MSU Horticulture Club hosts annual spring plant sale April 10
Contact: Carson McFatridge
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Mississippi State University Horticulture Club will host its annual spring plant sale on Friday, April 10, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, April 11, 8 a.m. to noon, while supplies last. The long-standing tradition held on the MSU campus at the Dorman Greenhouses off Stone Boulevard at 32 Creelman Street draws visitors from across the Golden Triangle.
Payton Mansell, club president and environmental economics senior from Ocala, Florida, said the event funds club operations and a yearly $1,000 MSU Foundation scholarship.
“This sale gives our members hands-on experience and a chance to connect with the community,” she said. “The practical skills we gain while producing something our customers can trust make the hard work worthwhile.”
Months of preparation are led by the club’s greenhouse manager, who works with advisors and members to review past results, order supplies, develop plant care schedules and coordinate outreach.
Hunter Waring, horticulture sophomore from Westlake, Ohio, is proud of the team’s work and excited to showcase new additions for shoppers.
“We’ve made an effort to include more native plants this year, showcasing the benefits of incorporating the natural beauty of Mississippi and the Southeast in home landscaping,” he said
Those native plants include black-eyed Susans, little bluestem and Flowerburst Fruit Bowl yarrow, along with tomatoes, cucamelon, German chamomile, cacti, begonias, billy buttons, stokes aster, mountain mint and more.
“We see a lot of the same faces year after year,” said Waring, who noted repeat customers help shape future sales. “Unlike big-box stores, we can tailor our inventory to customer preferences and even provide technical support or suggestions onsite.”
For questions about the club or sale, contact Mansell at pmd141@msstate.edu or Professor Richard Harkess, faculty advisor, at richard.harkess@msstate.edu.
Learn more about the horticulture major in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at https://www.pss.msstate.edu/students/floriculture.php.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.