Retail Nursery Partnership

Partner with PlantRight
to promote noninvasive plants for California
PlantRight invites garden centers across California to join its FREE Retail Nursery Partnership
program. Participants will be leaders in preventing the spread of ornamental invasive plants in
ways that make economic sense, and become experts at promoting noninvasive, regionally
appropriate alternatives.
PlantRight’s training
materials and science-based
educational content are
easy-to-use, practical, and
available 24/7 so that even
the busiest garden center
professional can benefit.
What’s expected of Retail Partners
• Pledge to sell only noninvasive plants, using PlantRight’s
list of invasive plants and alternatives as a guide.
• At minimum, require all plant buyers to complete
PlantRight’s online training (20-30 minutes).
Benefits provided to Retail Partners
• One more way to show customers ‘We Care!’
When PlantRight approached
Sloat Garden Center, joining
forces was a slam dunk.
PlantRight’s efforts helped
• Practical, educational materials on ornamental
invasive plants.
• Expert recommendations for noninvasive alternative plants.
• Recognition via PlantRight web media, partner networks,
in-store signage, and more.
solidify and train our team
with a singular, cohesive
message that can easily be
communicated to our customers
through signage, handouts,
on-line presence and team
member knowledge. Retailers
across the country should
embrace these types of efforts
informed and responsible
decisions.
~ Dave Stoner
President & CEO
Sloat Garden Center,
9 Bay Area locations
www.PlantRight.org
photo by Bob Case
helping them make more
photo by Barry Rice
to educate our customers,
Invasive plants like big leaf periwinkle (left) and Scotch broom (right) are
shown invading natural spaces in CA, impacting ecological balance and
human ability to use the land.
PlantRight@SusCon.org
About PlantRight
PlantRight is fully-funded initiative of the non-profit Sustainable
Conservation. Since 2005, PlantRight has collaborated with
leaders of California’s horticultural industry to reduce the
negative environmental and economic impacts of invasive
plants through voluntary methods that make economic sense.
Impacts
When a plant invades a habitat, it often outcompetes native
plants for resources such as light, water and soil nutrients.
Over time, this can cause dramatic ecological changes that
result in lost agricultural yields, increased severity of wildfires
and floods, reduced land values, damage to infrastructure,
and degraded recreational opportunities.
In California, 48% of the state’s invasive plants were
introduced for ornamental purposes through horticulture
(Bell et al., UCCE 2003). Today, approximately $82 million
is spent a year on removal, monitoring, and education on
this issue (Cal-IPC 2008). Costs due to actual impacts
(e.g. lost agricultural yields, clogged waterways, etc.) are
not included, so the total costs are actually much higher.
PlantRight Ambassadors
(For the volunteers introducing PlantRight to their
favorite garden centers, such as yours.)
1. Are always respectful and polite.
2. Appreciate all noninvasive plants (native and non-native).
3. Share PlantRight’s core principles: Collaboration,
Voluntary participation, Economically viable solutions.
4. Are humble; it’s OK not to have all the answers.
Stumped? Ask PlantRight.
Note: Master Gardeners who endorse PlantRight do so
as members of the public, and not as representatives
of the UCCE Master Gardener system.
PlantRight thanks our ambassadors for
their support!
Ornamental Invasive Plant List 2014
Scientific Name
Common Name
1
Arctotheca calendula
Capeweed
2
Carpobrotus edulis
Highway iceplant
3
Cortaderia selloana
Pampas grass
4
Cytisus scoparius
Scotch broom
5
Eichhornia crassipes
Water hyacinth
6
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Russian olive
7
Genista monspessulana French broom
8
Iris pseudacorus
Yellow water iris
9
Mesembryanthemum
crystallinum
Crystalline iceplant
10
Myoporum laetum
Myoporum
11
Nassella tenuissima
Mexican feather grass
12
Pennisetum setaceum
Green fountain grass
13
Spartium junceum
Spanish broom
14
Triadica sebifera
Chinese tallow tree
15
Vinca major
Big leaf periwinkle
Note: For more information on where these plants
are invasive, and to learn about alternative plants we
recommend, visit: www.plantright.org/map.