March 31, 2012, is the date for the spring native plant sale at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 East University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida (map). Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The sale features thousands of shrubs, trees, wildflowers, ferns, grasses, and vines grown at area nurseries. Vendors are members of the Florida Native Plant Society and certify that plants are nursery propagated and grown.

Native plants are, of course, adapted to local conditions, including drought and the heat of summer.

At the sale, you can get free expert plant advice at the Florida Native Plant Society booth, free Park-A-Plant service (they’ll tag, store, and help load your plants), and a free naturalist-led wildflower walk at 11:30 a.m.

And, note please, Road Trips Gardeners: they accept cash and checks only.

The sale is hosted cooperatively by the City of Gainesville’s Nature Operations Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the Friends of Nature Parks and Paynes Prairie chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Proceeds from the sale benefit environmental and cultural history programs offered by the City of Gainesville’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.

(Photo of Rhexia mariana by T. Ann Williams, courtesy of the Florida Native Plant Society)