California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
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protect wildlife. If you grow vegetables, natives will attract
beneficial insects to both pollinate and protect your veggies.
(I have many fewer aphids since I planted native goldenrod,
which attracts predatory soldier beetles.) To this I’ll add my
own observation: it’s cheaper. I’m a dedicated tightwad, and
I’ve found that native plants are much less likely to die on
me, which means than I don’t have to spend money replacing
them.
About a decade ago, I heeded those water managers and
removed my large front lawn, replacing it with shrubs and
perennials. I had some gorgeous (non-native) verbenas,
which produced scads of pink blossoms for two years – until
they were claimed by a January cold-snap. Indeed, winter
has claimed a lot of victims, even among plants that were
supposedly cold-hardy. Natives are not only drought tolerant,
they’re tolerant of the 20 degree nighttime temperatures my
neighborhood gets occasionally.
Even if the big box stores don’t stock natives, it seems like
you should be able to just pull over to the side of the road
and grab a shovel out of the trunk. I discourage this, and
not just because the police might drive by and think you’re
disposing of a body. Mostly, it’s because any roadside plants
you dig up probably won’t be natives. Just as indigenous
plants are missing from our gardens, they’re largely missing
from our wilderness areas, too – at least the smaller species.
Aside from the notorious eucalyptus, most of the trees you
find growing in our parks and protected watersheds – live
oaks, bay laurels, and buckeyes – belong here. The same is
true of large shrubs like manzanita, sticky monkeyflower
and coyote brush. However, most of the grasses that cover
the east bay hillsides are introduced Mediterranean species.
The same is true of smaller flowering plants (what botanists
term herbaceous annuals and perennials). Native lupines and
our beloved state flower, the California golden poppy, are
plentiful, but most other common spring wildflowers - yellow
mustard, purple vetch, and white radish – are invaders. Other
natives are out there, but they’re few and hard to find.
Where, then, does one acquire native plants? There are
basically two sources: specialized native plant nurseries, and
plant sales by local nonprofits. We’re fortunate enough to have
several of each in or convenient to west Contra Costa.
The first nursery that must be mentioned is Annie’s
Annuals and Perennials, located at 740 Market Avenue in
Richmond (anniesannuals.com). The place covers a couple
of acres, and you can literally spend hours wandering around
looking at their amazing selection. The sense of wonder I
felt visiting Annie’s the first time is rivaled only by the awe
I felt when, as a ten-year-old boy, I walked into my first
comic book store. They carry more than just California
natives, but even if you ignore the non-natives, their variety
probably exceeds any other nursery I’ve visited. Just two small
caveats: Virtually all of Annie’s inventory is in 4” pots, so if
you’re looking for shrubs or anything large, you’ll need to
be patient, and even annuals may not be ready for transplant.
Also, Annie’s Annuals is at the higher end, price-wise. It costs
nothing to go and look, though – assuming you can leave
without seeing something you absolutely have to buy.
An alternative, which carries exclusively native plants, is
the Watershed Nursery at 601-A Canal Blvd. in Point
Richmond (watershednursery.com). Their selection is less
impressive than Annie’s, but your money will go further. The
only negative is that the place is bit hard to find. They have a