For the first time since the State Conservation Nurseries Program was established in 1957, the general public is being allowed behind the gates of the Washoe State Tree Nursery on Eastlake Boulevard.
Previously, much like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, you needed a version of a golden ticket (large lot landownership) to be able to access the inventory of native and adapted plants grown and sold by the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF).
In November 1979, it was enacted that the only private individuals who could purchase directly from the state nurseries were those who owned property allotting to one or more parcels, and must be entirely outside the city limits of any incorporated city within the state.
According to NDF Education and Information Officer Cynara Medina, this was because lawmakers did not want the government unfairly competing against commercial nurseries.
However, at least in today’s world, that’s no longer an issue. When shoppers are going to Moana Nursery, Greenhouse Garden Center, Lowe’s or any of the other commercial plant seller, they’re typically not looking to purchase rabbitbrush, buffaloberry or cotoneaster.
“These nurseries don’t specialize in the things that you’ll find in a big box store,” Cynara said. “It’s two completely different markets. These plants are grown specifically to help conservation needs in Nevada.”
Conservation is especially important when it comes to addressing fire danger. She said that in the wake of the Davis Fire, an influx of impacted property owners came to the nursery.
“They were looking for plants and grasses and trees and whatnot to start rehabbing their lands, and they found it here,” Cynara said. “So it’s a service to the community.”
But it’s not only large landowners who are interested in creating fire-safe landscapes, and now any resident whether they own a ten acre parcel in the boonies, or are renting a postage-stamp sized home in the center of Carson City can have access to plants that work to protect the environment as a whole.
According to Nursery Manager Cory King, while they grow primarily native species, they also grow adapted species — plants that were brought to the area and adapted to the unique growing conditions of northern Nevada.
“So usually, if they’re not [native], they’re still drought tolerant and they can handle our soils,” King said. “We always keep wildlife in mind as well, we want to plant things that are good for wildlife, aesthetically pleasing on the landscape, and provide some other conservation benefits like erosion control and wind breaks.”
The NDF also hand gathers a lot of their seeds wildly which are then used to grow more of the species that aren’t just the same type of plant native to the western region, but that are highly specific to our area.
“It’s important because we want plants that are really genetically appropriate for our area, and we’re able to see what thrives,” King said.
Seed gathering is important as well to treat burn scars quickly, like the Davis Fire.
“We did an aerial seeding on this burn, and we did an aerial seeding north of Reno,” King said.
When it comes to reseeding burn scars, time is of the essence. As was seen in the 2004 Waterfall Fire, and even in just the recent Prison Hill Fire in Carson City, once cheat grass is able to establish, it’s almost impossible to get it out. And while we now have our favorite firefighting sheep in the western hills during the spring time, there are still a number of areas that the sheep don’t visit which are now at risk for re-ignition.
If cheatgrass is already establishing in the burn scars, King said they sometimes will go in with herbicide to ”make the slate blank again, so we can put native species or other appropriate types of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and other types of plants in.”
King said they do partner with local municipalities like Carson City through the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department to provide native seeds and plants, and would love to expand those partnerships further.
Opening week continues from today, Thursday May 8 through Saturday, May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The nursery will be open for the public on the 15-16, and from then on they’ll be open by appointment on Thursdays through Saturdays during the spring and summer season.
Getting there:
The nursery is located at 885 Eastlake Blvd in Washoe Valley. However, your smartphone maps/GPS will attempt to take you to the NDF headquarters on Eastlake Blvd.
The nursery is actually located just north of that location, past the Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue Station on the east side.
See the map for details:
For more information, please visit https://forestry.nv.gov/washoe-state-tree-nursery
