Southern Miss Biological Sciences Fall Plant Sale Scheduled for Sept. 25

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Biological Sciences' fall plant sale will take root Saturday, Sept. 25 from 8 a. m. - 2 p.m. in front of the Biological Sciences Teaching Garden, located on the east side of Walker Science Building on the Hattiesburg campus.

Proceeds from the sale, also held in the spring, benefit the Southern Miss Biological Sciences teaching gardens, Lake Thoreau Environmental Center, and outreach programs, including the Southern Miss Blueberrification Project and butterfly gardens at local schools.

Once again the sale will offer a wide selection of fall trees and shrubs popular in the South, including the Pink Perfection camellia and fall and repeat blooming azaleas. In the lineup of native plants, a nice assortment of berry-producers for attracting birds will be available along with a male pollinator for winterberries, plus some Gordonia lasianthus. 

Fruit trees and bushes to suit many tastes include apple, pear, papaya, plum, peach, blueberry, blackberry, strawberries, figs and muscadines, and the Pineapple Guava will also be ripe for purchase. Two special magnolia species, Magnolia macrophylla and the rarest North American magnolia, Magnolia ashei, can provide the perfect accent to a landscaping project and for fern lovers, 10 species will be in Saturday's lineup.

Asian selections include Japanese Maples; a new Chinese Mahonia variety; Edgeworthia; Japanese Blueberry; Kadsura Vine; Evergreen Solomon Seal; and Nippon Lily. Making its debut at the sale will be a limited quantity of Dawn Redwood.  Two new tropical selections include Zingiber zerumbet and Alocasia lauterbachiana, along with regulars Midnight Ginger and Mickey Mouse Taro.

Other southern standards for sale include Sweet Olive, Banana Shrub, Forsythia, and Gardenia. New additions to the lineup of selections include Dwarf Abelia; Silver Mist Juniper; Florida Jasmine and Knockout Roses. Large Cleyera Japonica will also be available.

For more information or to reserve items on this list, e-mail mike.davisFREEMississippi

Mike.DavisFREEMississippior call 601.266.4748 or visit http://www.usm.edu/biology/news.htm.