dendrology workshop — seedling identification at mooncrater nursery
learn to recognize the trees growing in your own garden.
every year, volunteer tree seedlings sprout in gardens, hedgerows, and flower beds across southern maine — and most of them get pulled as weeds before anyone knows what they actually are. some of those seedlings are worth keeping. some aren’t. this workshop teaches you how to tell the difference.
over two hours, we’ll walk the nursery — home to over 90 species of trees and shrubs, all grown from seed on site — and learn to identify plants the way a nurseryman actually does: by leaf shape, root structure, bark, aroma, and family resemblance. we’ll pull seedlings out of the ground to compare root systems side by side, something you’ll never get to do on a normal plant walk. we’ll cover the major plant families you’re most likely to encounter locally, then slow down for a closer look at two of the richest: rosaceae (the rose family — cherries, plums, apples, and their relatives) and fabaceae (the legume family — redbuds, locusts, and more).
no botanical background required. this is a hands-on, look-closely, smell-the-leaves kind of class, not a lecture.
every participant goes home with a seed packet and planting instructions to start growing something of their own.
details:
two hours, saturday morning, at the nursery in alfred, maine
limited to a small group for a genuinely hands-on experience
sliding scale, $20–40 — pay what feels fair
pilot sessions running late summer 2026. dates to be announced to the early access list first.