Local Source Initiative
The Local Source Initiative makes seed grown plants from local wildlands available to the public. These plants are a great choice if you want to support wildlife in your garden. Look for plants with an additional purple tag in our nursery. The purple tags list the location of the wild source population from which the plants were propagated. Local Source plants are also listed in our inventory and online store as unique items, with their place of origin as part of the item tag.
The main purpose of the Local Source Initiative is to give gardeners the ability to restore natural habitats. Plant species develop genetic adaptations based on local factors specific to individual plant and pollinator populations. These plants may offer greater support to pollinators and be better adapted to the local conditions of your garden. Cultivating locally sourced plants in residential landscapes is a great way to build habitat connectivity. By matching their location to the plants they purchase, gardeners can choose to grow same species as the ones which occur naturally in surrounding wildlands
All local source seed collections are conducted by trained staff in an ethical manner that is not destructive to wild plant populations or their habitats. The quantities of seed harvested to grow these plants are limited and are always collected with official permission from land managers. Theodore Payne Foundation is strongly opposed to unpermitted harvesting of seeds from public wildlands.

Our stock of Local Source plants is limited, and changes frequently. Below is a selection of the plants that habe been offered for sale through the Local Source Initiative.
Acmispon glaber (Lotus scoparius) | Deerweed |
Acourtia microcephala | Sacapellote |
Adenostema fasciculatum var. fasciculatum | Chamise |
Antirrhinum kelloggii | Climbing Snapdragon, Kellogg’s Snapdragon |
Antirrhinum multiflorum | Chaparral Snapdragon |
Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. mollis | Eastwood’s Manzanita, Transverse Range Manzanita |
Arctostaphylos glauca | Blue Manzanita, Bigberry Manzanita |
Artemisia californica | California Sagebrush |
Artemisia douglasiana | Mugwort |
Bloomeria crocea | Golden Stars |
Brickellia californica | California Brickellbush |
Brickellia nevinii | Nevin’s Brickellbush |
Ceanothus crassifolius var. crassifolius | Hoaryleaf Ceanothus |
Ceanothus leucodermis | Chaparral Whitethorn |
Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus | Big-Pod Ceanothus |
Ceanothus oliganthus | Hairy Ceanothus |
Ceanothus spinosus | Greenbark Ceanothus |
Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides | Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany |
Chaenactis artemisiifolia | Artemisia-leaved Chaenactis, White Pincushion |
Clematis lasiantha | Chaparral Clematis, Pipestem, Pipestem Clematis |
Clematis ligusticifolia | Western Virgin’s Bower, Yerba De Chiva |
Dendromecon rigida | Tree Poppy, Bush Poppy |
Diplacus longiflorus | Bush Monkeyflower |
Drymocallis glandulosa | Sticky Cinquefoil |
Dudleya lanceolata | Lance-leaved Dudleya |
Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora | Whispering Bells |
Encelia californica | Coast Sunflower, California Bush Sunflower |
Ericameria parishii var. parishii | Parish’s Rabbitbrush |
Ericameria pinifolia | Pine-Bush |
Eriodictyon crassifolium var. crassifolium | Felt Leaved Yerba Santa |
Eriodictyon crassifolium var. nigrescens | Thick Leaf Yerba Santa |
Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum | California Buckwheat |
Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum | Golden Yarrow |
Erythranthe cardinalis | Scarlet Monkeyflower |
Frangula (Rhamnus) californica | California Coffeeberry |
Helianthemum scoparium | Sun Rose |
Helianthus gracilentus | Slender Sunflower |
Hesperoyucca whipplei | Chaparral Yucca, Our Lord’s Candle |
Heteromeles arbutifolia | Toyon, Christmas Berry |
Juglans californica | Southern California Black Walnut |
Keckiella cordifolia | Heart-Leaved Keckiella |
Lonicera subspicata var. denudata | Chaparral or Southern Honeysuckle |
Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. fasciculatus | Chaparral Mallow |
Malosma laurina | Laurel Sumac |
Marah macrocarpa | Wild Cucumber, Man Root, Chilicothe |
Mentzelia laevicaulis | Blazing Star |
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia | California Four O’clock, Wishbone Bush |
Phacelia brachyloba | Short Lobed Phacelia |
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia | Holly Leaf Cherry |
Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia | Coast Live Oak |
Quercus berberidifolia | California Scrub Oak |
Quercus engelmannii | Engelmann Oak, Mesa Oak |
Rhamnus ilicifolia | Holly Leaf Redberry |
Rhus integrifolia | Lemonade Berry |
Rhus ovata | Sugar Bush |
Ribes aureum var. gracilimum | Golden Currant |
Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium | Chaparral Currant |
Rosa californica | California Wild Rose |
Salvia apiana | White Sage |
Salvia columbariae | Chia |
Salvia leucophylla | Purple Sage |
Salvia mellifera | Black Sage |
Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea | Blue Elderberry, Mexican Elderberry |
Senecio flaccidus var. douglasii | Douglas’ Groundsel, Shrubby Butterweed |
Silene laciniata ssp. laciniata | Indian Pink, Cardinal Catchfly |
Stachys albens | Woolly White Hedge Nettle |
Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum | Meadow Rue |
Umbellularia californica | California Bay |