PAROC Native Plant Sale to feature activities, educational hike
Emporia, KS (05/07/2026) — Join Emporia State's Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center for a Native Plant Sale and hands-on, family-friendly activities from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 9.
Kathy Denning, with the Grassland Heritage Foundation, will start the day with a presentation on gardening with native plants. Following the talk, a plant sale will begin, offering the opportunity to purchase from a selection of 14 native grass and flower species.
During the sale, the PAROC classroom will feature interactive activities for all ages, including crafting pollinator antennae, exploring cellular plant anatomy through a microscope, creating tunnel nests for native bees and more.
The day also includes an educational hike beginning at 10:30 a.m. through the Campus Prairie with the Native Lands Restoration Collaborative, and led by Daphne Mayes, ESU STEM outreach director.
Native plant species available include Blue Sage, Wild Bergamot and Big Bluestem.
No registration is required and all are invited. For more information about the plants for sale, email paroc@emporia.edu.
Native Plant Sale Species List:
Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Milkweed
Bouteloua gracilis - Blue Grama
Conoclinium coelestinum - Blue Mistflower
Coreopsis palmata - Prairie Coreopsis
Echinacea angustifolia - Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
Liatris punctata - Dotted Blazing Star
Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot
Penstemon cobaea - Purple Beardtongue
Salvia azurea - Blue Sage
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium - Aromatic Aster
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Library and Information Management and Library and Archives, Science and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.