The California Native Plant Society is a statewide nonprofit organization seeking to increase understanding and appreciation of California's native plants and to preserve them in their natural habitat through scientific activities, education, conservation, and restoration.
The San Diego Chapter serves San Diego and Imperial counties. We invite you to come to our meetings and field trips, learn more about the flora of our state, and meet people who share your interest in native plants. You can email us general questions about native plants or the chapter.
When you're a CNPS member, you help to preserve and protect California's native plants and places for generations to come. Members receive many benefits including free subscriptions to CNPS publications, access to fun activities, discounts, and more.
Help CNPS-San Diego with its mission and vision. Donate today in any amount. Every donation counts in carrying out the many activities through which the chapter promotes the preservation of California native plants.
Our Mission
The mission of the San Diego Chapter of the CNPS is to conserve San Diego and Imperial County native plants and their natural habitats, and to increase everyone’s understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants.
Our Vision
CNPS-San Diego envisions a future where:
• There is successful and continuing conservation of the full diversity of native plants and native vegetation in the San Diego and Imperial County region.
• The San Diego Chapter of the CNPS is recognized as a leader in providing reliable information on California native plants and their conservation.
• Native plants are widely used in home, commercial, and public landscapes as an alternative to water-consuming plants species.
• There is widespread increased public education on the values and aesthetics of native plants and native vegetation in the San Diego and Imperial counties Region.
• Elected officials and agency decision makers are aware of the effects of their actions and on the unique environmental resources in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Our History
Though there was an initial contact with the State in 1967, the San Diego chapter did not form until 1972. The requirements to form a chapter at that time were 15 members from an area. Carol Greentree wrote in a single page newsletter dated Jan 16, 1972: "Well, we finally got the show on the road last Saturday! The officially adopted title is San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Officers elected are: President, Mitch Beauchamp; Vice President Mike Douglas; Recording Secretary, Anne Galloway (she later replaced Mitch as president); Corresponding Secretary, Bill Gunther; and Treasurer, Betty Macintosh. Committees were established: Field trips, Darley Howe; Publicity, Burch Mehlin, Conservation: Reid Moran, Helen Witham (Chamlee), and Jack Reveal; and Finance, R.H. Aikin and Bette Kingman [Klingman]. Our paid membership now totals roughly thirty souls."
Read about the origins of CNPS-San Diego Chapter in an issue of Fremontia, October 1990
From the beginning the chapter focused on studying and protecting San Diego's unique native plants which were threatened by ever increasing development. After intense debate over the relative merits of the Campo Pea and other unique local taxa to capture the essence of CNPS in San Diego, the showy Matilija Poppy was chosen as our chapter logo.
The chapter has concentrated on a variety of aspects of native plants, from growing them in gardens, to photographing them, to hiking around the county to look for new and rare occurrences. Our goal has always been to promote their preservation through botanical studies and conservation efforts, and educate the public about native plants through programs, plant sales, and exhibits.
Carol collected statements from some of the early members including: Duffie Clemons, Erik Jonsson, Wilhelmina Reynolds, Tom Oberbauer, Anne Karig, Reid Moran, Jeanne Hawkins, Charles Kline, Bill Knerr, Mitch Beauchamp, Carol Jean Wolcott, Wayne Tyson, Joan Stewart, Bill Gunther, Bette Klingman. Some of the responses are short and sweet. Charles Kline, Bill Knerr, and Bill Gunther were charter members of the state CNPS, hence the early interest in forming a chapter here in San Diego. You can read them here.
Banner photo by Tom Oberbauer