This session will dive into why it can be hard to find native plants in nurseries, and how the critical intersections of partnerships, policy, and industry alignment is needed to scale up native plant and seed use across California.
SESSION CHAIRS Krista Guerrero1, Timothy Becker2
1Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States. 2Theodore Payne Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Krista Guerrero
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
A Southern California native, Krista Guerrero has over 20 years of experience in the drinking water industry. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida. She began her career as a hydrogeologist for the South Florida Water Management District, where she worked on water use and conservation issues. She has worked on a range of issues, including source water protection, stormwater management, water efficiency, water quality, and water resource policy and management. She specializes in outdoor conservation and water policy, currently managing several outdoor efficiency programs for the Metropolitan Water District while also assisting in the development of state and federal water regulations and legislation.
Timothy Becker
Theodore Payne Foundation
Tim Becker is the Director of Horticulture at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, where he oversees plant production, nursery operations, and horticultural education focused on California native plants. With a background in Environmental Studies and Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz, he brings expertise in sustainable landscape practices and ecological horticulture. Through his work, he leads efforts to promote biodiversity, natural resource conservation, and habitat restoration.
28.1 Growing Capacity: Expanding Regional Native Plant Supply Through Partnerships
Tim Becker
Theodore Payne Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Description The Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) is expanding access to native plants by building strategic alliances and leveraging its horticultural expertise. Through these efforts, we help NGOs, government agencies, and community partners scale up production and make native plants more widely available.
In partnership with the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles’ Montecito Heights neighborhood, the Foundation operates Los Nogales Nursery, a public-facing nursery that offers watershed-specific, regionally appropriate plants. This collaboration supplies residents with the plants they need while demonstrating how partnerships can translate into direct benefits for the community.
Currently we are working with LA County Parks and Recreation to develop a new Wildfire Recovery Center. This project will expand the supply of plants for Eaton Canyon Nature Center and other disturbed landscapes. TPF is providing technical expertise to MLA Studios and the County to design and manage a nursery capable of producing enough plant material for long-term mitigation and recovery.
We are also growing thousands of plants for projects with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy, including the Bowtie Yard restoration in Los Angeles. Here, locally sourced propagules are being propagated to reconnect the site with its ecological and cultural roots.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate how collaboration turns scarcity into abundance for native plants. Yet significant challenges remain: restrictive zoning, limited land access, industry resistance, and a shortage of meaningful budgets and trained staff continue to slow progress. Overcoming these barriers is essential to meeting rising demand and building a more resilient future.
Presenter Bios
Timothy Becker
Theodore Payne Foundation
Tim Becker is the Director of Horticulture at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, where he oversees plant production, nursery operations, and horticultural education focused on California native plants. With a background in Environmental Studies and Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz, he brings expertise in sustainable landscape practices and ecological horticulture. Through his work, he leads efforts to promote biodiversity, natural resource conservation, and habitat restoration.
28.2 Population Genetics of Lupinus Emphasize the Need to Consider How we Define "Native Plant" in Horticulture and Restoration
Aspen Workman1,2, Dr. Susan Fawcett3,4, Dr. Eleanor Pardini5, Lorraine S Parsons6, Dr. Tiffany M Knight7,4, Dr. Walter Durka8,2
1Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, ST, Germany. 2German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, SN, Germany. 3University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States. 4National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalāheo, HI, United States. 5Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States. 6Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, CA, United States. 7Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, SN, Germany. 8Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, ST, Germany
Description Use of native plants in horticultural plantings benefits landowners and local native ecosystems alike. Because native plants are adapted to local soils and climate, they require less maintenance, conserve water and benefit wildlife. Legislation like California’s Assembly Bill 1573, proposed in 2023 to mandate the planting of native plants in nonresidential developments, could increase ecological benefits and promote native plants by building capacity and stimulating greater economic demand. However, AB 1573 never reached a Senate floor vote following extensive gutting of the definition of “native plant.” But even the most specific definition in early drafts of AB 1573 were not ambitious enough, and future legislation must aim higher to consider the impacts of horticultural decisions on wild populations of plants. We use population genetic analyses of the taxonomically complex genus Lupinus to exemplify the consequences of well-intentioned plantings of native species on their wild populations, such as novel hybridization events and genetic homogenization resulting in permanent loss of diversity. Furthermore, we show how current taxonomic understanding of species delimitations can mask cryptic taxa within the same ecological region, such as the Jepson regions cited in early versions of AB 1573. Thus, checklists of native species may not accurately reflect the true taxonomic diversity at the local scale. Through these examples, we propose considerations for defining “native plant” in future legislation and call for further population genetic analyses, especially for species of conservation concern, to increase understanding of their status and avert irreversible harm from even well-intentioned horticultural decisions.
Presenter Bios
Aspen Workman
Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Aspen Workman is a second-year PhD student at Martin-Luther University in Halle, Germany. Their work in the field of plant population ecology aims to support land managers in the conservation of rare plant species through the assessment of their demographic and genetic status in situ. Aspen contributes to the long-term monitoring of an endangered species at Point Reyes National Seashore every June and they are deeply inspired by the hard work exhibited by Californians to conserve the incredible floristic diversity of this state.
28.3 Native Street Trees for Los Angeles: Four Pilot Projects to Support Biodiversity in the Urban Environment
Charles Miller
Los Angeles Climate Reality Project, Los Angeles, CA, United States. CNPS - Los Angeles / Santa Monica Mountains Chapter, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Description Native species trees offer all the benefits of canopy to our urban environment; shade cooling for pedestrians, beautification, mitigation of urban heat island effect, but they also provide unparalleled support for biodiversity, evolutionary adaptation to local precipitation patterns, and a sense of geographical and cultural identity no non-native tree can supply. Why is it then that most municipalities in California continue to primarily plant the same 30 species of exotic trees used around the world for urban forests?
This presentation will explore the resistance to California native species as street trees, the challenges, both real and imagined, they face in adoption, and the Los Angeles Community Forest Advisory Committee’s (CFAC) creation of four pilot projects in Los Angeles planting native street trees. We will cover the obstacles the pilot projects have faced and how advocacy and coalition building has overcome them. Years prior to planting, CFAC began the process by putting together a list of over 90 native species that have potential as urban street trees. This list has been vetted by a group of experts and challenges the scientifically unsupported argument that California lacks sufficient native species options for a thriving urban forest. Three years into the endeavor, three of the four projects are now planted, resulting in several dozen native trees installed in some of the more challenging planting circumstances for urban environments. The list of native species features a number of trees with great potential for expanded horticultural use.
Presenter Bios
Charles Miller
Los Angeles Climate Reality Project
Charles Miller is Chair of the Los Angeles Climate Reality Project. His decades in environmental advocacy have included an emphasis on biodiversity. A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate and certified native plant landscaper, his training includes a sustainability education from University of California, Los Angeles. He created the advocacy organization, LA Native, which promotes biodiversity through native landscaping on behalf of over 30 stakeholder groups. Miller is on the Board of Directors of Westwood Greenway and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance while also serving appointments to the LA County Metro Sustainability Council and the LA Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC). He is active with the Palms Neighborhood Council where he founded and serves as chair of the Green Committee. His background includes an MA in Cinema Production from University of Southern California and work as a globally represented and exhibited fine art photographer.
28.4 Scaling-up Success: What We’ve Learned Training Conventional Landscapers in Care, Construction, and Design of California Native Landscapes
Scott Kleinrock
Chino Basin Water Conservation District, Montclair, CA, United States
Description Despite common perceptions among native plant enthusiasts, many conventional landscape professionals are interested in learning how to care for and facilitate thriving native landscapes.
Staff at Chino Basin Water Conservation District have been actively teaching landscapers from large and small private companies, municipalities, school districts, and colleges best practices for working with California native landscapes, adapting messaging and content to meet the specific needs of these audiences.
This presentation will focus on what we have learned and now see to be best practices in productively engaging this vital sector for increasing the scale and success of built native landscapes.
Lessons covered will include the following: Capturing interest: making the case for why they should care about built native landscapes; How to meet conventional landscapers “where they are” to effectively teach native landscape horticulture; The importance of teaching within an acknowledged context of time and labor constraints placed on the conventional landscape industry; Providing tools for plant identification; Teaching hand pruning to audiences with varying experience levels and learning styles; Building capacity for DIY planting design success through providing templates appropriate for commercial landscapes; Teaching practical irrigation management that scales to the realities of commercial landscape operations; Building confidence with troubleshooting and “getting ahead” of landscape problems inherited from issues with planting or irrigation design; and Empowering conventional landscapers to “make the case” for native plants to commercial, institutional, and public agency stakeholders.
Presenter Bios
Scott Kleinrock
Chino Basin Water Conservation District
Scott Kleinrock has been working at the intersection of landscape maintenance and design for the last 20 years. He is currently the Conservation Programs Manager at Chino Basin Water Conservation District where he leads a team providing education, training, online resources, and a public demonstration garden to community members and landscape professionals in Southern California using a “California native species first” approach. He has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Cal Poly Pomona and was previously the Landscape Design and Planning Coordinator at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.
28.5 Water-Wise, Wildlife, and Wallet Friendly Large Landscapes: The Top Five List!
Julie Schrock1, Emyle Rogers2, Brandon Burgess3, Cody Henderson4, Elizabeth Wallace5
1Moulton Niguel Water District, Laguna Hills, CA, United States. 2City of Oceanside, Oceanside, CA, United States. 3Chino Basin Water Conservation District, Chino, CA, United States. 4Andre Landscape, Azusa, CA, United States. 5Orange County California Native Plant Society Chapter, Irvine, CA, United States
Description California native plants are gaining momentum as a resilient, low-water, and ecologically beneficial solution for commercial, government agency, public, and HOA landscapes where traditional landscapes using water-thirsty turf or boring industry-standard bulletproof plants have dominated for years (rhaphs and pitts, ewwwww!). Despite growing interest in California native plant palettes for larger-scale landscapes, many landscape professionals and CNPS community advocates still face uncertainty around how to design, install, and maintain California native plant palettes in large, highly visible settings.
Join our expert plant nerds from the water, design, irrigation, environmental science, and landscape maintenance industries as they share their top tips and practical insights for making California native installations thrive in the built environment. Panelists will share lessons learned from their own work with California native plants and trees in large landscape installations.
Whether you're a resident, water agency professional, landscape designer, HOA manager, or community leader, you’ll come away with inspiration and actionable takeaways to support thriving California native landscapes in your next project.
Presenter Bios
Julie Schrock
Moulton Niguel Water District
Julie Schrock is a Landscape Architect passionate about creating joyful, practical, and water-wise solutions in urban environments. During her decades as a designer, horticulturist, and arborist, she has managed complex projects for clients including HOAs, Cities, and residents throughout Southern California. She is most proud to have led high-performing, cohesive teams and mentored junior staff to achieve their professional goals. Her work as a Senior Water Efficiency Specialist at Moulton Niguel Water District blends her technical expertise with a deep commitment to education, environmental stewardship, and people-centered design. She believes in transforming the world through small, intentional acts of goodness one landscape at a time.
Emyle Rogers
City of Oceanside
With a background in graphic design and fine arts, Emyle Rogers brings a creative and thoughtful approach to public engagement and environmental communication. They currently serve as a Water Efficiency Representative for City of Oceanside, combining visual storytelling with a growing passion for plant science, water conservation, and ethnobotany. Emyle’s professional experience spans customer service, community outreach, and content creation across digital and in-person platforms. They are driven by curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Brandon Burgess
Chino Basin Water Conservation District
Brandon Burgess is a highly experienced irrigation and landscape professional with a strong background in hands-on training, field supervision, and public education. Currently serving Chino Basin Water Conservation District as a Conservation Technician II, Brandon’s expertise in tree care, irrigation system repair, and sustainable landscape management reflects a deep commitment to water efficiency, safety, and advancing best practices in the green industry. As a former instructor at Irrigator Technical School, Brandon has trained hundreds of students across multiple state-certified programs, combining his technical knowledge with engaging live demonstrations and presentations.
Cody Henderson
Andre Landscape
Cody Henderson is a Certified Arborist with over a decade of experience in the horticulture and landscape industry, ranging from urban gardening to large-scale commercial maintenance. His passion for California native plants and sustainable tree care has guided their work across Orange and San Diego Counties, where he supports environmentally responsible landscape practices for commercial properties and HOAs. In his current role as Arbor Care Estimator and Business Developer, he combines technical expertise with strategic insight to promote healthy, resilient urban landscapes. Cody’s career reflects a deep-rooted commitment to ecological stewardship and practical, long-term solutions.
Elizabeth Wallace
Orange County California Native Plant Society Chapter
Elizabeth serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS), where she previously contributed as Newsletter Editor, Recording Secretary, and co-led successful campaigns distributing 2,000 buckwheat and 2,000 sage plants to local homeowners. A lifelong advocate for California native flora, her environmental passion began after relocating from Iowa and studying Natural History, Biology, and Environmental Science, which inspired her to act as a community organizer to protect local landscapes. She spearheaded the creation of Vera’s Gardens—a thriving native plant sanctuary at a rehabilitative site for women—leading volunteer efforts and promoting healing through nature-based community work. Actively engaged in HOA landscape leadership and invasive species mapping, Elizabeth also authors a blog on native gardening and has developed a native plant coloring book.
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!
Giant Sequoia
Special thanks to Esri, our 3-time Giant Sequoia Sponsor, for making this movement stronger than ever!
The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to protect California’s native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy.
DateSaturday, February 7
