California’s Native Plants

California native plant species are rare and wonderful. More than any other continental US state, California is rich with diverse plants, many found only in our state and deserving a place in our gardens, as well as preservation in the wild.  However, intact wild plant populations are rapidly diminishing due to development and competition from invasive non-native plants, among other factors.  Urban and suburban expansion in Southern California threatens the survival of many species in the wild.  Theodore Payne Foundation aims to support the use of native plants in urban horticulture, therefore expanding or restoring the range of some species while creating a constituency for wild plants.

Horticulture at Theodore Payne Foundation encompasses growing facilities, retail nursery, seed program, and demonstration gardens. We are dedicated to propagating and cultivating native plants from throughout the State of California and within the California Floristic Province. This includes uncommon, rare, and endangered species; cultivars and selections; and plants from our local area. Our plants include flowering perennials, chaparral shrubs, trees, grasses, vines, seasonal wild flowers, and more. To see what’s currently for sale in the retail nursery, go to our online inventory. To buy seed online, visit the shop. To see the plants in a garden setting, take a walk through the demonstration gardens.