Washington is home to over 3,000 native plant species. Could you identify Candystick, Mountain Lady Slipper, Lady Fern and Devil’s Club (an appropriate name for a plant containing brittle yellow spines that easily find their way into your hands,) if you saw it in your backyard or on a hike in the Cascades? This week (May 3-9) is your chance to learn more about the plants that call Washington and the Northwest home - it's Native Plant Appreciation Week!
The Washington Native Plant Society has assembled various non-profit and environmental organizations and governmental agencies to offer a fabulous line-up of hikes, classes and presentations aimed at teaching about native plant species and their habitats and what you can do to help protect them.
Take a tour of the Herbarium at the University of Washington, attend a lecture by Terry Domico about foraging for edible wild plants or participate in a restoration project at Timberlake Park in Sammamish.
Check out the listing of events to see what’s being offered in your area.
In need of a guide to NW plant identification or a book on gardening with native plants? Check out the Burke gift shop.
Photo: Cypripedium montanum, Mountain Lady Slipper
