Native Plants

A new year brings a new start for an extraordinary plant once thought to be extinct. Learn how our Presidio Native Plant Nursery is helping to re-establish the Franciscan manzanita—and its close relative the Raven’s manzanita—in your national park.

Our trees may not change even a hue and our weather may not get much chillier, but you can find hints of more “traditional” autumn phenomena in the Golden Gate National Parks. Save yourself the plane ticket to the Northeast, and find the fall in the national parks in your backyard.

Most of the year, we like to feature soft, picture-perfect native plants that beckon you to frolic in the parklands. But for Halloween, we’re profiling the ghoulish wild cucumber, which features some diabolically scary fruit—and a terrifying rate of growth.

Dive back into the weird world of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), as we see how nursery staff and interns are demystifying the growing process for these fascinating plants that live beneath the surface of Mountain Lake in the Presidio.

Curious about how and why we need our Native Plant Nurseries to grow plants for restoration? Check out the second installment of the “Seed to Ecosystem” podcast for insightful interviews with nursery staff and one of our star volunteers.

With our unusually dry winter, you might be wondering what you can do at home to help reduce water usage. Liz Ponzini (Manager of the Tennessee Valley Nursery) shares her expertise, and tips you can use in your own backyard!

A green lawn all year-long? Nowhere near as fascinating or entertaining as the transformation of native plants from one season to the next.

Valentine’s Day not exactly your favorite holiday? Just for you incurable curmudgeons—here’s a bouquet of plants with some less-than-romantic names that you certainly won’t be hearing about in any love sonnet.