Drought-tolerant native plants sell big at Arboretum Teaching Nursery

Hundreds flock to Arboretum plant sales seeking climate-appropriate lawn replacements

California natives are always a popular choice at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden's plant sales. This spring, natives comprised 30% of the total stock yet accounted for half of all purchases.

UC DAVIS ARBORETUM AND PUBLIC GARDEN

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This past April, the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden hosted its highly-anticipated spring plant sales—the first in-person sales in two years.

On the morning of Saturday, April 9, Friends of the Arboretum members and plant-enthusiasts from across the Central Valley braved clouds of dust and 20-mile-per-hour winds to stock up on attractive, low-water-using plants. Many lined up outside the expansive Arboretum Teaching Nursery a full hour before the event began, eager to purchase the perfect California natives for long-awaited gardening and relandscaping projects.

Since 2008, the outdoor Teaching Nursery has served as the cornerstone of the community’s horticultural needs. Year-round, a dedicated team of staff, student interns, and volunteers work tirelessly to grow and care for a variety of plants—everything from grasses to succulents, shrubs to trees.

Of the nearly 630 plant types available at the April 30th sale, the majority were grown on-site.

“We propagate most of the plants here,” confirmed UC Davis student and Propagation Specialist Apprentice Elena Rich. “[They grow from] cuttings from the Arboretum and Teaching Nursery or by seed,” Rich explained, ensuring healthy, high-quality individuals for the Arboretum’s extensive collections as well as its ever-popular plant sales.

Attendees encountered long lines of like-minded plant enthusiasts at the April 9th sale.

UC DAVIS ARBORETUM AND PUBLIC GARDEN

Following a long COVID hiatus, attendees, young and old, swooned over the wide selection of beautiful, water-wise plants, piling carts with garden-variety flowers and hard-to-find species alike. Despite the diversity of flora purchased on both days, customers overwhelmingly expressed a common desire to rip out their water-intensive lawns and create drought-tolerant, low-maintenance landscapes.

“I let it die last year,” said one attendee of her front lawn as she checked out with an attractive haul of colorful plants native to the state. “[Grass] is just not a good idea in California.”.

Given perpetually dry conditions in the Central Valley, the popularity of low-water-using plants, particularly California natives, comes as no surprise. Because they evolved with local climatic conditions and soil types, native plants are generally adapted to low moisture environments.

According to the California Department of Water Resources, populating your yard with these natives can reduce annual water use by 85% compared to the suburban fantasy of perfectly-manicured grass.

An exemplary drought-tolerant garden

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

Besides saving water, native plant gardens provide numerous benefits for both human communities and local ecosystems. Unlike grass, these native landscapes don’t require mowing, fertilizer, or pesticides. This independence from human input reduces maintenance needs and toxic runoff while protecting pollinators and other friendly insects.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of native gardens is the pockets of habitat they provide for wildlife otherwise excluded from the urban environment. In addition to pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds, these landscapes attract reptiles, birds, and small mammals that thrive among native plants rather than grassy monocultures and serve as natural pest control.

With its plant sales and online educational materials, the Arboretum strives to promote eco-friendly gardening practices and provide the means for successful lawn replacement. The sale proceeds not only support programs such as Learning by Leading but also represent growing momentum for a more sustainable tomorrow in the Central Valley and beyond.

While the spring sales are over, the excitement returns to the Teaching Nursery in October. In the meantime, current and future plant-enthusiasts can browse the Arboretum’s “All-Stars” database, a collection of the team’s top recommended plants for gardens in this region.