Where to Buy Native Plants and Seed

Gardener’s Corner | Questions and Answers with Local Experts

By Dan Songster, 2017 November

This column is a regular newsletter feature offering chapter members and local experts a chance to briefly share information on many things related to gardening with natives. The request for this edition is: “Of course we all love Tree of Life Nursery, but what are your favorite mail-order seed, bulb, or plant nurseries/companies for native plants? What are their specialties?”

John Gossett – “I like the store at TheodorePayne.org for its wide selection of seeds of specific flowers. You can find seed packets of several varieties of California Poppy, for example, which lets me make color patterns in the yard. Well, at least the first year—after that the plants scatter their seeds and they decide where they want to be. Humiliating: they do a better job!”

Rama Nayeri – “My favorite is S&S Seeds. They have options a plenty.”

Sima Bernstein – “Theodore Payne in Sun Valley CA. Great group very dedicated to the cause. Wonderful seed selection.”

Dan Songster – ­“For bulbs I like Brent and Becky’s bulbs. They are back in Virginia but do have several native bulbs at reasonable prices. Seeds: I know local is best but Larner Seeds up in Bolinas is wonderful and Judith Larner Lowry is the author of several of my favorite “philosophical” native gardening books. Plants: if I can get up north the weekend plant sales at Tilden Botanic Garden in Berkeley are nice but for fun, Annie’s Annuals is great place to peruse the online catalog even if I seldom have anything shipped down from their bay area location. More local? Theodore Payne is good too for almost everything. Cool tee – shirts too.”