Adventures in Native Plant Propagation
By Jack Parlin, CGC Program Associate
What the CGC is doing with its ReRooted native plant propagation program is unique, within both our organization and the ecosystem of community and environmental groups in the city. Running a small-scale nursery is already a complex task; doing it part-time in a public park makes things even more interesting.
When GCC Horticulturist Julie and I began the ReRooted season this year, we had a vision. Many visions, in fact. A self-contained seed-starting enclosure; consolidated and upcycled potting materials; more gardens, more plants!
To achieve these exciting goals, we knew we needed lots of help. That’s when the idea of a dedicated ReRooted crew arrived: We had to build a dream team of specialized volunteer conservationists whom we could trust to carry out the program with efficiency and precision at a scale us two couldn’t accomplish alone. We already had some folks in mind, so a call was sent out to potential interested parties and we were off.
Preparations for ReRooted began way back in January with a process called stratification. Using the technology of artificial temperature regulation (i.e., a fridge), we simulated the cold, damp winter period that many of our native plant seeds rely on to signal germination, or sprouting. We had to start early to give the seeds enough time to wake up, and we knew that our team needed to be ready to go once we were on nature’s schedule!
February was spent building our new grow room and sanitizing last year’s leftover plastic pots to reduce our consumption of new materials. We were finally ready to let our new volunteer super-team loose in March, when we set upon the most tedious task of seeding cell trays. Patient and diligent workers crouched over tables in the GLS while Julie and I rifled through our plant lists trying to make sense of it all.
The first baby seedlings were ready to be transplanted into their summer homes (tall, narrow pots to encourage root growth) in April, including some spring ephemeral species I had sowed in an experiment from last year. The team often outpaced me, but having a volunteer group that works a little too well is not a problem I will complain about!
May brought more work for our potting crew, and we were even able to go seed hunting for five new species of spring ephemerals that we’ll grow next year. Since then, it’s been a lot of watering, some weeding, and plenty of pruning to make sure everything looks great for September. These CGC-grown native plants are just about ready for our Fall Native Plant Festival on September 12, where you can pick some out to live in your yard or greenspace!
2026 has been a season full of learning experiences for ReRooted. There have been a few hiccups here and there, like the occasional germination failure or that time I killed 600 plants in a week with dry soil. But to me, that’s the beauty of this program. First and foremost, the CGC is a safe and encouraging place to learn and explore, and ReRooted wouldn’t be nearly as special and cool without the incredible team that’s been along for the ride. I’m so glad to have shared my growth with such a passionate and enthusiastic community of learners—we did this together.
The plants and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, September 12!