This effort is accomplished by a combination of knowledgeable staff, dedicated volunteers, modern nursery facilities and phytosanitary nursery techniques. The nursery functions primarily to propagate and produce native plants to advance and expand the gardens Living Collection. These plants are ideally vouchered, wild collected specimens that are grown in the nursery to one day become the future of the garden, and be enjoyed and studied by visitors, members and researchers.

The production nursery also grows a majority of the plants sold at Grow Native Nursery, an on-site retail nursery, which is a not-for-profit California native plant nursery and is open to the public nine months a year.

Another focus of the nursery is in the propagation and production of rare and endangered plants, many of which have rarely, if ever, been grown ex situ.

The unique resources and experience available at California Botanic Garden allows for the successful propagation and production of many plant taxa that are of high conservation concern in California. Furthermore, the production nursery assists and supports all other growing operations at CalBG, including plants produced for restoration and research purposes.

Plants in the production nursery are grown following best management practices for the prevention soil borne pathogens, such as Phytophthora. The nursery’s BMPs were designed specifically for the nursery facility at CalBG, and are continuously being refined and expanded by nursery staff. These sanitation practices, combined with frequent monitoring and testing allows the nursery to produce healthy plants across all nursery projects. For more information on CalBG's BMPs for Phytophthora, please contact the nursery manager.

The nursery facilities at CalBG include three climate controlled greenhouses with features including wet wall cooling systems, overhead mist systems for cutting propagation, and root zone heating systems to enhance root growth for cuttings and to increase the germination of rate of seeds. It also includes one non-climate controlled greenhouse, which is covered but open to seasonal temperature differences. These facilities in addition to four on site growth chambers allow us to successfully propagate most California native plants from seed and cuttings. Including the greenhouses, the nursery sites on one acre of the garden and has 26,000+ square feet of shaded growing space available.

The nursery facilities are not open to the public.