The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum will hold its annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 10, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Eucalyptus Grove on High Street near the intersection of Western Drive. Held in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society, the sale opens early (from 10 a.m. to noon) for members of either organization. Memberships will be on sale at the gate.
Fall is a great time to get new plantings established in the garden. The days are getting shorter, soil and air temperatures begin to cool down, and the rainy season is about to begin. At this year's Fall Plant Sale, the Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz Water Districts will be providing information on how to get rebates for replacing lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping. Ecology Action will also have a table at the event.
The sale will feature drought-tolerant and unusual plants from California, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Plants from the Arboretum's renowned collections have been grown for the sale, and many of them may not be readily available in nurseries. Knowledgeable Arboretum staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.
Among the highlights of this year's sale is the Island Bush Poppy (Dendromecon hardfordii), a large, open evergreen shrub native to the Channel Islands. It is drought tolerant, grows ten or more feet tall and wide, and has large, bright yellow, saucer-shaped flowers.
A large selection of Australian Banksias will be available, including Banksia baueri (a.k.a. 'Teddy Bear Banksia'), with large ten- by six-inch cylindrical flower heads, and Banksia grandis, a small specimen tree with large, bright yellow candle flowers. Other featured plants include Tetratheca 'Amethyst Eyes,' Pultenaea villosa 'Butterscotch,' Leucospermum 'Firewheel,' and Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike.'
An extensive list of plants being offered for sale will be available after October 1 on the Arboretum's web site. Plant sales and memberships benefit the Arboretum's conservation and education programs.
For more information about the sale, contact the UCSC Arboretum at (831) 427-2998 or visit the Arboretum's web site or Facebook page. The Arboretum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Norrie's Gifts is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
