Surface Water Management Division
Snohomish County Native Plant Nursery
The Snohomish County Native Plant Nursery, located in Lake Stevens, cares for over 60 native plant species commonly used in riparian (streamside) restoration projects. Our average stock of 40,000 plants constantly changes in order to meet the needs of County projects that have native plantings as part of their design.
Where the Plants Come From
The Native Plant Program uses plants propagated or grown from local populations throughout the Puget Sound lowlands for Snohomish County projects. These plants arrive in a couple different forms:
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As an adaptation to living in a disturbance prone environment, some riparian plants have evolved the ability to clone themselves from plant fragments. We take advantage of this 'vegetative reproduction' by using cuttings to propagate plants from the existing vegetation on restoration sites or at the nursery to internally supplement plant stock.
The plants in the Nursery are nurtured for a year or more to allow them to build strong root systems. This improves their survival rate after being planted at a project site.
How We Keep Them Happy
Native plants live in many different conditions. To bring some of that variation into the Nursery, plants are held in nursery beds grouped by similar light and moisture requirements.
Some plant beds receive full sun while others are in covered hoop houses during the summer months to prepare them for life in the shady understory. A more natural reduction of light intensity is provided to perimeter beds by the border of native growth surrounding the nursery.
Plants are also grouped into areas where they receive moisture appropriate to their unique need. For instance, wet beds, which hold water like a pool, are used to simulate saturated soil conditions for plants adapted to life in wetlands.
To ensure the plants can put maximum energy into root growth, weeding in the nursery is done on a regular basis in order to reduce competition for light, water, and nutrients.
The plants are also fertilized enough to maintain health until they are planted and can take up the nutrition they need from the ecosystem they become a part of.
In order to build strong root systems, the plants are nurtured for a year or more at the Nursery. This healthy root system makes all the difference in survival after planting at a restoration site.
What About After the Plants Leave the Nursery?
Plants, after leaving the nursery, are monitored to provide insight to the relative success or failure of a project. This is essential for developing informed and adaptive management of our natural resources.
Projects are monitored to document plant community composition change over time at stream, wetland, and forest rehabilitation and restoration projects across the county.
The Snohomish County Surface Water Management Vegetation Monitoring Manual provides staff and volunteers a resource to help ensure consistent and high quality monitoring data.
Do You Sell Native Plants to the Public?
No, the Snohomish County Native Plant Program is not in the business of retail sales. However, there are certain circumstances under which residents in unincorporated areas of Snohomish County may qualify to receive native plants.
If you are a streamside landowner who wants help restoring streamside vegetation, are interested in creating a rain garden, or want to enhance your neighborhood Native Growth Protection Area or Critical Area Protection Area, contact your Snohomish County Watershed Steward to find out what opportunities may be available in your area.
If you are just interested in getting native plants for a landscaping project in your yard, there are a number of local nurseries that have a selection of native plants available.