Nurseries and Sources for Native Plants

Nurseries and Sources for Native Plants

CNPS-SLO holds our annual Native Plant Sale the first Saturday of November

The Nipomo Native Garden also holds an annual Native Plant Sale

Nurseries in San Luis Obispo county:

(Call for confirmation of times open to public)

Las Pilitas Native Plant Nursery 3232 Las Pilitas Road, Santa Margarita 805-438-5992 (Retail Fri & Sat)
Growing Grounds Farm Wholesale Nursery 3740 Orcutt Rd, San Luis Obispo 805-543-6071 (Retail 3rd Tues of Month)
SAGE Ecological Landscapes, 1301 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos, CA 93402 (805) 574-0777
Clearwater Color Wholesale Nursery 2335 Jacaranda Ln, Los Osos 805-528-4458 (Wholesale only)
Native Sons Wholesale Nursery 379 W. El Campo, Arroyo Grande 805-481-9636 (Retail 2nd Sat in April)
West Covina Wholesale Nursery 165 W. El Campo, Arroyo Grande 805-481-7626 (Wholesale only)

Nurseries outside of our county:

(Call for confirmation of times open to public)

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 1212 Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara 805-682-4272 (classes)
Matilija Nursery 8225 Waters, Moorpark 805-523-8604
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 1500 W. College, Clairmont 909-625-8767 (classes)
Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery 10459 Tuxford, Sun Valley 818-768-1802 (classes and seed sales)
Tree of Life Nursery 33201 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano 949-728-0685

If you can’t find what you are looking for, ask your nursery to order it for you

Additional Sources

You may also find California Natives at these local sources

BenJoy Nursery 2168 Lopez, Arroyo Grande 481-7488
Cherry Lane Nursery 436 Traffic Way, Arroyo Grande 489-1809
Miners Ace Hardware 186 Station Way, Arroyo Grande 489-9100
Miners Ace Hardware 9370 El Camino Real, Atascadero 466-0270
Bay Laurel Nursery 2500 El Camino Real, Atascadero 466-3449
Windmill Nursery 925 W. Hwy 246, Buellton 688-3993
Cambria Nursery and Florist 2801 Eton Rd, Cambria 927-4747
Los Osos Valley Nursery 301 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos 528-5300
Miners Ace Hardware 520 Highway 41, Morro Bay 722-2233
Nipomo Old Town Nursery 323 W. Tefft, Nipomo 929-1084
Whispering Tree 110 Norris, Orcutt 937-3808
Farm Supply 675 Tank Farm, SLO 543-3751
Miner’s Ace Hardware 2034 Santa Barbara St., SLO 543-2191

Do you have a nursery or source for California Natives that isn’t listed here? Or an update to this information? Please enter a comment below and we will update this page …

Website Resources

BOTANICAL INTEREST SITES Calflorahttps://www.calflora.org/index.html Jepson Herbarium eFlorahttps://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ California Invasive Plant Councilhttps://www.cal-ipc.org/ Urban Forest Ecosystems Institutehttps://ufei.calpoly.edu/ CNPS RESOURCES CNPS...

Why Grow Natives from Seeds?

by Marti Rutherford

You have probably wandered the nursery isles looking for the ever more popular native plants being sold. Do you ever consider how those plants have been propagated? Many, if not most, native plants in the nursery trade are propagated by cuttings. The nursery person knows what the plant will look like and behave like. And (more…)

Native Plants for Erosion Control

Native Plants for Erosion Control

Coffeeberry Frangula californica – Images courtesy of Marlin Harms Way back in 1992 the Watershed Education Program for San Luis Obispo County, in conjunction with U.C. Extension and the Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service)...

Resources

Resources Native plant tips, information, and sources to inspire and encourage the use and conservation of California native plants Featured PlantsTake an in-depth look at specific plants and plant families view CNPS-SLO Plant LibraryDetails about native and select...
Native Plants for School & Urban Gardens

Native Plants for School & Urban Gardens

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS FOR SCHOOL & URBAN GARDENS

By Betsey Landis

Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter, California Native Plant Society

www.lacnps.org

August 2011

This book is written for teachers and school garden educators and planners. Anyone can download all or parts of the book for free from CNPS Chapter websites. However the book may not be printed and sold without the express permission of the Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains Chapter of CNPS. We have discussed printing small special orders but we do not plan to do any more printing of the book in the hundreds or thousands.  I understand what I have written on those first two pages is a type of “creative commons” copyright.  -Betsey Landis  (the author)

Download Here

Because of the size of this book, we have created four separate PDF files for viewing on the web and for download:

Section I

Section II, part a

Section II, part b

Section III

Table of Contents

California Native Plant Society Teachers Resources

Please Add Your Comments

Have you used this resource for your school or public garden? Please share your experience in the comments below …

Junge Ranch Hike

Junge Ranch Hike

Join David Chipping on a field trip along the ocean bluffs of the Junge Ranch addition to Hearst San Simeon State Park featuring spring wildflowers in open grasslands above coastal cliffs and tide pools. Meet at 9:15 am at the north end of the property (see directions below). The hike on the coastal bluffs will be mostly flat on dirt trails and less than 2 miles. The views are amazing but it is difficult to get down to the ocean from this trail so we will be focusing on upland plants. Bring water, snacks, sun protection, sturdy shoes, and dress in layers for the weather. A plant list for San Simeon is on our website here.

After the 2-hour hike, consider heading south to the Cambria Wildflower Show to enjoy hundreds of bouquets of local native plants and a well-stocked CNPS sales table with books, t-shirts and other items to help you enjoy and explore the rest of the spring wildflower season.

Rain or threat of rain cancels the hike (but the Cambria Wildflower Show will be indoors all weekend for enjoying).

Directions: from Highway 1 on the south end of the commercial area (motels) of the small community of San Simeon, turn west on Vista Del Mar Avenue and park alongside the road at the dead end near the ocean (35.60959,-121.14376) in time for 9:15 am start of hike.

Optional carpools will meet at 8:30 am in the parking lot to the Spencers Grocery Store in Morro Bay at 2650 Main St (35.38966,-120.85817).

Preserve the Reserve

Preserve the Reserve SAVE THE OAK WOODLANDS, MARITIME CHAPARRAL, RARE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE NIPOMO MESA Proposed Dana Reserve Project Should be Substantially Reduced in Size or Rejected What is the project? According to the recently released Draft EIR, The Dana...
Populus trichocarpa

Populus trichocarpa

Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) is a native tree that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 100 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alluvial bottom lands and streamsides, at elevations from 0-9000 feet. Tough and easy to grow as long as it is in sun, near a water sources and has very good drainage. Black Cottonwood is a great choice to help build a natural irrigation system – its long shallow roots will reach out to the water source and pull underground water molecules through your garden. It needs moist soil until mature, and then becomes moderately drought tolerant.

Landscaping Information
Sun: Full Sun
Moisture: Moderate – High
Summer Irrigation: Max 1x / month once established
Ease of Care: Very Easy
Cold Tolerance: Tolerates cold to 5° F
Soil Drainage: Fast
Soil Description: Well draining
Common uses: Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens
Companion Plants: Golden Currant (Ribes aureum), Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Creek Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp sericea), White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
Sunset Zones: 1, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type: Alluvial bottom lands, streamsides
Climate: Annual Precipitation: 5.4″ – 117.1″

Calscape website has more information.

Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa

Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa

Island Snapdragon is a somewhat vine-like perennial plant native to the Channel Islands of California and Guadalupe Island, Mexico. It has trumpet-shaped red flowers which attract birds, especially hummingbirds. Under the right conditions it can bloom almost year round.

Island Snapdragon is easy to grow, fast growing and beautiful perennial widely available in native California nurseries. It prefers sun or part shade (more shade inland), but you will get more flowers in full sun. It likes rocky slopes and seaside conditions and will tolerate a variety of soils. It tolerates occasional summer water, up to 2x per month. Good in containers. It was formerly categorized under the genus Galvezia and some sources still list it that way. ‘Firecraker’ is a popular horitcultural variety.

Landscaping Information:
Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture: Very Low
Summer Irrigation: Max 2x / month once established
Ease of Care: Very Easy
Cold Tolerance: Tolerates cold to 30°F
Soil Drainage: Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description: Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Common uses: Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens  

Companion Plants: Island companion plants include Santa Cruz Island Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), Island Live Oak (Quercus tometella), Tree Poppy (Dendromecon harfordii), Island Bristleweed (Hazardia detonsa), Redflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens), Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), and Giant Coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantea). Other chaparral and sage scrub companions include California Encelia (Encelia californica), California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), and Ceanothus spp  

Maintenance: Since it tends to be viney, it can be cut back whenever stems get too lengthy. Don’t cut back into the woody portion. 

Natural Setting:
Site Type: Rocky slopes, bluffs, canyons and coastal terraces of the Channel Islands among coastal sage scrub
Climate: Annual Precipitation: 8.1″ – 13.1″

View Calflora for more information.