INLA NEWSLETTER

November 2024

IN THIS ISSUE: 

• Save the Date
• INLA Booth at BUILD IT
• ICNP Certification
• Now Accepting INLA Scholarships Applications
• Plant Picks of the Month

EXHIBITORS - SAVE THE DATE & RESERVE YOUR ROOM

INLA & IAA TRADE SHOW will be at the Scheman Building in Ames, Iowa February 19-21, 2025. More information to come soon.

Start Date: 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

End Date: 

Friday, February 21, 2025

Hotel offering a special group rate:

SpringHill Suites Ames for 149.00 USD per night

 Last Day to Book: 

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Registration is not yet open for exhibitors,

but you can book your hotel room now at the link below!

Book your group rate for Iowa Nursery & Landscape Assoc.

The INLA will have a booth at the upcoming BUILD IT in Coralville, Iowa on March 5 & 6, 2025!

Stop by and say hi to us if you’re there!

If you’re looking to get ICNP certification this fall, please contact Bob Smith at Kirkwood Community College, and we will try to organize a time to sign your business or individuals up to test and become an Iowa Certified Nursery Professional.

Contact Bob at 319.398.5899 x5127 or Bob.Smith@kirkwood.edu

The Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association is now taking scholarship applications for the Haber Scholarship and Iowa Community College Scholarships.

The Haber Scholarship is awarded to undergraduates in Horticulture at Iowa State University. One $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a student annually.

Community College Scholarships are awarded to full-time students enrolled in a horticulture program at any of Iowa’s community colleges. INLA awards three students with $1000 scholarships each year.

The due date for applications is December 8, 2024. All scholarship details along with the applications can be found on the INLA website:

INLA SCHOLARSHIPS PAGE

Eurybia divaricata blooms

Eurybia divaricata heart shaped foliage

COMMON NAME: White Wood Aster

BOTANICAL NAME: Eurybia divaricata

USDA ZONE: 3-8

SUNLIGHT: Part Shade to Full Shade

SOIL CONDITIONS: Prefers average, medium to dry soils and tolerates most soil types and moisture including dry shade.

HABIT: 1-2.5’ x 1.5-2.5’

FEATURES: White Wood Aster blooms from August through October with small but abundant 1” diameter white rays with yellow to red disks. Attractive coarsely toothed heart shaped foliage with dark stems emerges early in spring and grow throughout the season with flower stems adding on height going into late summer.

WHY WE LOVE IT: White Wood Aster is an excellent deep shade option that also tolerates dry conditions. The abundant blooms add a pop of white to the late summer and early fall landscape and are attractive to pollinators. White Wood Aster works especially well in garden designs where it is allowed to naturalize and fill in the gaps between other plants. Foliage, blooms, and winter structure add year-round interest to the garden which is not common for dead shade tolerant plants. If you are looking for a pop of white in your late season landscape, this might be the plant for you.

Eurybia divaricata form

  Ipomoea Illusion Midnight Lace

COMMON NAME: Sweet Potato Vine

BOTANICAL NAME: Ipomoea batatas

SUNLIGHT: Shade to Sun

HEIGHT: 6-10”

SPREAD: Average 12-36”

SOIL CONDITIONS: Well drained soil

FEATURES: Foliage varying from chartreuse to purple

WHY WE LOVE IT: Sweet potato vine is an excellent choice for planters and pots to provide a “spilling” feature. It is low maintenance not requiring trimming or excessive fertilizing. With the varying color options, you are sure to find multiple uses for it in your annual applications each year. It does produce a tuber that you can save and replant. Another unique feature is the ability to use in extreme shade and extreme sun depending on variety chosen. There is also a lot of variances in leaf shape providing lots of texture to your design. There are very traditional heart shaped leaves, and more pointed leaves allowing for smooth looks and more of a lace like appearance.  

COMMON NAME: Winecraft Smokebush

BOTANICAL NAME: Cotinus coggygria

USDA ZONE: 4a-7b (Black) and 5a-7b (Gold)

SUNLIGHT: Full Sun

SOIL CONDITIONS: Tolerant of many sites but needs good drainage

HABIT: 4-6’ x 4-6’ Rounded and Upright

FEATURES:

Compact plant with prized foliage for a pop of Purple or Chartreuse color. 

WHY WE LOVE IT:

The Winecraft Smokebush series come in two colors; Winecraft Black which is dark purple, and Winecraft Gold which is a chartreuse/yellow. Unlike their full-sized counterparts, including the Royal Purple Smokebush, these compact sports do not overgrow their space in putting on their show. Round waxy leaves provide the eye-catching pop of color. In the summer the plant has memorable smoke-like seedheads that add a flower-type appeal. Makes for a great specimen or focal point that will deliver from the middle of spring until the start of winter.  

If you haven’t returned your 2024-25 Membership Enrollment, please follow the link below and take a moment to register online!

INLA Membership Online Membership Form

Gary Garles

DeVries Outdoors

Altoona, IA

Kerry Glader

Peat, Inc./Plaisted Companies

Elk River, MN

Brian Koonce

Vermeer Sales & Service

Pella, IA

Doug Steeves

All Things Turf

Centennial, CO