The SER-UW Native Plant Nursery is a student-led operation that houses several thousand individual plants and nearly one hundred different species native to the Puget Sound.
Our missions are:
- To provide a local source of sustainably grown native plants for our community
- To educate students and our community on ecological restoration and native plants
- To continue to improve our practices through active research and collaboration with student and community partners
Since our establishment in 2013, the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery has raised thousands of plants for various on- and off-campus restoration sites. Located at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture, our nursery is uniquely positioned to research and educate about native plant production. Our philosophy for growing plants is focused around the principles of restoration and ecological horticulture, shaping everything from how we harvest and source seeds to when we decide plants are ready for sale. Learn more about our commitment to these ideologies below!
Ecological horticulture means growing plants for the benefit of the entire ecosystem. Our management strategies center around encouraging species interactions, preparing plants for independence, and low environmental impacts.
Encouraging species interactions – Our nursery grows local native plants, species that have evolved to interact with the local wildlife, providing excellent food and shelter. As part of our IPM practices, we attract pest predators to help us deal with aphids and thrips. Further, we avoid harsh chemicals like systemic insecticides that can harm visiting pollinators.
Preparing plants for independence – We focus on the health of a plant, rather than its appearance. This means we don’t spoil the plants by over-watering or over-fertilizing the plants. We always harden plants before out planting and prioritize below-ground strength rather than above-ground aesthetics.
Low environmental impacts – Our mission is to provide a local source of sustainably grown native plants. Nearly all of our management practices are organic, such as our compost and our use of neem oil. We employ IPM to ensure our plants are pest-free without harming the larger ecosystem. We also ensure we’re preserving genetic diversity by growing a majority of our plants from seed rather than vegetative propagation.
The SER-UW Native Plant Nursery aims to advance native plant production and interest with a unique combination of research, education, and outreach. By providing resources for both growers and gardeners, we hope to encourage native plant propagation and planting.
Since 2019, the nursery team has been recording detailed methods for stratification, scarification, and germination rates for a wide range of species. In the Fall of 2022, we also began tracking the duration of growth phases. It is our goal to synthesize and publish our findings soon.
Our Nursery Internship serves not only as an opportunity for UW students to gain hands-on experience with native plant production but also acts as an opportunity for our nursery to produce educational content. Check out our Internship Projects tab!
We also collaborate with UWBG Adult Education to deliver educational programming to community members. See UWBG’s upcoming course here.
Our nursery is powered by enthusiastic student and community volunteers. Every quarter, dozens of UW students & local community members enjoy participating in volunteer work parties held at the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery, where they learn about general horticultural practices and the value of native plants in urban and wild landscapes. Check out our “Get Involved” tab to learn more!
Connect with us!
Email us at sernursery@gmail.com
Beyond producing plants for restoration sites, the SER-UW Native Plant Nursery hosts two annual public plant sales, one in the spring and one in the fall. Please view our “Purchase Plants” tab to learn more about our availability.
Our nursery was born from a collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration UW Student Chapter. Learn more and connect with their restoration efforts by visiting the SER-UW Student Chapter website.
