School Tour of the CSR Native Plant Farm in ID

Lupinus sericeus, Silky Lupine in the CSR greenhouse
Killdeer, showing the students how they protect their eggs when threatened.
Aquilegia desertorum, desert columbine
Aquilegia scopulorum, Utah columbine
Thanks to CSR’s Rich Drick and Michael Callen, our school tour guides.

Conservation Seeding and Restoration, Inc. hosted another elementary school tour at our southern Idaho farm facility. An important element, and one we thoroughly enjoy, is to help educate area youth in the benefits of native flora and fauna. We hope their visit to the CSR native plant farm will inspire them to get outside and explore their environment.

PhotoTour of the CSR Native Plant Farm, Southern Idaho

On the Farm: Fringed Sage, Artemisia frigida

Fringed Sage, Artemesia frigida, in the CSR Southern Idaho Native Roots field. This drought tolerant sage is a good soil stabilizer and ground cover. It provides winter feed for Elk, Pronghorn, and deer.

Google Earth Progression of CSR Farm 2006 – 2011

2006, Ag Field

2009, Former Jaykers Nursery

2010, CSR announces new ownership of the Jayker Nursery Facility.

CSR Southern Idaho Farm Facility. September, 2011.

In this recent 2011 Google Earth image, you can clearly see many of CSR’s ongoing projects, and groundwork being laid for future native seed production. The 15 acre facility is located on Hwy 74, south of Twin Falls, Idaho.

The tidy, black plots on the west (left) side of the acreage is in Native Roots LLC. plant production. North of the NR field is a compost area and equipment yard. Along with the pot yard for native shrubs, trees and forbs, there is also a native seed production field. Rocky Mountain Penstemon and Rocky Mountain Bee Plant will be seeded, working towards Bottlebrush Squirreltail Grass. In an effort to hold out weeds and continue building the soil, the remaining seed field will be in Barley production.

Woods Rose, Rosa woodsii, Cuttings

CSR’s Southern ID Farm Facility has been busy collecting cuttings from Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii) at the CSR Filer, ID Nursery. They were then processed into 8 to 10 inch cuttings and kept in water to keep them hydrated. After removing the cuttings from the water, a rooting hormone was applied and then placed three inches deep in soil.

Woods Rose is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub covered with short and bristly thorns. Simple light pink 5 petal rose flowers in May through August with shiny red rose hips in the fall. Resprouts and suckers readily. Height 3′ to 6′

Southern ID CSR Farm Facility

Owl’s claw

Spreadingpod rockcress

Sulphur-flower Buckwheat

The Southern ID CSR  Farm facility entrance was made our own last week by the installation of native plants. Come spring 2012, this native plant bed will be welcoming birds, butterflies, and pollinators . This 15 acre farm, formerly Jaykers Nursery, was purchased by CSR in 2010.

Native plants installed: Sulphur-flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), Blue flax (Linum lewisii), Fringed sage (Artemisia frigida), Owl’s claw (Hymenoxys hoopesii), Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea), Mock Orange (ID State Flower) (Philadelphus lewisii), Mountain hollyhock (Iliamna rivularis), Spreadingpod rockcress (Arabis ×divaricarpa), Slender cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis) and Sticky Purple Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum).

Growing at CSR

Artemisia tridentata, Great Basin sagebrush

Artemisia nova, Black sagebrush

Sarcobatus vermiculatus, greasewood

Preparing For Winter at the CSR Farm

The Idaho CSR Farm is preparing for the cold winter months ahead. Four hoop houses have been set up and filled with over 2,000 native plants. Three of the hoop houses contain ‘Native Roots, LLC‘ plants.

At the CSR Farm: Tetraneuris acaulis (Hymenoxys acaulis) Butte marigold

(photo: Bransford)

Tetraneuris acaulis (Hymenoxys acaulis) Butte marigold

Tufted rosettes of narrow, silvery leaves are topped by a 4-6 in. leafless stem supporting a single, yellow flowerhead. Well-developed plants may have a foot-wide clump of 30-40 rosettes, each with a flowerhead. It’s native habitat is dry, rocky slopes; mesas; limestone bluffs and roadsides. Blooming from May through July. (Lady Bird Johnson)

The butte marigolds above are from CSR’s native plant farm located in southern Idaho. They are part of CSR’s new adventure in native plants: Native Roots, LLC.

Native Roots (NR) plants are selections from nature that have been grown in a controlled environment over ten years and several generations. A very aggressive selection process has been engaged for specific traits on plant form and habit.

NR plants are truly native to the western USA and are the first varieties of native plants that are totally predictable in a landscape. The Native Roots brand currently consists of 60 varieties and will grow in a short time frame to include 350 varieties of plants native to the western United States.

CSR Signs Purchase Agreement of Rocky Mountain Native Plants!

Rocky Mountain Native Plants (located in Rifle, CO) purchase agreement has been signed! Conservation Seeding & Restoration Inc’s capabilities to serve customers, and restore the planet one native plant at a time, has just expanded.