May 06, 2009
Native Plant Appreciation Week
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