A slice of Planty Paradise in Santa Barbara.. A view from San Marcos Growers..

[Silas_Sancona]

Brief, but good article regarding one of California's most renowned nurseries that has played a major role in introducing ...all sorts of stuff... to the plant palate across the state, ..and region.  Also one of the best plant knowledge resources out there.  Article appeared last April.

https://www.independent.com/2023/04/01/san-marcos-growers-where-the-big-trees-roam/

Unfortunately, as has been rumored, the nursery may be ceasing operations sometime around 2026.. I say " may " only because i hope that Santa Barbara ..and the state / region / world- wide botanical / Horticultural community  will consider saving the space, rather than allowing it to be developed.

Whether designated as another Botanical Garden, or someone buys the property and continues the nursery, even if under a different name, this is one place that should be preserved -into eternity- .

  ..If not, hopefully, all the trees / other plants will be relocated somewhere where they can carry on the legacy ..and inspire the next up and coming generations of forward - thinking plant geeks / nerds / gurus..

We need more of this, rather than more sprawl ..or estates for the few..

[Meangreen94z]

Interesting article, I had only used them as a resource for mostly succulents and tropicals. It’s nice to see their origin started in trees, that Arbutus marina is spectacular.

It unfortunately looks like the use of that site is set in stone, hopefully they can incorporate those trees into a green area for the housing project.

https://www.smgrowers.com/info/NurseryClosure2026.pdf

[Darold Petty]

Nuccio's Camellia Nursery is going out of business, also.  They will be selling the acreage to a school district. 

Just today, I made an impulse purchase of a most excellent plant,  Camellia 'Julius Nuccio".  

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-07-19/where-have-all-the-camellias-gone-l-a-s-plant-tastes-are-changing-nuccios-nurseries

 

[MikeB]

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic right now.  San Marcos Growers is/was a nursery where I could find so many great plants (including palms) that were just not available anywhere else in the Bay Area, CA.  They would send a couple trucks up from Santa Barbara every month and drop your order at the job site.  We were plesantly surprised to find out just how cold hardy some of these plants were such as Cassia leptophylla, Castanospermum australe, Ficus auriculata, and others.  I still use their website.  It has valuable information even for plants they no longer grow.  With the water situation in California they have trended heavily towards drought tolerant plants.  Thanks Lee Anderson.

[hbernstein]

12 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Nuccio's Camellia Nursery is going out of business, also.  They will be selling the acreage to a school district. 

Just today, I made an impulse purchase of a most excellent plant,  Camellia 'Julius Nuccio".  

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-07-19/where-have-all-the-camellias-gone-l-a-s-plant-tastes-are-changing-nuccios-nurseries

 

That was a well-written and sad article. Many other types of businesses that were typically family started and run are vanishing. The trend of loosing cultivars in the nursery trade is particularly discouraging. Even here in the Miami area, the consolidation and decline of the nursery business is drastically streamlining the selection of plant material.