Arboretum plant sales are back!

Due to popular demand, the UC Davis Arboretum will host more contact-free plant sales this spring, starting with two members-only events in February and March. Those will be followed by three public sales in April and May.

Instead of a few hours (with long lines), each sale spans four days followed by reservations-only contact-free pick-up.

Without crowding shoppers into the 1-acre Arboretum Teaching Nursery, these online sales keep both patrons and Arboretum volunteers safe and socially distanced. In addition, shoppers have a lot longer to select their picks from among hundreds of available water-wise varieties, including the Arboretum All-Stars.

For Friends of the Arboretum, the first sale opens at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 and closes at 1 p.m. March 1. Shoppers can make their orders online at any time between that start time and deadline.

Biokovo cranesbill, an excellent groundcover for filtered shade, is on the list for the first sale, which starts Feb. 26 online. (It’s on Page 18 of the 39-page list — $7.50 for a 4-inch pot.)

And they’ll need some time to make their selections. The plant availability list for the kick-off sale covers 39 pages. (See the inventory for that first sale here:

https://bit.ly/2Zgzzv8

.)

Then, shoppers schedule a specific pick-up time between March 4 and 9 (excluding Sunday, March 7).

New members can join the Friends and enjoy the sale (and other benefits) immediately. A link is provided on the Arboretum’s plant sales webpage.

Other plant sales are scheduled for:

* March 8-12 (members only) with pick-up March 25-30 (excluding Sunday).

* April 8-12 (public) with pick-up April 15-20 (excluding Sunday).

* April 29-May 3 (public) with pick-up May 6-11 (excluding Sunday).

* May 20-24 (public clearance) with pick-up May 27-June 2 (excluding Sunday and Monday).

Details and links:

https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant-sales