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14 CapitalPress.com August 18, 2017 Native plants restore damaged habitat, thrive in urban yards McCALL, Idaho — A hunch to supply the niche market of native plants has paid off for Jim Crawford and Margo Conitz at Buffalo-ber- ry Farm. “We originally thought we’d set up a greenhouse to grow conifer trees for refor- estation but realized it was such a competitive market,” says Crawford. “We chose to pursue the native plant market instead.” Conitz recalls their first growing season in 1994 on their land in mountainous west-central Idaho south of McCall. “We had a demand for our crop of local native shrubs for fire restoration near McCall,” she says. “Things built from there.” Their farm specializes in growing native plants of the Intermountain Northwest in- cluding perennial wildflow- ers, wetland and upland grass- es, conifers, trees and shrubs. While native plants have long been used for restoration projects, they are becoming increasingly popular with consumers wanting beauti- ful, drought-tolerant plants in their yards. In some ar- eas, thirsty lawns are being replaced with low-mainte- nance native perennials. “We’re seeing increasing demand for native plants from retail consumers liv- ing in low, dry areas,” says Crawford. “Several cities in Utah require residents to grow native plants for land- scaping to conserve water.” To keep up with de- mand, Crawford and Co- nitz tend to plants in their 4,000-square-foot climate- controlled greenhouse and a 10,000-square-foot fenced area for large containers. To help them, they hire three or four seasonal, part-time employees during the spring planting season and during the fall packing season. “Our plants are used for habitat improvement, mining reclamation, erosion control projects and campground Courtesy of Buffalo-berry Farm To supply a variety of markets, Jim Crawford and Margo Conitz raise native plants at Buffalo-berry Farm in west-central Idaho near McCall. improvement,” says Craw- ford. “We’re also a source to landscapers and other nurs- eries for native plants.” They strive to match seed sources, elevations and soil types to produce plants best adapted to certain sites. To help their plants ab- sorb nutrients, “we inoculate seedlings with species ap- propriate mycorrhizal fungi,” says Conitz. “The plants carry that association into the field, giving them an advantage when planted in harsh sites.” As they gather seed in the fall, they find one of their fa- vorite shrubs, the Russet Buf- falo-berry and namesake for their business. Refrigeration ULTURAL PERLIT C I T R HO • PROPAGATION, SOIL MIX AND PLUG GRADES • E • 100% natural • light-weight • in bags or bulk Complete Systems For Dormant Storage • Ethylene, Temperature and Humidity Control aids drainage • and aeration holds moisture • • Microbial, Endophyte Management TRADE ALLY ENERGY TRUST OF OREGON SUPREME PERLITE COMPANY for distributor information call N17-3\#6 www.perlite.com (503) 286-4333 info@perlite.com “It’s an interesting shrub because of its unique growing places,” says Crawford. Na- tive Americans used it for me- dicinal purposes and whipped the berries with water to make a frothy dessert. As they look over the plants in their greenhouse, Conitz says, “It’s gratifying to know our plants are being used for many purposes, espe- cially helping to restore wild areas.” Crawford says, “We en- joy working with our agen- cy friends on their projects and showing individuals and groups the process of grow- ing plants started from native seed.” N17-3/#T3D For the Capital Press N17-3/#8 By DIANNA TROYER 503-475-7046 carbontech@frontier.com
