The Watershed Nursery

Our August plant availability went live yesterday along with this month’s newsletter on fire-smart landscaping!
Check it out here: https://conta.cc/3YspIlu

August 2024 Plant Availability Cultivating Fire-Smart Landscapes with California Native Plants August 2024 Plant Availability View our 'currant' inventory on our website View our 'currant' inventory in spreadsheet format Greetings

California Wild Grape, or Vitis californica, is taking over our riparian tables! This fast growing, winter deciduous vine is delightful in a cottage garden setting, where it can be trained along an arbor or fence, or left to meander as a groundcover. Its bright green leaves turn yellow to orangey-red in autumn, providing beautiful fall colors against their twisty woody stems. It also makes a great large container plant–just be ready to do some pruning, shaping, or even braiding of the vines to achieve your desired shape!

Wild Grape vines can reach over 30 feet long, and their deep roots mean they require little to no irrigation once established. Plant them in a sunny spot with clay or heavy soils, and enjoy their small, fragrant flowers in spring, and sour (but edible) grapes in fall! The fruit can be used to make wine or jelly, and is loved by birds. Please note, like all grapes, the fruit of California Wild Grape is toxic to dogs. Keep an eye out for these vines the next time you’re exploring– especially along the Sacramento River, in wetland-riparian or woodland edges, where they wind their way up trees and reach for the sun in gaps of the canopy.

Indigenous Californians have stewarded California Wild Grape plants for generations, using thoughtful cutting and pruning to encourage the plant’s growth for community needs. Karuk people steam the bulbs to eat as a starchy vegetable, layered between grape leaves in an earth oven. Pomo tribe members soak the vines in water and hot ashes, remove the bark, and use the roots and vines as fiber, cordage, or thread for basket weaving and sewing, and the fruit is eaten right off the vines or cooked into preserves.

Heartleaf keckiella (Keckiella cordifolia) should be given an honored place in every CA native bird and habitat garden. Originating from the coast and coastal mountains of central and southern California into Baja California, this unique species adorns shaded slopes and oak understory with its dramatic floral display. From late spring to summer, this shrub blooms with dangling inflorescences of profuse red-orange hued tubular flowers adored by hummingbirds. These tropical-looking flowers are followed by seeds which birds can feast on.

Growing vine-like to a sprawling shrub, it thrives best in shady areas inland and full sun near the coast. Keckiella’s namesake heart-shaped leaves line arching branches that stay semi-evergreen in milder climates or go drought-deciduous in summer. Best if planted among evergreen shrubs to hide its summer dormancy. Intertwined in a spring-flowering bush such as Coffeeberry, Ribes, Chamise or Manzanita, you get double the bloom in the same spot! Heartleaf Keckiella also grows beautifully weaving against a fence, or spilling down a hillside. It is also a larval host plant for the Variable Checkerspot butterfly!

If you would like a Heartleaf keckiella of your own, stop by the nursery– we have them available in D16, and 1-gallon containers for $6.38 - $15.70 apiece.


"J20170713-0061—Keckiella cordifolia—RPBG" by John Rusk
"heartleaf keckiella" by Kylie Etter

Fragrant Pitcher Sage, or Lepechinia fragrans, is an evergreen woody perennial shrub native to the coastal Southern California Mountains and the Channel Islands. In its native habitat, this species makes itself at home in ravines and rocky slopes where it can seek a little extra moisture and shade.

Fragrant Pitcher Sage is best appreciated for what it offers each of the 5 senses:

Sight: Wands of large lavender tubular flowers adorn the shrub from Spring to Summer. These blooms are framed by purple-tinged calyx which enlarges and darkens as the flower ages.

Touch: Extremely soft wooly grey-green leaves are pleasant to the touch. Caressing or brushing by the foliage releases their signature scent.

Smell: The furry leaves emit a herbaceous, sweet spicy herbal scent, akin to a minty clary sage.

Taste: The perfumed leaves make for a refreshing iced tea or sun tea (wonderful mixed with Hummingbird Sage and Coyote Mint).

Sound: The wiry chirps of hummingbirds and buzzing bumblebees that visit the nectar rich flowers (the butterflies that visit don’t make much sound).

This 3-6’ tall and wide shrub thrives best in full sun and light shade in coastal areas, and part shade inland. A wonderful companion plant for bright shade (half-day sun) species such as Island Alum Root, Red-flowering Currant and Douglas Iris. This deer-resistant perennial is also wonderful in a large container or narrow side-yard where its perfume can be appreciated daily. Ideally, Pitcher Sage should be tip-pruned during growing season to keep a dense bushy habit.

If you would like a Fragrant Pitcher Sage of your own, stop by the nursery– we have them available in D-40, TB4, and 2-gallon containers for $8.18 - $30.25 apiece.


“Lepechinia fragrans” by peganum is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“Lepechinia fragrans at Tongva Sacred Springs native plant garden 04” by Jengod is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hiking the grasslands and meadows of Northern and Central California, you might be lucky enough to spot a colony of Narrowleaf Mule-Ears (Wyethia Angustifolia). Wyethia is a stout 1’-2’ perennial but isn’t short on showy features: sporting long lance-like leaves, large 3” bright sunflowers, followed by notable awn-shaped seeds. Growing from a tough taproot, this clumping species can form sizable colonies that survive for several decades. As well, Narrowleaf Mule-Ears are fairly deer-resistant and a formidable competitor to weedy grasses.
Rare in the nursery trade, their bright spring to summer blooming flowers add whimsy to full sun slopes, meadow-scapes and open woodland gardens. It perfectly combines with native grasses, bulbs, Milkweed (Asclepias spp.), Blue eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), CA poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and annual wildflowers such as Clarkia spp for a vibrant sea of color. Their flowers even make elegant cut flowers! An especially popular nectar plant for Field Crescent butterflies, their bloom attracts a host of butterflies, bees, and birds (Goldfinch candy!). Slow to establish, this grassland gem is well worth the wait!

If you would like a Narrowleaf Mule-Ears of your own: we have them available in D-16, D-40, and TB4 containers for $7.30 - $14.50 apiece.


“Wyethia angustifolia” by Ruff tuff cream puff is marked with CC0 1.0.

Hello lovely followers! Just popping in to let you know that we will be closed this Thursday for the 4th of July. We'll be open for our regular business hours (10am - 4pm) tomorrow 7/3 and on Friday 7/5 for all of your California native plant needs! We hope that you celebrate safely-- Happy 4th :)

Summer is in full swing over here! Our July inventory is now live and we've got a fascinating topic for the newsletter this month: Buzz pollination! Learn about this intricate adaptation for efficient pollination and get inspired to support our native bees with native plants that pack a big pollen punch!

https://conta.cc/3L7GVck

July 2024 Plant Availability Summer of Sonication: A Buzz Pollination Bash! July 2024 Plant Availability View our 'currant' inventory on our website View our 'currant' inventory in spreadsheet format Greetings Watershed, We hope

Alright folks, it’s time to talk buckwheat–no, not in your pancakes or breakfast cereal--our native buckwheats, in particular.

Today's stunning evergreen southern California coastal species is Eriogonum cinereum, or Ashyleaf buckwheat. Of the ~125 species of native buckwheats in California, Ashyleaf is notable for its especially hairy silvery-grey colored leaves and stems.

Endemic to beaches, bluffs, and coastal scrub, this sub-shrub is easy to care for, quick growing, and a host plant to the Bernardino blue butterfly! In a windy coastal habitat, it hugs closely to the ground, forming a mound 2-3 feet high, and up to 5 feet wide, but in a sheltered garden it can be a bit taller and wider.

This species can tolerate clay soil, as long as it isn’t overwatered–that means very little to no summer watering once established. If you want to prune this species, just wait until the birds have had their fill with their seedheads in the late fall, then remove any dead branches, or cut back the branch tips a few inches.

We love this species for its later season, summer to fall blooming period; those delightful tightly-packed, frilly pale pink blooms; and the excellent nectar, pollen, seed, and habitat resources they provide to pollinators and other wildlife!
Now available in our D-16 containers for $8.50 apiece!

Photos by: Alex Heyman

Good morning, sunshine! We're just here to brighten up your day with some golden blooms from around the nursery this week, and to wish you and yours a happy Father's Day! What are your favorite yellow wildflowers?
Pictured species:
Diplacus aurantiacus - Sticky Monkeyflower
Limnanthes douglasii var. sulphurea - Point Reyes Meadowfoam
Eriophyllum staechadifolium - Seaside Woolly Sunflower
Erysimum capitatum - Foothill Wallflower
Ranunculus californicus - California Buttercup
Dendromecon rigida - Bush Poppy
Eriophyllum lanatum - Common Woolly Sunflower
Erythranthe guttata - Seep Monkeyflower
Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia - Beach Primrose
Eriogonum nudum "Ella Nelson's Yellow" from seed - Ella Nelson's Yellow Buckwheat

Last fall we had the pleasure of donating a couple hundred riparian trees for the Klamath River Renewal project, and we are pleased to share some photos of our babies growing up! Pictured here are Fremont Cottonwoods (Populus fremontii) planted near Scotch Creek, a tributary to the Klamath River.

“The generous donation of hundreds of Fremont Cottonwoods is augmenting our revegetation efforts near Scotch Creek. We appreciate the participation of the Watershed Nursery in this epic restoration project.”
-Dave Meurer
Director of Community Affairs for RES (Resource Environmental Solutions)

Photos taken by Ren Brownell with KRRC (Klamath River Renewal Corporation)

Happy pride month!! Just popping in to encourage you to shop with us this Saturday, June 15th to support our donation of 100% of revenue from plants sales that day to the Oakland LGBTQ Center to support their mission of "enhancing and sustaining the well-being of le***an, gay, bisexual, transgender, and q***r (LGBTQ) individuals, our families and allies, by providing educational, social, and health related activities, programs and services."

We've got knowledgeable staff and a bounty of blooming plants available to help you create a little rainbow magic in your garden this summer 🥰🌈✨
We hope to see you then!
🌈

Looking for a not-so-alternative lawn alternative? Agrostis pallens, Thingrass, aka Seashore Bentgrass might be your best bet! This creeping cool season grass is found in coastal sand dunes, montane inland, and high montane regions of California and western North America. A real chameleon, it can tolerate foot traffic, all sun conditions, it is deer resistant, wants low moisture, and with time will form a rhizomatous turf. Leave it untrimmed for a short, meadow look, and to see it flower in late spring/early summer. Perfect for a pet-friendly patch of lawn, and best of all, it's native!

Available for $2.30 apiece in our stub-size containers!

Happy pride month, friends!

In case you missed it, our June inventory was updated on the 1st! Our June newsletter can be found at https://conta.cc/4bKjkds and covers native blooms of all colors for creating a rainbow in your garden to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride, the history of how the rainbow flag came to be the iconic symbol of the LGBTQ community, and the connection between the California native plant world and the LGBTQ community, with both having a celebration and fight to protect diversity at their core

What an exciting opportunity! Spread the word to the teen conservationists in your life!!

Calling interested incoming Alameda County high school Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. We are sponsoring a student to attend Range Camp in the beautiful Half Moon Bay, on June 16 - 21, 2024. To inquire about this very special opportunity, contact former camper himself, Owen at [email protected].

For more information visit: https://acrcd.org/

We are in peak bloom here at The Watershed Nursery! Here are some highlights of what spring has come to offer (in order from left to right):

-Fairy fans (Clarkia breweri)

-Tufted poppy (Eschscholzia caespitosa)

-Harlequin lotus (Hosackia gracilis)

-Beach primrose (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifia)

-Seep monkey flower (Erythranthe guttata)

-Red Bush monkeyflower (Diplacus puniceus)

-Red maids (Calandrinia ciliata)

-Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

-Yellow Sand verbena (Abronia latifolia)

-Mahogany Red CA poppy (Eschscholzia californica ‘Mahogany Red’)

All of these are available (among much more) from $7.30-$13.20. Come visit and take in the flowers for yourself 🌸 🌺 💐🌻!

Mother's day is this weekend, and it's time to celebrate with a gift that supports mother nature too! We've got a wide variety of native plants for all the green-thumbed mums in your life! Not so horticulturally inclined? We've got gift certificates, handmade soaps and syrups, and wildflower seed mixes! We're especially fond of the Bay Area mix, pictured here, which features a variety of annual and perennials that will bloom throughout the year--truly a gift that keeps on giving!

The second stop of our TWN field trip last week was to see part of the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project site in Oakley, which is a huge project spearheaded by the California Department of Water Resources with the goal of transforming 1,187 acres of land into tidal marsh to provide habitat for salmon and other native fish and wildlife. We got a great big welcome on our windshield from a Great Blue Heron 😂, saw a very happy sea lion in the water, and watched swallows feed their babies in nests under a bridge while we ate lunch. We closed out the day with some weeding and hacky sack 😊

Thank you so much to our River Partners and DWR friends for facilitating this visit to our plant babies!!🥰

TWN got to take a two part field trip last week to see our plant babies all grown up out in the world!
Here are some photos from our first stop, Marsh Creek in Brentwood!

We had the pleasure of conducting site-specific seed collection and the propagation of ~13,000 watershed specific riparian species for the Three Creeks Parkway Restoration Project, which was a combined effort between American Rivers, the Contra Costa Flood Control District, and Restoration Design Group. The Triangle Properties team installed the plants with loving care and has been tending them ever since! It’s so cool to see our plants in action converting this bare flood control channel into a thriving creek that supports birds, salmon, and other wildlife!

We're excited to share some donated Watershed Nursery plants in the wild--out at the Our City Forest Urban Forestry Education Center in San Jose. They're happily in the ground after a planting day on March 30th, with a great volunteer turnout, thanks to the efforts of Grassroots Ecology, Our City Forest, and the Watershed Stewards Program! In total, they planted ~200 plants in and around a bioswale at Martial Cottle Park, which remains primarily an agricultural park--hopefully this small planting area will help restore some of the local ecology and improve the health of the watershed!
Our City Forest

Did you catch our May 2024 plant availability newsletter on Monarch butterflies and some of the milkweed and nectar plants available to create habitat for them?
We answered some of our most frequently asked questions about Monarchs and invite you to join us at the first ever Bay Area Butterfly Festival on May 19th on Mare Island :)

Check it out here! https://conta.cc/3UEvWwu

Our January 2024 plant availability is now live!
This one's for Laura ❤️

https://conta.cc/47ibKDH

January 2024 Plant Availability A Tribute to Laura Hanson, Principal and Co-Founder of the Watershed Nursery January 2024 Plant Availability View our 'currant' inventory on our website View our 'currant' inventory in spreadsheet for

Happy New Year from the Watershed Nursery crew (minus a few

We wish you a very merry Christmas! We'll be closing the nursery on Christmas Eve (Sunday, 12/24) and Christmas Day (Monday 12/25) for the holidays.

If you need some last minute stocking stuffers, there's still time! We'll be open for our regular business hours (10am - 4pm) tomorrow and Saturday, and have lots of gift ideas to offer for the California native plants lovers that you want to get something special for! Our friend and former employee Karadi of ShakeWell Herbalism makes incredible soaps with locally, sustainably sourced ingredients (including an exciting new flavor with lemon, orange, cinnamon, and almond!) and elderberry syrup to support the immune system! As always, we also have gift certificates and California native wildflower seed packets.

Species showcase...Oenothera elata spp. hookeri, or Ho**er's evening primrose!
This stunning biennial is one of the largest and showiest of the evening-primroses, which tend to bloom in summer and fall, around late afternoon or dusk. Named for botanist and prolific writer William James Ho**er, this species heavily reseeds when planted in its preferred conditions--sandy, somewhat moist to coastal soils. We love it for its showy flowers, soft leaves, the first year's dramatic basal rosette, and how it supports bees, butterflies, moths, and birds as a nectar, pollen, and seed source!
Stop by the nursery and pick one up in our 4", TB2, D-16, or 1-gallon size containers, ranging from $4.95-$14.50!

Looking for unique gift ideas this holiday season? We've got you covered!

Thanks for visiting!!! 💚

Our December 2023 plant availability is now live! This month’s newsletter highlights the year-round beauty of some of our favorite deciduous shrubs and trees that go dormant in December. We hope you enjoy and feel inspired to incorporate some remarkable deciduous species into your garden this winter ❤️ Plus, check out the bottom of the newsletter for some gift ideas for the native plant nerd in your life 😏

Read it here: https://conta.cc/3Gqt9is

Hi all! Just a heads up that we will be closed Thursday (11/23) for Thanksgiving and Friday (11/24) for Native American Heritage Day. Our regular business hours (10am - 4pm) will resume on Saturday (11/25). We will donate 100% of our proceeds from plant sales on Saturday to the Sogorea Te' Land Trust in support of their work of Rematriation: returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people. If you decide to shop on Saturday, we hope you'll stop by in support of this donation!

This week's plant of the week…Abronia latifolia, or Yellow Sand Verbena!

Our new sales associate, Andrew, was enchanted by this plant when he saw it crawling across sand dunes on a hike at Point Reyes. This creeping ground cover has sweetly-scented yellow flowers that are tightly grouped in a charming hemisphere. It's the larval host of four moths including the preciously named yellow wooly bear moth. Also, the root, which can grow quite large and help stabilize dunes, is a cultural food of the Klallam and Makah tribes of the Olympic Peninsula.
Growing six inches tall and up to seven feet wide, it is tolerant; salt, coastal winds, and fog are no match for this dune denizen! That said, in garden settings, it needs sandy conditions and is particular with watering--not too much and not too little. Experiment growing it in a pot with cactus mix and be the only one on your block with this charmer.

Now available in Rose Pots and 1 gallon containers for $1.65-$13.20 apiece.
plants

November 2023 Plant Availability Ohlone ethnobotanical uses of California native plants November 2023 Plant Availability View our 'currant' inventory on our website View our 'currant' inventory in spreadsheet format Greetings Laura,