House plant sale to feature violets orchids and more

The+Murray+State+Arboretum%2C+located+on+300+Hickory+Dr.%2C+is+set+to+host+a+plant+sale+featuring+an+array+of+household+plants+on+March+3.+%28Jayden+Hayn%2FThe+News%29

The Murray State Arboretum, located on 300 Hickory Dr., is set to host a plant sale featuring an array of household plants on March 3. (Jayden Hayn/The News)

MacKenzie Rogers, Staff Writer

The Murray State Arboretum is hosting a house plant sale on Friday, March 3, which will feature a wide variety of house plants.

The Arboretum is a public educational garden that opened in 2013 with the intention of providing and displaying a wide collection of local and introduced plants. The Arboretum hosts around three plant sales a year, with house plant sales typically around the beginning of each semester.

Around 20 to 30 different types of plants will be on sale, says Head of the Arboretum Dava Hayden

The sale will showcase a wide range of household plants, including African violets, peace lilies, jade plants, orchids, crotons, amaryllis, succulents and cacti. Some of the featured plants have been growing for over a year, while others were only planted weeks ago.

“Plant collectors will want to be here because there’s going to be so many different varieties that you can’t find anywhere else,” Hayden said.

The Horticulture Club earns all proceeds from the sale. Members then pour the money back into the community, says Hayden.

“I actually just left one of the rehabilitation centers in town because they’re going to be building the residence a raised garden bed for this summer,” Hayden said.

Some of the plants being sold have been worked with and planted by the students in Hayden’s Plant Propagation AGR 461 class and her six student workers.

“Sometimes we had some of them in the greenhouse where it was nice and toasty, and then we had some of them outside today pulling weeds and mulching,” Hayden said. “A lot of those students are the ones out here helping me do all of this.”

The Arboretum also is  planning a bigger plant sale on April 15, which will have a wider variety of plants, including colorful hanging baskets, flower pots and herb planter perennials.

“I love plant people getting excited about the different species and having the conversations during the plant sale with other gardeners and plant enthusiasts, but also seeing that these plants are getting new homes and that way we can fill the bench space with other things,” Hayden said. “Makes me pretty happy too because we’ve got a big plant sale that we need more room for so we can get ready for that one in April.”

The house plant sale will be on Friday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arboretum greenhouse.