SAVE WATER, WILDLIFE, AND OUR PLANET!

Habitat destruction is the number one cause of extinction and species decline. You can help save local wildlife by planting your yard, balcony, and patio with local native plants! The bees, butterflies, and birds will thank you by visiting your home and sharing their beauty with you.

More Reasons to Grow Native

Download our “Why Grow Native?” Poster.

How To Grow Native!

Listed below are resources that will guide you in transforming your yard, patio or balcony into a beautiful, sustainable, native garden and thriving wildlife habitat.

Key Guides:
DIY Native Garden Guide &
Watering and Design Guide!

Planning Your Garden

  • Assess your space, make a drawing of the available area. You don’t need to do your whole yard at once, you can do one section at a time if that’s more manageable.

  • Figure out how many hours of sun each area gets, what areas are sloped, and where water runs.

  • Make your goal to have 70% native plant cover (or more) to maximize benefits to wildlife. This means you can still have a few non-native favorites or a veggie garden! Try to keep them separate so watering is easier. Ideally, you also want 70-80% evergreen plants.

Soil and Drainage

  • Not sure what kind of soil do you have? Follow these instructions to find out.

  • Before picking your plants, do a drainage test to learn what type of drainage you have. Dig a hole about 1 foot deep. Fill with water and allow it to drain completely. Immediately refill the hole and measure the depth of the water with a ruler. After 15 minutes, measure the drop in water in inches, and multiply by 4 to calculate how much water drains in an hour.

    • Less than 1 inch per hour is poor drainage, and plants that don’t tolerate poor drainage will suffer. Look for indicators such as “tolerates clay” on plant descriptions to know which plants will work in poor-draining soils.

    • One to six inches of drainage per hour is well-draining. Soils that drain faster than six inches per hour are fast-draining.

  • If your soil is a brick, follow this guide from LA County to repair your soil.

Preparing Your Site

  • Remove weeds first!

  • Install your irrigation, if you plan to have drip or some other type of system.

  • Control for erosion on slopes if needed.

  • DO NOT fertilize your soil! If you have compact soil you can add gypsum, compost, and/or worm castings, plus lots and lots of mulch to bring the soil back to life!

Designing Your Garden

Choosing Your Plants

Find Local Native Plants

Friends of Ballona Wetlands Helpful Lists

Theodore Payne Foundation Guides & Lists

Installing Your Garden

  • Planting in the fall is best, followed by winter, then spring. Summer is a difficult time to establish a native garden and requires more water, so it is not recommended.

  • Follow the DIY guide instructions for planting and watering your new garden!

How To Videos

Don’t Plant These Invasives

  • Just because they are sold at a Nursery, doesn’t mean you should plant it in your yard. Read more about invasive weeds here.

    • Periwinkle, Vinca Major

    • Cape Ivy, Delairea odorata

    • Spanish Broom, Spartium junceum

    • Fountain Grass, Pennisetum setaceum

    • Pampas Grass, Cortaderia jubata

    • Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altisissima

    • Sweet Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare

    • Myoporum, Myoporum laetum

    • Giant Reed, Arundo donax

    • Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum

    • Onionweed, Asphodelus fistulosus

    • Carnation Spurge, Euphorbia terracina

    • Perennial Pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium

    • Tree Tobacco, Nicotiana glauca

    • Harding Grass, Phalaris aquatica

    • Castor Bean, Ricinis communis

    • Umbrella Sadge, Cyperus involucratus

 
 
 
Grow Native logo

Where to Buy Native Plants:

International Garden Center
155 North Pacific Coast Highway,
El Segundo, CA 90245
*Also has mulch and bird feeders

C & S Nursery
3615 Hauser Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
*Great prices

Theodore Payne Foundation
10459 Tuxford Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
*Great signage for beginners & offers classes

Matilija Nursery
8225 Waters Road
Moorpark, CA 93021
*Great prices

California Botanical Garden
1500 N College Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711
*Has special events and classes

Las Pilitas Nursery
3232 Las Pilitas Road
Santa Margarita, CA 93453
*Order online for delivery

Tree of Life Nursery
33201 Ortega Highway
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
*Order online for delivery. Minimums apply.

Huhamongna Nursery
4550 Oak Groove Drive,
Pasadena, CA 91103
(Service area near the northwest corner of Hahamongna Watershed Park)

Explore Demonstration Native Gardens at these Locations:

Ballona Discovery Park, Playa Vista
California Botanical Garden, Claremont
Legacy Park, Malibu
Theodore Payne Foundation, Sunland
Tree of Life Nursery, San Juan Capistrano
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, SB
Stoneview Nature Center, Culver City
UCLA Botanical Garden, West Los Angeles

View sample gardens online from the CA Native Plant Society Garden Ambassadors.

Join Us at Our Next Event:

Calendar
Grow Native! Gardening Club
Nov 12
Grow Native! Gardening Club

Roll up your sleeves to help beautify Ballona Discovery Park!

Grow Native! On the Road!

Host your own Grow Native! Event at your home or community space! Monday - Friday. We bring the plants, pots, soil, and supplies! For more information, please contact Neysa at neysaf@ballonafriends.org.

Learn From Others

  • LADWP CA-friendly landscape classes (Free).

  • Theodore Payne Foundation Native Plant classes ($).

  • LA Biodiversity Guidelines

Earn a LADWP REBATE for replacing your lawn!

This list is intended for referrals only and does not imply endorsement. FBW is not responsible for the practices of outside professionals.