Nature foundation offers virtual ‘Oaktober! Native Tree & Shrub Sale’

Don’t put away your garden shovels just yet.

The Nature Foundation of Will County’s “Oaktober! Native Tree & Shrub Sale” will begin online at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, and run through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. But don’t wait too long to peruse the plant list and purchase your favorites because some items will sell out quickly. Proceeds from the 2021 plant sales benefit the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

The virtual sale will feature 13 tree species, seven of which are oaks, and 15 shrub species that are native to the Will County region. For a current list of what is being offered, visit the foundation’s website, willcountynature.org. The list is subject to change as details are finalized with the plant supplier.

Plants can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Forest Preserve’s Sugar Creek Administration Center, 17540 W. Laraway Road, Joliet.

“Mid-October is one of the best times for planting trees and shrubs,” said Cindy Harn, the foundation’s executive director. “According to the Arbor Day Foundation, planting in the fall gives trees an extra growing season before the stress of summer. The combination of cooler temperatures and fall rain allows trees to establish their roots, making it easier on them to adjust to extreme heat or drought in the summer.”

The foundation also is offering a free Zoom webinar titled, “Healthy Yards – Replacing the Invasive Woody Plants in Your Landscape with Native Species” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. For information on the webinar, visit willcountynature.org.