GOING WILD WITH NATIVES: Plant Planning Strategies – Upcoming Plant Sale On October 18
- k-england
- Sep 1
- 5 min read
By Susan Lewitt, for Let’s Talk Plants! September 2025.
The California Native Plant Society’s native plant sale gives everyone the opportunity to ensure that San Diego continues as a biodiversity hot spot by adding more native plants to your garden. Come stock up at the October 18, 2025, CNPS Native Plant Sale. More information at the end of this article, and in October’s “Going Wild with Natives…”.
When planning additions to your garden there are certain things you should take into consideration. How much space do you have? What kind of soil is there? Are some areas fast draining, while others are slow or medium. There may be variations in soil and drainage in different parts of your garden. Do some spaces in your yard get full sun or all shade, or something in between? Do the existing plants have the same watering needs as the ones you are adding?
Calscape will list the requirements for most native plants allowing you to come up with a list of plants that will grow nicely in your garden. If you are planting something near another young plant, keep in mind how big and fast each of them will grow, and will some of your plants end up shading out others? You may have seen our native garden entry at the fair this summer with very closely installed plants. That was to give the effect of a mature garden. But when you are planning your garden keep the mature size of your young plant in mind, and make sure you give them enough room to grow. This way you will not end up thinning your garden as the plants fill in the spaces.
Why native plants?
· Support wildlife: There are many that fit this category and one example would be Western False Indigo, Amorpha fruticose. This shrub supports bats, butterflies and caterpillars. One attractive visiting butterfly is the Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia). It will also fit in with California Wild Rose, Rosa californica, Meadow Rue, Thalictrum fendleri, Snowdrop Bush, Styrax redivivus, Common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus, Yellow Monkeyflower, Erythranthe guttata, Western Azalea, Rhododendron occidentale, Brown Dogwood, Cornus glabrata, and Huckleberry, Vaccinum ovatum. It is naturally found from Los Angeles through the San Diego area, as well as eastern Canada, northern Mexico and throughout much of the United States. It occurs in Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, and Wetland-Riparian communities. This shrub may reach up to 15 feet tall, with purple and yellow flowers in the winter and spring. Its growth rate is moderate and it is winter deciduous, which is the best time for pruning it. It may be used as a hedge, located in full to partial sun, with slow draining soil. It is easy to care for, needing only a monthly watering once it is established. This plant, therefore, will help you conserve water, which is the same with many of our native plants including the following one.
· Save water: Many of our natives need very little water once they are established, like the Western False Indigo mentioned above. Another example of a water conserving plant would be Parry's Phacelia, Phacelia parryi, which is an annual herb. This is available as seed at CNPS plant sales. In nature, it is found in inland mountain ranges, and deserts of southern California, and Baja California. It supports bees, caterpillars and butterflies. Follow the package directions and sprinkle its seeds in locations with full sun, near perennials such as Lupinus species, Phacelia species, Clarkia species, Abronia species, California Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum, White Sage, Salvia apiana, Chinese Houses, Collinsia spp., and California Fuschia, Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium. This fast-growing annual will reward you with blue and purple flowers in the springtime. It will grow to approximately 28 inches tall by about 2 feet wide. It should be watered two times per month once established and needs medium to fast draining, sandy, rocky, or gravelly soil. Non-native annuals typically need more water to obtain the same results.
· Adapt to climate change: As our climate changes, the ranges of these species, and relationships between native fauna and flora may change. Growing these plants in your garden helps them survive these changes.
(insert quote box) “As weather extremes become a way of life, native plant landscaping gives each of us a way to improve local climate resilience and support the web of life.” (https://calscape.org/adapt-to-climate-change)
· Garden like nature: Choose native plants that grow together in the wild, and are listed on Calscape as growing in your area. For each plant listing, Calscape will show companion plants that work well together as part of a plant community. Some examples of these plant communities are Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Grasslands, Woodlands, and Forests.
(insert quote box) “The plant community that is perhaps the most closely identified with our Mediterranean climate is chaparral. It is the primary source of California's bounty of garden shrubs, including mountain mahogany, toyon, summer holly, sugar bush, and the majority of manzanitas, and ceanothus.” (https://calscape.org/garden-nature)
The CNPS Native Plant sale will have many beautiful, pollinator attracting, and drought tolerant plants to choose to take home. There will also be a good selection of seeds and bulbs, merchandise and expert advice. Partnering groups will have programs and displays. The time is from 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday, October 18. The location is the Sikes Adobe Farmstead located at 12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido, California 92025. (The farmstead will be open for free tours with a suggested donation of $3.) For more details visit: 2025 Fall Native Plant Sale - San Diego chapter - CNPS
Jubilant Trails to you, as you choose your gardening adventure, with careful planning, and waterwise nature preserving purchases of California native plants. May this event be the start, or continuance of a bold experience with native species that support our biodiversity and our health, and help create for you, a peaceful serene garden!
Susan Lewitt is a member of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), participating in their Native Gardening Committee, and their Conservation Committee.
Susan uses Wildhero - email that plants trees, and she can be reached at nativebutterflies213@gmail.com.
