Marion Campus Improvement Project

Trees Forever Marion Campus Improvement Project

Construction and landscaping for the Trees Forever campus improvement project began in 2021 and finished in November of 2022. The Trees Forever campus sits at the confluence of Dry Creek & Indian Creek, next to Donnelly Park and adjacent to popular nature trails. The two creeks are both tributaries of the Cedar River, and eventually the Mississippi. This project has allowed Trees Forever to transform our headquarters from a typical urban property into a showcase of native conservation practices and water quality management that protects the surrounding ecosystem and waterways.

Thank you to our partners and sponsors that have made this vision become a reality: The City of Marion, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District, Alliant Energy, Iowa Finance Authority, ITC Midwest, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, Marion Chamber of Commerce, Marion Economic Development Corporation, Mike Simonson, Charlie and Pat Becker, Kate Foster Hawkins, Jacque and Denny Holloway, Mary Ann Dawson and the Hall-Perrine Foundation.

Construction assistance was provided by HBK Engineering and consultation was provided by Amy Bouska (IDALS) and Jon Gallagher (Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District).

The Trees Forever Marion campus renovation project puts a major focus on sustainably managing water volume and water quality via stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP). These practices include a bioretention cell, native plantings, rainwater harvesting basins, and permeable pavers.

Bioretention cells are designed to help manage storm events, utilizing native plantings and porous rocks/dirt to offset and filter stormwater runoff. The native plantings also contribute to biodiversity by providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Creeks are sensitive to water temperature fluctuations from the runoff of nearby impervious surfaces as well as pollutant content in the runoff. The bioretention cell filters runoff through soil/sand layers and rock aggregate and regulates its temperature before it is eventually released via subdrain. Some water is also absorbed by the deep roots of native plants/grasses reducing creek bed erosion and water contamination.

The permeable pavement in both the parking lot and on the patio collects stormwater through its porous surfaces. This water then drains into an aggregate base, eventually ending up in the below-ground stormwater cistern located beneath the back patio. The captured rainwater is used as a source of irrigation for watering plants and trees on the Trees Forever Marion campus. The piping and plumbing connect the system to other collection areas on-site, such as the six rain barrels located around the building.

The Trees Forever campus is a highly visible property, located next to Donnelly Park, which experiences an estimated 5,000 visitors a month. These BMP can serve as an example for both public and private landowners that are interested in responsible stormwater management. The permeable pavement located on the back-patio doubles as an outdoor educational space, a fantastic facility to further Trees Forever’s commitment to education and volunteer engagement. This campus renovation also helps the City of Marion in its efforts to increase streambank access, as well as complying with the Indian Creek Watershed Management Plan for improved water quality.

Campus Plantings

Carpinus caroliniana/American Hornbeam

  • Height: 20-40’
  • Bloom Description: Green (catkins)
  • Sun: Partial sun
  • Moisture: Moderately wet-fully wet
  • Bloom time: May-June, July-frost
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Can be used as an understory tree, thrives alongside a creek
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: One is planted just behind the building, near the back parking lot.

Sorbus decora/Showy Mountain-Ash

  • Height: 10-40’
  • Bloom Description: White
  • Sun: Part shade, full sun
  • Moisture: Wet soil, swamp environment
  • Bloom time: June-July
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Produces red berry-like fruit that wildlife can feed on
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: One is planted in the northeast corner of the parking lot, near the bioretention cell.

Allium stellatum/Prairie Onion

  • Height: 14”
  • Bloom Description: White, pink, lavender
  • Sun: Partial sun, full sun
  • Moisture: Dry sandy soil, rocky sites
  • Bloom time: July-August
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Good border plant for gardens, attracts pollinators
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In the front of the building and next to the back parking lot.

Asarum canadense/ Wild Ginger

  • Height: 8’’
  • Bloom Description: Brownish purple flower, green foliage
  • Sun: Full shade
  • Moisture: Well drained
  • Bloom time: April, May, June
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Attractive groundcover, forms large colonies in moist woodland areas as it is pollinated by ants and other insects via its flower beneath the foliage.
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front of the building

Ascelpias tuberosa/Butterfly Milkweed

• Height: 1.5-2’
• Bloom Description: Bright orange
• Sun: Full sun
• Moisture: Well drained
• Bloom time: June-July
• Native: Yes
• Benefits: Attracts pollinators, essential for attracting butterflies, has deep tap roots
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All over campus, mainly to the left of the front parking lot and near the back parking lot.

Aster oblongifolius/Aromatic Aster

• Height: 1-3’
• Bloom Description: Lavender/purple with yellow centers
• Sun: Full sun
• Moisture: Dry, moderate soil
• Bloom time: July-frost
• Native: Yes
• Benefits: Attracts pollinators, good plant in a native garden
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All over campus, mainly to the left of the front parking lot, and near the back parking lot.

Coreopsis palmata/Prairie Coreopsis

• Height: 2.5’
• Bloom Description: Pale yellow
• Sun: Full sun
• Moisture: Medium-well drained soil
• Bloom time: July-frost
• Native: Yes
• Benefits: Attracts pollinators, good plant in a native garden, fresh cut flower
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All over campus

Dodecatheon meadii/Shooting Star

  • Height: 0.75-1.5’
  • Bloom Description: White, pink, purple
  • Sun: Partial sun/Full sun
  • Moisture: Well drained
  • Bloom time: April, May
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Nice basal foliage, great in gardens or open woods/prairie
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front of the building

Echinea purpureans/Purple Coneflower

• Height: 2-4’
• Bloom Description: Purple, pink
• Sun: Partial sun/Full sun
• Moisture: Well drained/Medium soil
• Bloom time: May-June, July-frost
• Native: Yes
• Benefits: Attracts pollinators and songbirds, grows easily, good cut flower
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Immediately around the perimeter of the building

Gentiana andrewsii/Bottle Gentian

  • Height: 1-2’
  • Bloom Description: Dark blue/purple
  • Sun: Partial sun/Full sun
  • Moisture: Moderate soil
  • Bloom time: July-frost
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Attracts pollinators and songbirds, plants are long lived, fresh cut flower
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: North side of campus, immediately above the parking lot

Petalostemum candidum/White Prairie Clover

  • Height: 1-3’
  • Bloom Description: White
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Moisture: Moderate/Dry soil
  • Bloom time: June-September
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Attracts pollinators and insects. Its root can be used for tea!
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All around campus

Ceanothus americanus/New Jersey Tea

  • Height: 2-3’
  • Bloom Description: White
  • Sun: Full sun, partial sun
  • Moisture: Well drained soil
  • Bloom time: May-July
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Attracts pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as other wildlife. This is a good plant for ground cover in rocky, dry areas. The flowers also produce a sweet smell when they bloom.
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front of the building, to the side of the building, immediately to the North of the parking lot

Andropogon scoparium/Little Bluestem

  • Height: 18/24’’
  • Bloom Description: Green, brown, white
  • Sun: Partial sun
  • Moisture: Well drained soil
  • Bloom time: June-December
  • Native: Yes
  • Benefits: Provides food and cover for wildlife, excellent in massed plantings, dried flower/fresh cut flower
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front of the building, on the side of the parking lot driveway, and behind the parking lot.

Sporobolus heterolepis/Prairie Dropseed

• Height: 2’-4’
• Sun: full sun
• Bloom Description: Green
• Moisture: Dry/Medium Soil
• Bloom Time: November-March
• Native: Yes
• Benefits: provides food and habitat for wildlife, deer resistant
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All around the campus, especially on the sides of the parking lot and in front of the building.

Native 1: Shortgrass Prairie Seed Mix

Native 1 seed mix was distributed around the outer edges of the campus, particularly on the west and north side of campus. Look out for these plant species around the campus.

o Prairie Onion
o Rose Milkweed
o White Wild Indigo
o Cream Wild Indigo
o Lance-Lead Coreopsis
o White Prairie Clover
o Purple Prairie Clover
o Midland Shooting Star
o Pale Purple Coneflower
o Purple Coneflower
o Rattlensake Master
o Cream Gentian


o Prairie Blazing Star
o Pale Spiked Lobelia
o Wild Quinine
o Foxglove Beardtongue
o Obedient Plant
o Mountain Mint
o Orange Coneflower
o Wild Petunia
o Showy Goldenrod
o Smooth Blue Aster
o Ohio Spiderwort
o Golden Alexanders

Grasses

o Side-oats Grama
o Plains Oval Sedge
o Field Oval Sedge
o Leafy Satin Grass
o Little Bluestem
o Prairie Dropseed

Cover Crop

o Winter Wheat

Native 2: Tall Grass Prairie Seed Mix

  • Little Bluestem
  • Indiangrass
  • Side Oats Grama
  • Canada Wildrye

Native 2 seed mix was distributed around the outer edges of the Trees Forever’s campus.

Turfgrass

• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Perennial Ryegrass
• Fine Fescue

Turfgrass outlines the entire perimeter of the campus.

Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’/Ajuga

• Height: 5-14’’
• Sun: Partial sun
• Bloom Description: White, pink, rose, green
• Moisture: Drained soil
• Bloom Time: May-June
• Native: No
• Benefits: Leaves turn a deep bronze in the fall (hence the name), good groundcover
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Directly behind the back of the building

Buxus x ‘Green Velvet’/Green Velvet Boxwood

  • Height: 3-4’
  • Sun: Full sun
  • Bloom Description: Green
  • Moisture: Well drained soil
  • Bloom Time: May-June
  • Native: No
  • Benefits: Tough, hardy, easy to grow
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Directly behind the back of the building

Coreopsis grandiflora/’Early Sunrise’ Coreopsis

• Height: 1.5-2’
• Sun: Full sun
• Bloom Description: Yellow
• Moisture: Well drained/medium soil
• Bloom Time: May-August
• Native: No
• Benefits: Attracts butterflies, good cut flower, tolerates drought
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: On the patio

Cornus alternifolia/Pagoda Dogwood (Espalier)

• Height: 15-25’
• Sun: Full sun/partial sun
• Bloom Description: White/yellow
• Moisture: Medium soil
• Bloom Time: May-June
• Native: No
• Benefits: Attracts butterflies and birds, fragrant flower, produces fruit in late summer
•Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front of the building, next to the parking lot driveway

Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’/Max Frei Geranium

• Height: .5-.75’
• Sun: Full sun/partial sun
• Bloom Description: Red/purple
• Moisture: Medium soil
• Bloom Time: May-June
• Native: No
• Benefits: Attracts butterflies, good as a border front or for small groundcover
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Immediately behind the building

Huchera x ‘Plum Pudding’/Plum Pudding Coralbell

  • Height: 1-2’
  • Sun: Full sun/partial sun
  • Bloom Description: White
  • Moisture: Medium soil
  • Bloom Time: June-July
  • Native: No
  • Benefits: Effective along paths/walkways, can be planted as a mass or in groups
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Immediately behind the building

Hosta sieboldiana elegans/Colossal Blue Hosta

  • Height: 30-36’’
  • Sun: Partial sun/full shade
  • Bloom Description: Lavender
  • Moisture: Well drained soil
  • Bloom Time: June-July
  • Native: No
  • Benefits: Large leaves form a nice well-rounded plant, beautiful flower blooms in summer are a bonus
  • Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Immediately behind the building

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Jane’/Little Lime Hydrangea

• Height: 3-5’
• Sun: Full sun/partial sun
• Bloom Description: Green maturing to white/pink-burgundy
• Moisture: Medium soil
• Bloom Time: July-September
• Native: No
• Benefits: Showy, flower panicles can be fresh cut or for drying (will persist until winter if left alone), blooms in late summer after other plants have stopped flowering
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: Immediately in front of the building

Juniperus sabina ‘Monna’/Calgary Carpet Juniper

• Height: 4-6’
• Sun: Full sun
• Bloom Description: Needled evergreen/non-flowering
• Moisture: Dry/Well drained soil, medium soil
• Bloom Time: Evergreen/non-flowering
• Native: No
• Benefits: Erosion control, Japanese gardens, nice in a small garden/rock garden
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: In front/right (southeast) area in front of the building near the bike path

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’/Switchgrass

• Height: 4-5’
• Sun: Full sun/partial sun
• Bloom Description: Yellow
• Moisture: Medium-wet soil
• Bloom Time: July-February
• Native: No
• Benefits: Seeds persist into winter and are a food source for birds, foliage provides winter interest, maintains vertical shape making it an effective screen/border plant
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All around the immediate perimeter of the building

Rosa ‘Double Knock Out’/Double Knockout Rose (Red)

• Height: 3-4’
• Sun: Full sun/partial sun
• Bloom Description: Cherry red
• Moisture: Medium soil
• Bloom Time: June-frost
• Native: No
• Benefits: Excellent disease resistance, cottage gardens, border/hedge plant
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: The northeast corner immediately behind the building

Weigela florida/Spilled Wine Weigela

• Height: 6-10’
• Sun: Full sun
• Bloom Description: Rose pink
• Moisture: Medium soil/well drained soil
• Bloom Time: April-June
• Native: No
• Benefits: Attracts hummingbirds, no serious insect or disease problem
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: The immediate east side of the building, just to the north of the patio

Rudbeckia fulgida/Orange Coneflower

• Height: 2-3’
• Sun: Full sun
• Bloom Description: Orange/yellow
• Moisture: Dry/medium soil
• Bloom Time: July-October
• Native: No
• Benefits: Attracts birds and butterflies, good cut flower, good dried flower, birds eat the seeds, excellent bloom color in late summer
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: All around the campus, near the bike trail on the north edge, in front of the building, next to the driveway, near the bioretention cell

Juniperus chinensis ‘Hetzii Columnarius’/Green Columnar Juniper

• Height: 10-15’
• Sun: Full sun
• Bloom Description: Green
• Moisture: Well-drained, low moisture soil
• Bloom time: Evergreen
• Native: No
• Benefits: Maintains strong pyramidal shape without pruning, great as a privacy screen/windbreaker. Produces dark blue/black seed cones.
• Location on Trees Forever’s campus: 6 are planted on the outer edge of the patio.

Drawing Plans for Marion Campus Improvement

Below are the full drawing plans for the Marion campus renovation. The PDF is available for viewing via this window, or for download.