The Hamilton County Invasives Partnership (HIP) and the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are teaming up to help residents restore their landscapes – one tree at a time.
Through the Invasive Species Trade-In Program, property owners who remove invasive plants from their Hamilton County properties are eligible to receive free native plants from the SWCD’s fall native sale.
“Eight-six percent of woody invasive plants in Indiana have been introduced through landscaping,” SWCD Urban Conservationist Claire Lane said. “This program rewards homeowners who take action to remove these problem plants and replace them with beneficial natives.”
How it works
Homeowners must identify and remove invasive species from their landscape, properly dispose of plant material and document their efforts with photos and a simple online application.
The program prioritizes the removal of commonly used landscape invasives such as: Callery Pear (including Bradford, Cleveland Select, and other cultivars), Burning Bush, Japanese Barberry, and Norway Maple, but other invasive species listed on the Indiana Invasive Species Council’s Official Invasive Plant List are also eligible.
Complete applications are due Sept. 1. Applicants will receive a confirmation email by Sept. 9 with a discount code to redeem their free native plant(s) through the SWCD’s fall sale. Orders must be placed by Sept. 21, with plant pickup scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3 in Noblesville.
Program details, application forms, and FAQs are available at hcinvasives.org/trade.