Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginiana)
To increase awareness of the importance of native trees, the Plant NOVA Trees website has a page dedicated to “October is Native Trees Month.” The site lists garden centers offering discounts on native trees, shrubs, and perennials; tree giveaways; and tree-related events in October. Now is your chance to plant native trees while saving money!
The Plant NOVA Trees campaign is part of the Plant NOVA Natives campaign to promote native plants in Northern Virginia. (Hint: bookmark these as they also list native plant sales). Plant NOVA Natives is one of 9 regional campaigns with the Plant Virginia Natives in the commonwealth.
Fall is an excellent time to plant hardy perennials, shrubs, and trees. The cooler temperatures, increased moisture, and decreased sun/heat allow the plants to settle in the ground, send out roots, and get established before winter. While the soil is still warm, roots continue to develop until the ground freezes so the plant’s energy is devoted to getting firmly settled in the soil, not developing new top growth. The plants you buy now can be planted with minimal stress to them and often, with minimal stress to your wallet as many garden centers discount plants to move the inventory before winter.
