Nurseries and Other Commercial Sources

More and more nurseries are beginning to carry native plants, and many even specialize in native plants. On the plus side, nursery plants have high survival rates, and you don't have to wait for them to grow from seed. On the minus side, some native plants may be difficult to find in a nursery and, as mentioned earlier, it may be difficult to determine whether a nursery plant truly is native.

Before buying from a nursery, look closely at the scientific name used in Appendix C (Native Plant Descriptions). If you see the abbreviation "var." (for "variety") or "ssp." (for "sub-species"), there is a particular variety or sub-species native to Western Washington. Other varieties or sub-species are probably notnative to our area.

It is best to buy varieties or sub-species native to your area, because they come closest to having the qualities of a truly native plant. If you need a particular variety or sub-species and the nursery doesn't know which it has, ask where the seeds or cuttings for the plant were collected. If the collection site is not in Western Washington, or they don't know, or they just purchased the plant from another nursery, it is probably safest to assume the nursery plant is the wrong variety or sub-species.

Because commercial collecting of whole plants from the wild can have devastating effects on plant populations, reputable nurseries that grow their own native plants do so from seed (collected from the wild or from nursery stock), from cuttings or divisions, or salvaged from development sites. However, some nurseries do collect carelessly from the wild, so ask where they got their plants.

Generally, fall is the best time to shop, because that is when most nurseries have the most stock of native plants. Look for plants that are a healthy color. Since this varies from species to species, familiarize yourself with the species you are interested in purchasing. Select plants with larger stems over those with greater height– taller plants often get that way through an infusion of fertilizers, rather than slow natural growth.

Look the plant over carefully. There should be no wounds on the stems, other than pruning scars, and no obvious signs of disease or on-going insect infestation (though a little insect damage is fine). In the fall, it is okay for dying leaves on deciduous plants to have fungus spots.

If the plant is in a container, carefully tip the plant out and look at the roots. (Don't do this with every plant: just those you are seriously interested in buying! To avoid upsetting nursery staff, you may want to ask them to do it for you.) Beware of rootbound plants with tightly packed or encircling roots. Since prices are usually based upon the container size (rather than plant size), the roots should fill the pot sufficiently to hold the dirt together. If the nursery will not allow you to look at the roots, be suspicious and shop elsewhere. If the plant is bareroot, it should have lots of small, fibrous roots, and the smaller roots should look moist and plump.

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