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Biggest Arboretum plant sale of fall is this Saturday

Expect a huge selection, including many California natives

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Kathy Morrison PUBLISHED OCT 16, 2025

'Ray Hartman' ceanothus is a California native and an Arboretum All-Star. Look for others marked like this at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery. Kathy Morrison

The second of the three fall plant sales scheduled at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This is the big one. This sale is open to the public all four hours, and will have the largest selection of plants.

These include the newly revised Arboretum All-Stars list -- 130 climate-ready, resilient plants that do well here -- and hundreds of California native plants. You want narrow-leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)? It's in the inventory. Ceanothus? There are 17 varieties listed. Also California fuchsia, Western redbud, silver bush lupine and a personal favorite, Ithuriel's spear. Even valley oaks, in various size containers.

Friends of the Arboretum get a 10% discount on plants; join at the gate and get a $10 coupon to use on plant purchases.

Make sure to study the inventory list before shopping. If you have one, bring a cart or wagon -- you'll be able to skip the wait to use the nursery's wagons.

More information on the plant sales and Friends of the Arboretum can be found here: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant-sales There’s a link on the page to the nursery map, too, to guide shoppers through the plant tables.

The Arboretum Teaching Nursery is located on Garrod Drive near the Small Animal Veterinary Hospital on the UC Davis campus. Parking is free on weekends. Look for the student volunteers stationed at corners who can direct shoppers to parking.

And if your Saturday is too busy to go plant shopping this time, note that the Arboretum's clearance sale will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, also from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Keywords:

UC Davis UC Davis Arboretum plant sale native plants California natives fall October autumn fall planting Yolo County Sacramento gardening

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Flowers in My Back Yard Series

Sept. 29: Pineapple sage is a fall bright spot

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June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden

June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners

June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)

June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself

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May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?

May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs

May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power

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May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend

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Garden checklist for week of Oct. 4

* October is the best month to plant perennials in our area. Add a little well-aged compost and bone meal to the planting hole, but hold off on other fertilizers until spring. Keep the transplants well-watered (but not wet) for the first month as they become settled.

* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.

* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas. Plant garlic and onions.

* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.

* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.

* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.

* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.

* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.

* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash.

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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