MDC Cape Nature Center’s 20th Annual Native Plant Sale and Seminar set for March 12 – 15

/ News, Regional News

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Planning on “going native” with landscaping but not sure where to start? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is inviting you to attend free programs – with an on-site plant sale – focused on native species during Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center’s 20th Annual Native Plant Seminar set for March 12 – 15.

“Our annual native plant seminar and plant sale are highly anticipated,” said Laci Prucinsky, MDC Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Manager. “We look forward to sharing ideas and connecting with fellow native plant enthusiasts.”

The Cape Nature Center is hosting a variety of programs focused on native planting from March 12 – 15. On March 15, a plant sale on the front lawn of Cape Nature Center will feature native plants and trees for purchase from Forrest Keeling and Missouri Wildflower Nursery. Vendors with plant-themed items and presenters skilled in nature art and photography will also be on-site, including:

  • Bead & Brush
  • Damselfly Cottage Creations
  • Gihring Family Farm
  • Graceful Goat, LLC
  • The Mushroom Spot

Be sure to sign up for these programs, as part of MDC’s native plant seminar:

March and April bring a dazzling display of beautiful woodland wildflowers, but how do you tell a false rue anemone from a rue anemone? Whether you are starting your wildflower viewing journey, or just need a refresher, this program will help you brush up on simple botanical terms and learn some of the most common southeast Missouri spring woodland wildflowers.

41% of insect species across the world have seen steep declines in recent decades, and many are currently threatened with extinction. One of the leading causes? Pesticides. While usually not the intended target, many native insects fall prey to pesticide use across the state. Do your part to help native insects in Missouri by practicing organic gardening. Learn about organic gardening basics, methods, and solutions in this one-hour, virtual program led by MDC staff.

Learn about the power of the herbs in your backyard and how to begin your foraging journey with MDC Conservation Educator DeeDee Dockins. She will discuss a variety of native plants and their usefulness for home remedies.

After the program, enjoy a presale of native plants by Missouri Wildflower Nursery (for registered participants only). Use this time to receive one-on-one advice from MDC naturalists or nursery staff and peruse plants until dark.

Do your plants from seed never come up? Are they scraggly when they do? Learn simple and science-based approaches to seed sowing from Donna Aufdenberg and Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticultural Field Specialists. Participants will learn strategies to successfully start plants from seed, such as starting plants indoors, winter sowing, and direct sowing.

This program will include both a lecture and a hands-on portion, in which participants will bring home their own seed starting tray.

All participants will receive a free native tree or shrub for attending. Trees will be handed out randomly; species include bald cypress, shortleaf pine, witch hazel, and elderberry.

Did you know the Missouri Ozarks once had a chestnut relative? This tasty delicacy is known as the Ozark chinquapin and was enjoyed by many Missourians for food, dyeing wool, tanning hides, and quality wood products. Sadly, it is now nearly absent from the state. Join MDC Regional Supervisor AJ Hendershott to learn how to identify this tree, what is being done to save it, and how you can help.

All participants will receive a free native tree or shrub for attending. Plants will be handed out randomly; species include bald cypress, shortleaf pine, witch hazel, and elderberry.

Free plants. Forever. This concept can be realized when gardeners utilize vegetative propagation. Vegetative propagation is a form of plant reproduction in which a new plant is started from a plant fragment, such as a leaf or stem. Join Donna Aufdenberg and Katie Kammler, MU Extension Horticultural Specialists, as they delve into science-based methods of vegetative propagation you can try at home. Various methods of vegetative propagation will be discussed as well as potential house plants and native plants that may be effectively propagated with each method.

This class includes a lecture and hands-on portion, in which participants will bring home their own cutting.

All participants will receive a free native tree or shrub for attending. Trees will be handed out randomly; species include bald cypress, shortleaf pine, witch hazel, and elderberry.

  • MDC Cape Nature Center’s 20thAnnual Native Plant Sale | 8 a.m. – noon on March 15 at Cape Nature Center’s front lawn. | No registration required. 

Grab your shovels and dust off your garden gloves – the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center’s Annual Native Plant Sale is here. Now is the time to purchase beautiful native flowers, shrubs, and grasses. Not only will there be native plants, but other vendors will be selling plant-themed items.

Program Registration

The programs and events above relate to MDC’s Native Plant Seminar but may also be registered for as stand-alone programs. Please ensure your MDC account includes an accurate email address so that you can receive a link to virtual programs. Registration closes two hours before the program begins, and the program link is sent at least 30 minutes before the program is scheduled.

See all details for MDC’s free March programs online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4xf.

Stay Connected

Questions about events can be emailed to MDC Cape Nature Center Manager Laci Prucinsky at Laci.Prucinsky@mdc.mo.gov.

If you’re having difficulty registering online, you may contact the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center at (573) 290-5218.

The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center sends program registration reminders and updates to those who sign up by texting “MDC Nature” to 468311. An online subscription is also available to “sign up for updates” at www.mdc.mo.gov. A variety of updates are available at this option, but Cape Girardeau specific updates are available under facility updates and news for southeast region.

Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is located at 2289 County Park Dr. in Cape Girardeau, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. White Oak Trace Trails are open daily, from sunrise to 10 p.m.