Mojave Desert Land Trust to hold largest-ever native plant sale in Joshua Tree.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust is holding its largest-ever native plant sale in Joshua Tree.
On Saturday, about 4,000 plants will be on sale, representingover 65 species, which are drought tolerant and well adapted to the Mojave Desert’s climate and soil, according to event organizers. New species on sale this year include bigberry manzanita, cattail, chuparosa, Palmer’s penstemon, southern goldenrod, and yerba mansa.
The bigberry manzanita is an evergreen shrub with pale gray-green foliage color, mahogany-brown bark and a bold branching structure. Plants have a mounding form from 12 to 15 feet high, with clusters of showy white flowers occur in spring, followed by red-brown berries.
Favorites returning this year include desert dudleya, desert milkweed, smoke tree, jojoba, milkweed, and apricot mallow.
Things to know before shopping
Members get 10% off their plant sale purchase. New members can join in person on the day of the sale. If shoppers areunsure if their membership is active, they can email membership@mdlt.org.
During the sale, visitors will be able to find out how they can support MDLT’s conservation work and purchase newly arrived merchandise.
The sales are popular, with visitors lining up an hour before the doors open. Visitors are encouraged to come early to avoid disappointment.
Please note that only service animals are allowed.
We do not accept returns or exchanges once plant material has left the premises.
Seeds will also be available for purchase.
For questions about what to plant,visit calscape.org.
For questions about how to plant, visit mdlt.org.
Protecting the California desert
The Mojave Desert’s unique flora is a critical part of a sensitive desert ecosystem, providing food and shelter for wildlife and cleaning our air and water through soil stabilization and carbon sequestration.
Studies show that locally-sourced plant material has a higher survival rate post-planting because local ecotypes are better adapted to the environmental and climatic conditions where they originated than non-local ecotypes.
The California deserts are home to over 2,000 species of native plants, comprising over 30% of California’s diverse flora. Many of these species are considered to be of conservation concern.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust operates a native plant restoration nursery and conservation seed bank in Joshua Tree.
The Plant Conservation Program was established in 2016 to address the increasing need to protect the California desert from threats posed by invasive species, human development, and rising global temperatures. The program helps the trust preserve habitat and protect wildlife corridors by conserving native plants and restoring damaged ecosystems and rebuilding food chains.
The plant sale is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Mojave Desert Land Trust headquarters at 60124 29 Palms Highway in Joshua Tree.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Mojave Desert Land Trust to hold largest-ever native plant sale
