Arboretum kicks off spring plant sale season Saturday

Not a member? It's easy to join at the gate on the day of the sale, or sign up here online.

The Teaching Nursery will be stocked with literally thousands of plants, from Salvia greggii in 3-inch pots to jujube trees in 7-gallon containers. Prices range from $5 to $86, with most 1-gallon plants in the $14 to $15 range.

Tips for shopping this huge sale:

-- Check out the online inventory ahead of time. Warning: It's big! (The Acrobat pdf is 92 pages long; the Excel version lists 899 plant varieties.) The first, largest link on the inventory page will take you to the Airtable illustrated inventory. This can be searched by name, type of plant, growing conditions, California natives, water use, etc. The Arboretum's All Stars have their own designation. 

-- When you find a plant you want to purchase, note the location, size and number of plants available. Abutilon 'Rosa Linda,' for example,  is in a 4-inch container, and can be found on Bench # C4. The nursery will have 16 of those available for $10 each.

-- On the day of the sale, arrive early! The nursery is located on Garrod Drive across from the Center for Companion Animal Health (small-animal hospital). Parking at UCD is free on weekends; park in the nearby lots or along Garrod Drive. Watch for students with flags who will be directing traffic to parking areas.

-- Bring a wagon or cart. Plants get heavy! Shoppers will line up outside the nursery before the gates open; the first ones in get first use of the nursery's carts. If you bring your own, you won't have to wait for a cart. 

-- Look for students selling native plant seeds or other items that are separate from the nursery inventory. 

-- Have a question? Look for volunteers wearing orange aprons, or visit the tables where master gardeners and other experts are stationed. Warren Roberts,  superintendent emeritus of the Arboretum, often is on site as well.

-- The line to check out gets long quickly, wrapping around the inside of the nursery, but it also moves quickly. One of the volunteers usually holds a sign indicating "End of the Line" for even more efficiency.

For more information on Arboretum plant sales, go to https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant-sales