CLARKSVILLE, TN – Austin Peay State University is teaming up with Replant Clarksville to strengthen the local tree canopy, and community members can help by ordering from the university’s annual Fall Native Tree Sale through Nov. 3.
Twenty-six native species are available in 1-gallon ($12) and 3-gallon ($18) pots. They can be ordered online here and will be available for pickup from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 and from 8 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Nov. 8, at the corner of Farris and Eighth Street on campus.
“Native trees, even while young, help our local ecosystems,” said Michelle Rogers, vice president of Replant Clarksville. “As our trees grow, they provide us with shade, reduce flooding and erosion, and clean our air.”
Planting native trees also plays an important role in the lives of Clarksville’s native pollinators. The popular zebra swallowtail species relies on the pawpaw tree as its host plant for caterpillars to eat and grow into butterflies, while oak trees are the host plant for hundreds of butterflies and moths. On the other hand, the popular non-native crepe myrtles are not host plants for any butterfly or moth species.
All trees sold come from Austin Peay’s campus, and the proceeds will benefit the university’s Outdoor Education Center programs offered through Community Engagement & Sustainability. Support for the center comes from grants through organizations such as the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation, along with funding opportunities like the Fall Native Tree Sale.
“The APSU Outdoor Education Center provides free nature-based classes for community and educational groups such as Scouts, homeschool groups, public and private schools,” said Alexandra Wills, the director of Community Engagement and Sustainability. “In Spring 2025, the Outdoor Education Center hosted over 200 youth members to learn about native pollinators, geology, and agriculture.”