OXFORD — Oxford County Soil & Water Conservation District is offering native plants for beginning to advanced gardeners throughout the county and the surrounding area.

This year’s list includes many choices in flowering perennials, vines, groundcovers, edible plants, shrubs and trees. There is also a large selection of plants to help with erosion control, pollination and native wildlife support.

Some of the old favorites include wild geranium, coreopsis, buttonbush, northern bayberry, summersweet and elderberry. Several varieties of lowbush and highbush blueberries, cranberries and blackberries are available.

Deciduous and evergreen seedlings are offered, with an emphasis on native species which are not Emerald Ash Borer host trees.

For more information about gardening with native plants go to wildflower.org, Wildflower Center — A Guide to Native Plant Gardening, or the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin 2500, Gardening to Conserve Maine’s Native Landscape.

Nearly 1,500 species of native plants are found in Maine. They provide food, fiber and habitat for wildlife and humans. The plant sale can provide gardeners with propagated native plants that have not been dug from the wild and no invasive nonnative species are included.

Information on growing specific types of gardens — pollinator garden, rain garden, fragrance garden, wildlife support garden, dry areas, wet areas, coastal areas, erosion control and edible plants — is also available.

The native plant order form is available by contacting OCSWCD at 207-744-3119, emailing oxfordcountyswcd@gmail.com or by downoading the form from the website. All orders must be received by April 26 and pickup day is May 4 at the Hooker Family Farm Open House, 195 Pleasant St., Oxford.

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