Oakland County Offering Free Native Plant Kits – Here’s How to Register
Troy, South Lyon, MI – The Oakland County Board of Commissioners established the Native Plants Initiative in 2020 to raise awareness of the ecological benefits of native plants. Oakland County Parks, in partnership with Michigan State University Extension, is continuing the effort in 2023, providing more than 600 native plant kits to residents this spring.
Kits are a pre-assembled collection of plants that are native to Michigan and grown by a local plant nursery. Plants are labelled and come with planting instructions.
Residents must preregister for their free plant kit beginning today. Plants can then be picked up at these two native plant events:
- Friday, June 2 from 4-6 p.m. at Lyon Oaks County Park
- Saturday, June 3 from 9-11 a.m. at Evanswood Church, 2601 E. Square Lake Road in Troy
Native species are essential because research shows they are more adept at fostering biodiversity, protecting local habitat and attracting wildlife – including ever-important pollinators. The deep roots of native plants means they need less maintenance, requiring less watering in the hot summer months and no need for fertilizer or chemicals to thrive, resulting in reduced negative environmental impacts.