Garden for the Environment: Gardening with San Francisco Native Plants

Are you curious about San Francisco’s native plants? Our expert instructor from the California Native Plant Society, Yerba Buena Chapter, will introduce you to an array of native plants that you can incorporate into your home garden, whether you have a yard or raise plants in containers. You’ll also gain insight into which of these plants are edible and how to raise them, tour GFE’s native plant areas, and have time to ask plenty of questions. We’re excited to offer an introductory native San Francisco plant workshop for the first time in many years!

San Francisco native plants have co-evolved with our local soils, climate, and native wildlife, including butterflies and bees. They are the best plants we can add to nurture our ecosystem. Many are edible and have other fascinating uses. When we add native San Francisco plants to our gardens and public spaces, we strengthen our local ecosystem and enhance its connectivity with nearby ecosystems, creating a robust web of life that helps our local flora and fauna thrive. Learn how you can be part of this!

Our expert instructor Susan Karasoff gardens in San Francisco’s clay soil, one of San Francisco’s six soil types. Susan is a member and the Outreach Chair of the California Native Plant Society Yerba Buena (San Francisco) chapter. Susan has an “only the easiest plants survive” approach to gardening. Susan grows a buffet of colorful native edible and pollinator plants, specifically gardening to feed caterpillars, bees, hummingbirds, and people.

COVID-19 information:

GFE Mask Guidelines: Masks are optional for vaccinated visitors (workshop participants, volunteers, students etc.) and required for unvaccinated individuals. Our staff is fully vaccinated and boosted. Thank you for continuing to keep the garden a safe and open space for everyone!
Please cancel your shift and do not come to GFE if you develop COVID19 symptoms on or before the day of your workshop (fever, chills, repeated shaking / shivering, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, feeling unusually weak or fatigued, new loss of taste or smell, muscle pain, headache, runny or congested nose, or diarrhea)
GFE will continue to monitor the COVID19 situation in San Francisco and make any necessary changes to the workshop based on current information.

No walk-up registration permitted for this course.