Blog

Mini Interview with Mike Monterusso, Former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum PRE Screener

February 20, 2018

During the time of our interviews, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Mike Monterusso was in the process of assuming the Executive Director role at the Alaska Botanical Garden. For this reason, our interview with Mike is brief, though we are pleased to share. PlantRight: What would you like the regional horticulture community to know about your PRE…Read more

Plant nursery

PlantRight Takes Time Out on Survey in 2018

February 1, 2018

Last year marked the 8th year of PlantRight’s annual Spring Nursery Survey, and thanks to a large number of UC Master Gardener volunteers, as well as volunteers from other organizations, it was a huge success! The UC Master Gardener Program and its volunteers have been a key partner since the inception of the survey in 2010, and…Read more

Homepage

Welcome to the New PlantRight Website!

August 11, 2017

A website, like any landscaped area, requires good design and continued maintenance, and there may come a time when you need to start over. That’s pretty much what we’ve done with the PlantRight website, which now has even more information to help Californians plant right, and some great new features. Responsive Design and Mobile Friendly…Read more

Pond with water lilies and pickerel weed

Responsible Water Gardening

July 21, 2017

Water gardening is popular because ponds and fountains can bring beauty, relaxation and wildlife to your backyard. But the more we bring in water plants for these features, the more risk we run of introducing invasive aquatic plants into local creeks and streams. Some of the aquatic plants commonly available online and through local nurseries…Read more

Plant Foundry signs

Introducing Our 6 Newest Retail Nursery Partners

December 21, 2016

Buy Right, just one of the ways you can Plant Right: Here are some of our newest retail nursery partners — in order from the date they became an official partner. Check out PlantRight’s Nursery Partner Directory for other Retail Nursery Partners near you. 1. High Country Nursery Anza, CA High County Nursery has been around since 1971,…Read more

Survey volunteer with pampas grass

Where invasive plants are sold in California — and how we know

October 7, 2016

This past spring, they were all over California. With clipboards, cameras, and data sheets in hand, they were searching at a nursery or garden center near you — for invasive plants. The nursery survey is how we measure what is happening in California’s retail nursery industry, and none of it would happen without our survey volunteers. This…Read more

Julia Morgan Building at the UC Botanic Garden at Berkeley

The Fellowship of the Plants

August 12, 2016

On a chilly, foggy morning, typical for summer in the Bay Area, we prepared for our annual Steering Committee meeting in cozy Julia Morgan Hall at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, surrounded by trees and plants from all over the world. As the meeting’s start time approached, members of a group almost as diverse as…Read more

Highway iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) close up flowers

Little Less Conversation, Little More Action

February 21, 2016

By Jan Merryweather I saw Elvis today. Really! He’s quite the regular at Sustainable Conservation’s San Francisco headquarters these days. More than a titan among musical icons “The King” has become a muse to the PlantRight team, especially this National Invasive Species Awareness Week. We love Elvis’ A Little Less Conversation because it might as…Read more

Pampas grass

Plant experts hope for a drought of invasives in ‘water-wise’ yards

July 3, 2015

Many Californians appear to be taking up Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for the removal of 50 million square feet of lawn energetically and enthusiastically. But all that energy may be misplaced: As homeowners and businesses seek out drought-tolerant, low-water plants at local nurseries and big-box garden departments, they may unwittingly be picking up invasive plants…Read more

Mexican feathergrass (Stipa/Nassella tenuissima)

Seeds: PlantRight tries to stop escaped thugs

June 26, 2015

They’re usually gorgeous; that’s the start of the problem. They grow easily and often freely, propagating offspring effortlessly. With a little water and time, they really do take over. And that’s when a beautiful ornamental plant becomes an invasive thug… Read the full article by Debbie Arrington in The Sacramento Bee Home & Garden section…Read more

PlantRight, Home Depot Team Up to Stem Sale of Invasive Plants

May 4, 2015

We’re excited to announce that PlantRight has secured key corporate commitments in promoting safe, non-invasive plants to benefit the state’s environment and people. Topping the list of industry partners are more than 200 The Home Depot stores in California. Using PlantRight’s invasive-plant list as a guide, The Home Depot will begin the process of phasing…Read more

Don’t Be Fooled by Unwise Water-Wise Plant Choices

April 21, 2015

California’s drought crisis is driving low-water landscaping: lawns are coming out, xeriscaping is going in. Fortunately, water agencies, nurseries, garden media and our friends at Save Our Water are all promoting drought-tolerant plant lists to guide purchasing decisions and reduce water usage. Unfortunately, in this rush for water conservation, invasive plants are creeping onto some…Read more