Why grow native plants from seed?

Growing native plants can be intimidating to many gardeners. Native plants have a reputation for being tricky to grow. Here's the thing, as a restoration ecologist I think we need to think about it differently... these are wild species, it's an experiment, it's an adventure! 

As gardeners we are used to buying non-native landscaping plants from the nursery or home improvement store. These plants are commercially grown and are genetically bred to grow and thrive in a wide variety of garden settings. But native plants are different - they are wild species. This is true even when we buy them from a nursery or grow them from a seed packet. They have genetically evolved over thousands of years to grow and thrive in particular habitats and microclimates. These microclimates are the reason California has such a spectacular diversity of native species.

The key to successfully growing any native plant species involves a change in mind set. This isn't Martha Stewart gardening, you want to think like an ecologist and try (as much as possible) to understand and mimick the ecological conditions where it likes to grow - and create those conditions in your garden (as best you can).

Make a list of natives you want to try out in your yard. A good place to start is learning about what native plants grow in your particular area by looking at websites such as Calscape, iNaturalist, and CalFlora. You can also just pick species you like that would fit your conditions. It doesn't have to be perfect, remember you are experimenting! 

The next step is to figure out what microclimates you have in your yard. You probably have a few different microclimates - areas of full sun or all day shade, areas with lots of or little moisture, different soil conditions, flat area or slopes, etc. Next find species from your list to match the conditions in each microhabitat in your yard. How well a particular plant species does is a reflection of how well you understand your yard's environmental conditions. Similar to any gardening there will be some trial and error involved!

The great thing about growing with seeds is flexibility. Potted stock is grown in a nursery under the best possible conditions, and transplanting them can be tricky. You essentially get one chance to get it right - choose the wrong spot (soil, sun exposure, etc.) and the plant may not survive. It's frustrating, I've been there! Native plants grown from seed are better able to adapt to your garden conditions, they have to or they won't survive. If these babies do survive, they will be tough! With a packet of seeds, you get lots of chances to try them out in different areas of your garden and figure out where they will work the best. You can also try out different techniques - directly sowing or growing in pots to be transplanted later.

Enjoy the experience!  Remember - these are wild plants, this is an adventure, so have fun experimenting! Share you experiences, I want to see photos of your babies growing up!

Photo: These are narrow-leaf milkweed seedlings that I germinated in flats and am transplanting to different areas of my yard