
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Dry/Moist Soil
Height 1-3'
​

Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa

Flowers: Lavender
July-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Dry-Wet Soil
Height: 2-4'

Yellow Coneflower
Ratibida pinnata

Flowers: Yellow
June-August
Conditions: Sun/Part Sun,
​Dry/Moist Soil
Height: 2-4'

Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta

Flowers: Yellow
June-August
Conditions:Full/Part Sun,
​Dry-Wet Soil
Height: 1-3'

Little Bluestem Grass
Schizachyrium scoparium

Grass
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Dry/Moist Soil
Height: 2-3'

Prairie Goldenrod
Solidago ptarmicoides

Flowers: White
July-September
Conditions: Full Sun, Dry Soil
Height: 3-24"

Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida

Flowers: Yellow
Sugust-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun, Moist Soil
Height: 2-3'

Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata

Flowers: Blue
June-September
Conditions: Full/Part Sun,
​Moist/Wet Soil
Height: 3-4'