Fall planting season is right around the corner, and it is the perfect time to add some beautiful, resilient native plants to your landscape! Native plants support pollinators and wildlife, filter polluting runoff, are climate-adapted to save water, and reduce the need for harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Let's bring nature back into our neighborhoods and restore habitat one yard at a time!
Upcoming Sales & Events
CNPS South Coast Fall Plant Sale
Madrona Marsh Nature Center, Torrance
- Saturday Sept 30, 2023 10am - 2pm
- Wide selection of CA native plants will be available, along with awesome volunteers who can give you advice! A table to exchange seeds will also be available.
El Dorado Nature Center Native Plant Sale
El Dorado Park, Long Beach
- November 7 – 21 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or while supplies last.
- Last year sold out quickly, so attend early for a good selection!
Local Stores and Nurseries
Californica Nursery @ The Hangout
4th st, Long Beach- Californica Nursery curates a rotating selection of native plants tucked into the back patio at The Hangout on Retro Row. They often pop up with their reasonably priced, backyard-grown native plants at community events and are available for plant pickups via Instagram direct message.
- A few favorites: Catalina perfume (Ribes viburnifolium), Fragrant pitcher sage (Lepichinia fragrans), Black walnut (Juglans californica)
Armstrong Gardens
10th st, Long Beach
- Our local Armstrong Gardens has slowly been adding more native plants to their stock, including a few uncommon plants. Armstrong is also able to special order plants from their nursery suppliers by request if you are trying to track down a specific plant.
- A few favorites: Bush Anemone (Carpenteria californica), Maritime ceanothus (Ceanothus maritimus), White sage (Salvia apiana)
Ricardo’s Nursery
Atlantic Ave, Long Beach
- Ricardo’s has a variety of California native plants and garden-friendly native cultivars, and offer wholesale prices for larger projects.
- A few favorites: Palmer’s Indian mallow (Abutilon palmeri), Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica), Coyote mint (Monardella villosa)
Brita’s Garden
Main Street, Seal Beach
- Brita’s Garden has a small but unique selection of California natives, and often have some unique plants for sale that are selected with a landscaping focus.
- A few favorites: Dwarf blue-eyed grass(Sysrinchium bellum 'dwarf'), Silver dune lupine (Lupinus chamissonis), Red flowered buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens)
Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
San Pedro/Palos Verdes
- Monthly In-Person Plant Sales: 10:30 AM to 1 PM
- 2nd Saturdays at George F Canyon Nature Center
- 4th Saturdays at White Point Nature Education Center
- PVPLC sells plants grown from native plants found throughout the reserve, including plenty of staple habitat plants and curated “butterfly baskets”. They also offer a contact-free preorder pickup from their office in Rolling Hills Estates. Their affordable prices are worth the drive over the bridge, and you can check out the George F Canyon or White Point Nature Center while you stock up on plants!
- A few favorites: Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), Lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia), Sea cliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium)
Where to buy native seeds online:
Theodore Payne Foundation
Tree of Life Nursery
Walqaqsh California native seeds
Be wary of “Wildflower” seed mixes!
Seed packets at many stores will often label themselves as “wildflower,” “butterfly garden,” or “pollinator friendly” regardless of what seeds are inside. Always check that the seeds are native to your region, don’t plant a pest!
Ways to check your seed packet:
- Is it specific to California? Does it say “native to” your region?
- Seed packets will often list regions that the plants can survive in, not where they are native to or what ecosystems they support
- Are the latin names of the plants listed on the back?
- You don’t need to be able to read latin, but a packet with the latin names listed can be a sign of a reputable seed seller
- No invasive plants in the mix?
- Don’t plant a pest! Avoid plants like cornflowers/Centaurea, African daisies/Gazania, and chysanthemum/crown daisy/Glebionis coronaria.
Other helpful local resources:
Long Beach City’s Native Plant Parkway Program
This program provides free plants, landscape stones, and planting templates for a full parkway makeover.
Free Mulch at Willow Springs Park
Add some mulch around your new native plantings to suppress weeds, retain water, and build healthy soil. Free mulch is available for pick up at the Willow Springs Park parking lot at 2745 Orange Ave, Long Beach.
Join us for our next Ocean Friendly Gardens Workday
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