The Johnson County Conservation Native Plant Series promotes conservation practices in your home by adding native plants to the landscape. The series hosts local presenters covering a variety of topics throughout the 2025 spring and fall — June 1, Aug. 3, and Sept. 7, and includes a native plant sale. The 2025 native plant vendor is Troutleaf Native Plants, based in Johnson County.

Note: You must register separately for each date of the Native Plant Series. Tickets.

Program Schedule:
9:00-9:40 a.m.—Native Plant Sale with Troutleaf Native Plants
9:40-9:45 a.m.—Welcome & Introduction
9:45-10:45 a.m.—Gardening with Native Plants by Troutleaf Native Plants owners
10:45-11 a.m.—Break/Shop Plant Sale
11 am-noon—Gardening for Pollinators with Sarah Nizzi
Noon-1 p.m.—Program ends, but plant sale continues until 1 p.m.

Gardening with Native Plants with Max Friton & Dominic Balestrieri-Fox, Troutleaf Native Plants

How wet is wet? How dry is dry? How tall will it get? Nursery descriptions can be vague, and trial and error can be costly. If you have struggled with choosing the right plant for the right place, or had a plant fail that, by all means, should have worked, this presentation is for you. Max and Dominic share their knowledge and experience with growing native plants and how best to research them before planting. They will also cover topics relating to native gardening, such as local ecotype plants, pocket prairies, and home garden design.

Dominic Balestrieri-Fox is a first-year master’s student of Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University and co-founder of Troutleaf Native Plants. Like Max Friton, he has a lifelong love and encyclopedic knowledge of Midwestern native plants from time spent in the woods, wetlands and prairies of Eastern Iowa. He is particularly interested in helping people to interact with, learn about, and care for their local ecological communities. Before studying landscape architecture, Dominic received his B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University, where his studies included exploring the intersections between human security and wildlife conservation.

Max Friton is the co-founder, owner, and operator of Troutleaf Native Plants. He has seven years of experience growing native plants and performs conservation work full-time as a land steward for Larkspur Ecological Restoration. Max and Dominic saw an unmet need for native plants in the Iowa City area. The two teamed up to grow native plants and share their passion for natives with the community.

Gardening for Pollinators: How Small Spaces Can Make a Difference with Sarah Nizzi

Sarah Nizzi of the Xerces Society will describe how individuals can make a difference in their communities for pollinators. We can all play a role in enhancing our spaces for the natural world and ourselves. The status and importance of pollinators will be discussed, as well as habitat installation. Site preparation strategies, plant materials, planting and more will be presented, as well as available resources.

Sarah Nizzi is originally from central Iowa and graduated from Drake University with a B.S. in environmental science. Her specialities include natural resource management, native seed mix design, pollinator biology and ecology, and education and outreach. Over the last six years, Sarah has worked with the Xerces Society as a Pollinator Conservation Specialist and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) Partner Biologist. Currently, Sarah covers all of Iowa, helping individuals interested in pollinator conservation and supporting NRCS staff on state guidance and policy concerning pollinators, beneficial insects, and native habitats.

The Native Plant Series is supported by the Johnson County Master Gardeners of Iowa and Troutleaf Native Plants.