West Lafayette Municipal Nursery

The City of West Lafayette’s Community Forestry and Greenspace program aims to diversify its methods of urban tree planting and landscape restoration projects by constructing a municipal nursery to meet the impacts of the Emerald ash borer. Over the past four years, nearly 1,000 ash trees were removed within the city right-of-way, increasing short- and long-term reforestation needs. Within our park systems, the City continues to remove hazardous ash in forestlands, with reforestation and management plan needs.

In January of 2022, 14.7 acres were donated to the Foundation to preserve agricultural land as greenspace and be the future home of the municipal nursery. Located off IN-26, just west of Purdue University campus, construction of the municipal nursery will begin in 2023 and continue into 2024.

What Does a Municipal Nursery Look Like?

The West Lafayette Municipal Nursery will be a total of 5 acres and used to grow trees, shrubs, and plants for Park and Recreation projects on public lands. Plant material grown will not be for public purchase, but to better our public greenspaces. Once fully completed, the municipal nursery will be comprised of the following:

• Tree nursery zone, with a capacity to grow nearly 1,200 trees fully planted
• Poly-carbonate greenhouses for tree saplings, native forbs and grasses, and perennials
• Head house/maintenance barn
• Shade structure with irrigation, to better transition plants from nursery to project sites

How You Can Help

Contributions towards the nursery project will support these initiatives to get the nursery off the ground. The Foundations is currently raising funds to build the maintenance barn, with an estimated cost of $450,000.00. Interested in growing a greener future and bringing this project to life? Contact us or donate today!