Native Plant Extravaganzas 2026 (rain or shine!)

Note: this page is in progress! Talks are being updated; please check back.

Shop in-person on Saturday, September 12, or shop online at native plant nurseries on Saturday or Sunday September 12 or 13, and a percentage of your purchases will go to support the Tour.

Be sure to include our own, local keystone plants in your garden; they are the best for wildlife, and include:

Best plants for sunny areas: Oak, holly leaf cherry, California lilac, lupine, manzanitas, sages, sunflower, native strawberry, buckwheat, aster, coyote brush, and penstemon.

Best plants for shady areas: currant, huckleberry, wild rose, thimbleberry, ocean spray, woodland strawberry, goldenrod, aster, honeysuckle.

Shop in-person

Saturday September 12, 10:00-4:00 (rain or shine!)

Free Talks in the Nurseries

Down by the Bay Native Plant Nursery – note the Fremont location, at 38255 Blacow Road, Fremont

Talks in the Nursery

11:00 and 2:00 “Pot your own plant“ activity

Down by the Bay specializes in local native plants – particularly plants local to Hayward and surrounding cities. Most of their plants are sold in depots or conetainers. See the plant list here.

East Bay Wilds, 2777 Foothill, Oakland (the entrance is on 28^th street)

Talks in the Nursery
12:00 “Bugs make the world go round—plant for them and the birds and bees will follow” by Pete Veilleux, owner of East Bay Wilds

See East Bay Wild’s plant list here and see photos of gardens that Pete has designed and planted with natives here. While at the nursery check out the eclectic collection of garden art Pete has for sale! If you are interested in a consult, design, installation or maintenance for a California native landscape, email Pete at pete@eastbaywilds.com or call (510) 409-5858.

The Watershed Nursery Cooperative, 601 A Canal Blvd. Richmond

1:00 –

Artists in the Nursery!

All Day (10:00 am-4:00 pm): The Watershed Nursery will be hosting Coyote Brush Studio s, local artists whose lifelike watercolors, prints, stickers and more draw inspiration from California native plants and wildlife. Visit coyotebrushstudios.com to preview their offerings, and shop in person at the Nursery!

Oaktown Native Plant Nursery, 702 Channing Way, Berkeley

Talks in the Nursery

talk TBD

Join Suzanne Carter, owner of Oaktown,

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Shop online at these participating businesses on the week-end of September 12 and 13, and a percentage of your purchases will go to support the Tour
Green Thumb Works is owned by native plant landscape designer Sandra Nevala-Lee. Now available from Green Thumb are Hummingbird Hangout and Beneficial Insect Haven plant bundles, consisting of hardy, beneficial one-gallon plants for full sun to part-sunny areas. Browse Green Thumb’s online list of available plants here.

Down by the Bay, owned by garden tour host Josh Rubietta-Cheng, carries native plants that are genetically local to the East Bay—these are the best plants for wildlife: check out Down by the Bay’s plant list online.

California Native Seeds is owned by garden tour hosts Danny Galindo and Eugene Shabalyanu; check out the incredible variety of native seeds they sell. These seeds are collected from their own Castro Valley garden, which you can visit this spring on the 2026 Tour.