AAS-comm intro
Plant introductions for sustainable gardens
FIRST WAVE OF All-Stars SHIPPED TO COOPERATING NURSERIES
Staff from the UC Davis Arboretum and CCUH created this program to demonstrate the importance and beauty of environmentally friendly ornamental plants and to help establish a commercial conduit to make those plants more widely available. The All-Stars program, an educational outreach program of the UC Davis Arboretum, promotes the planting of water-conserving, heat-tolerant ornamental plants. These are both native plants and adaptable non-natives, many selected for their value to birds, beneficial insects, and other native pollinators, marketed by our commercial partners (SEE BELOW) under the label "UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars."
Filling the demand
This popular program has been met with enthusiasm by both the gardening community and the wholesale nursery industry. Arboretum plant sales have been unable to fill the demand for plants created by the All Stars educational program. Additionally, many of these plants are rare in commercial nurseries, because propagation and production techniques have not been defined or adequately disseminated. The spring 2009 launch of the All-Stars label has nurseries and the public asking for more!
See the Arboretum All-Stars web page for a list of the nurseries where the plants can be found.
Ongoing propagation trials
Ten additional species of All Star plants not available in retail nurseries are currently in the propagation testing phase with industry collaborator Takao Nursery and the UC Davis Arboretum Nursery staff. Testing will examine plants under commercial production practices for best propagation protocols.
Educational marketing materials
Arboretum staff have also developed point-of-purchase promotional information about the plants’ growing requirements, attractive features, environmental benefits, and the UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars program. These materials undergo annual revision to reflect the most current research findings.
First steps and the Future
These are the first steps in the development of a distribution program for currently unavailable environmentally friendly plants suited to inland California growing conditions. In the future the program envisions new demonstration gardens at UC Davis with programs to inform the public how to create and transition to sustainable landscapes using the All-Stars plants. Some of the plants can currently be viewed at County Cooperative Extension Demonstration Gardens throughout the state.
This program is a collaborative effort involving University staff and scientists in several departments and programs, CCUH, and the California nursery industry.
Funded by:
- Elvenia J. Slosson Endowment Fund for Ornamental Horticulture
- California Association of Nurseries Endowment for Research
- Saratoga Horticultural Endowment
Shasta County Master Gardeners Promote All-Stars
