How to Grow Your Own Native Plants

Hi TreePeople,

As we wrap up Seed Week, many of you may be excited and curious to find out to start your own native garden at home.

Nursery Manager, Jack Smith and Biological Science Interns Brenna Cheyney and Emily Bowyer recently hosted a webinar to share tips and tricks on how to collect and plant seeds and acorns, the importance of adding native plants and trees to your landscape, and much more!

Here’s some key takeaways from the discussion:

1. When collecting seeds and acorns, be sure to research the adult size of the species to ensure it has room to grow in your landscape.
2. Contrary to popular belief, native grasslands are beneficial to our local environment because they act as efficient carbon sinks (absorption of carbon dioxide) compared to trees!
3. It’s especially important to protect oak saplings during their first year since squirrels can still eat them. Build a barrier to make sure your sapling has the best chance of survival.
4. Try to find pre-mixed soil that contains perlite, peat moss, and sand. If you can’t find any, you can make your own! Find out how in the video above.
5. Did you know you can tell if your acorns are viable by using a float test? Find out how above!
6. If garden space is an issue, many nurseries are now experimenting with different native plants that can do well in containers, like hummingbird sage or snowberry.

Los Angeles-based TreePeople is the region’s largest environmental movement, whose mission is to inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the urban environment. Visit us at treepeople.org and learn how you can join our cause.