Sunriver Scene September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 12
Autumn is the best time to plant trees in Central Oregon
By SNCO Staff
Spring is the season for
new growth and rejuvenation. Across Central Oregon,
gardeners dust off their tools,
search for matching pairs of
gardening gloves, watch the
nightly forecast for frost, and
dream about the new plants
they will bring home.
Through the summer, they
water, mulch, amend the soil,
and carefully tend their gardens. Sometimes they succeed,
and the yard they dreamed of
offers a refuge on cool evenings,
hot afternoons and brisk mornings. Other times, the season
offers a humbling reminder
that gardening in Central Oregon is no easy task.
As autumn approaches,
many gardeners turn their
thoughts away from coaxing
life from the sandy soil. The
plants, however, are doubling
down, turning their attention
inward by digging deeper, expanding their root networks,
and concentrating their staying
power. Plants spend the warm
months of the year converting nutrients and water into
above-ground growth, such as
branches, flowers and leaves.
As the air temperature drops,
chemical signals tell plants
it's time to invest their energy
in below-ground expansion.
Roots experience a growth
surge, while the plant itself goes
dormant, becoming less prone
to damage from moving or
planting. Fall is the ideal time
to plant for maximum success.
Sunriver Nature Center &
Observatory is home to Central
Oregon's only native conifer
nursery, where staff members
and volunteers have spent
the summer nurturing thousands of locally grown trees
that are now ready for their
permanent homes.
Most of the inventory consists of the iconic Ponderosa
pine, a tree that once dominated Central Oregon's historic forests. These beautiful
native trees can grow 1 to 2
feet per year. They sequester
atmospheric carbon, filter air
pollutants, provide valuable
wildlife habitat, and become
lasting features of the landscape for generations. Once
mature, Ponderosa pines also
develop thick, insulating bark
that makes them fire resistant
and an excellent choice for
firewise landscaping.
Sunriver Nature Center’s
nursery offers trees ranging
from 12-inch seedlings to specimens 6-feet tall. In addition to
Ponderosa pine, they will have
a limited selection of western
larch, Douglas fir, whitebark
pine, hemlock and cedar.
This year, staff members
also are excited to offer a wide
variety of native deciduous
shrubs, ideal for replacing those
low-growing junipers many
homeowners had to remove.
These species provide beautiful
seasonal color, support birds
and pollinators, and can play an
important role in creating fire-
wise landscapes. They also will
have a limited supply of native
annual wildflowers that will be
happy to establish themselves
this fall so that, come spring, all
you have to do is sit back and
watch them bloom.
The Sunriver Nature Center’s
annual Fall Plant Sale will kick
off Sept. 17, following Sunriver
Nature Center & Observa-
tory's Twilight Talk: Dendrology of Central Oregon. This
presentation at 5:30 p.m. is the
perfect opportunity to learn
about the remarkable trees that
define our region.
Plants can be purchased
online with convenient pickup
or delivery options available.
Whether you're adding a single
tree or restoring an entire land-
scape, fall is the perfect time to
invest in plants that will thrive
for decades to come. To find
out more about our Fall Native Plant Sale or to purchase
plants, visit www.snco.org/
project-ponderosa
To learn more about the trees
that surround you, check out
the September Twilight Talk at
www.snco.org/events.
Field trip funding is dwindling –
schools can’t afford to send kids
on field trips like they used to.
School starts
Sept. 9 - help
us fill the
fund for this
school year!
Help raise scholarship funds for
local students!
12 brings one student to SNCO, and
420 brings a whole classroom!
$
$
Learn More
& Donate
snco.org/fieldtripfund
Page 12
SEPTEMBER 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
