WHY NATIVE?
Some Explanations to Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use native plants?
(Check out the California Native Plant Society , including the local SF chapter, websites for much, much, more)

Plants are the second step in the food chain after the sun! Plants are the foundation of our ecosystems and life on Earth since they take energy from the sun and turn it into leaves, flowers and berries, all of which feed wildlife. Since biodiversity is ultimately local, native plants are the foundation of every local native ecosystem. They support and have co-evolved with the animals with which they share their local environment.

Native plants often cost less than non-natives, initially, and over the long-term are a significant saving due to lower maintenance costs and need for plant bed replacement.

Aren’t there plenty of regular drought-tolerant plants?

Drought-tolerant plants are a good option for conserving water, but often they don’t have the same habitat value as native plants, and since they come from similar climatic zones, a significant subset which are invasive. Habitat City does not discourage drought-tolerant plants, assuming they fulfill three characteristics: 1) provide habitat, 2) are not invasive, and 3) are selected creatively for each unique situation and not the “same old thing.” Of course, we prefer and specialize in local natives for the reasons above and below.

Aren’t local natives hard to find?

They can be, but a growing movement - in response to increasing public knowledge and demand for native plants – of ecological entrepreneurs is growing and providing local natives. Current resources include:

California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Yerba Buena Chapter, annual plant sale
Haight-Ashbury Native Plant Nursery (HANC) in Golden Gate Park is the only daily resource for local San Francisco native plants.
Nature’s Acres Nursery, Sebastopol (has many SF natives)
Bay Natives, San Francisco
Watershed Nursery, Richmond (has most counties, possibly SF)

Native Here Nursery, Berkeley