What to Bring Home From the Fullerton Arboretum's Fall Native Plant Sale

The Fullerton Arboretum's annual Native Plant Sale opens Friday, November 6, at 1900 Associated Rd. on the Cal State Fullerton campus. On the Arboretum's online store, many 1-gallon natives are priced at $11. The regional turf rebate that Fullerton's own water page points to pays $2 for every square foot of lawn converted.

At those prices, the plants for a converted front lawn cost a small fraction of what the rebate pays back on the same square footage. The rebate only pays, though, if the paperwork is done before the grass comes out.

November is planting season for natives

Most of us buy plants in spring because that's when the garden centers fill up. For California natives, the calendar runs the other way. A UC Agriculture and Natural Resources guide to fall planting says late fall is the best time because the soil is still warm, and fall and winter rains help roots settle in before Southern California's hot, dry summer.

The same guide adds a caveat. Even drought-tolerant natives need regular water for their first one to two years while they establish. A plant set in the ground in early November gets a full rainy season to grow roots before its first summer. A plant set out in May gets none.

What's on the 2026 list

The Arboretum's November 2026 plant list runs 15 pages. Each plant gets its mature size, growth rate, sun exposure and water needs, and the list warns that availability can change. Some of the entries a Fullerton yard can actually use:

• Yarrow, about 2 feet by 2 feet. The list describes it as a good cut flower in a meadow planting or as a lawn substitute.
• Turkey Tangle, another lawn-substitute candidate. The online store sells it by the quarter flat for $11.
• White Sage, listed as a local native that handles heavy soil and draws bees.
• Deerweed, about 3 feet by 3 feet. The list suggests it to help get a new garden established.
• Giant Coreopsis, 4 feet tall by 1 foot wide. Its listing reads "Do not water in summer," which matters if it shares a drip line with thirstier plants.
• Island Ceanothus, which grows to 15 feet by 10 feet. That's a screening shrub, so it needs room.
• Palmer's Indian Mallow, 4 feet by 4 feet and fast-growing. It's listed at $11 for a 1-gallon pot, but the store showed it out of stock in the online preorder.

The list also has a separate non-native section with succulents such as King of the Agaves and Short-leaved Aloe. The PDF doesn't print prices. The store pages show Yarrow and Showy Penstemon at $11 for a 1-gallon pot.

The math on a front lawn

The City of Fullerton's water conservation rebates page sends residents to SoCal Water$mart, which runs its rebates in partnership with Metropolitan Water District. Under the Turf Replacement Program, MWD's base residential rebate is $2 per square foot, for up to 5,000 square feet a year. Your local water agency may add more on top.

The program also requires a minimum planting density of three plants for every 100 square feet converted, and the table below applies that rule to the Arboretum's $11 price.

The 250-square-foot row is there because that's the program's minimum. You have to remove at least 250 square feet, or all of your turf if you have less than that. Trees help with the count. Each new eligible tree in the converted area counts as three plants and earns $100, for up to five trees per application.

Plants are the cheap part. Every project also has to include a stormwater retention feature, keep the converted area permeable, and replace or modify overhead spray sprinklers. Synthetic turf doesn't qualify. Those requirements are where most of the budget goes. Still, the minimum plant count for a 500-square-foot conversion comes to about one-sixth of the base rebate on that lawn. Water$mart says rebate amounts can change and depend on what's available when your application is approved. Its rebate estimator shows the full incentive for a specific address.

The order the rebate depends on

The table only holds up if the steps happen in the order Water$mart sets out. The application has two stages:

1. Apply and reserve the funds. You need a reservation before you remove any turf or start work.
2. Finish within 180 days. Once funds are reserved, the project has 180 days to be completed and the rebate request submitted. The finished project also has to meet the eligibility list. That means existing turf, the 250-square-foot minimum, three plants per 100 square feet, a stormwater feature, a permeable project area, and irrigation with no overhead spray.

Buying plants on November 7 doesn't conflict with any of this. Pulling up the lawn on November 8 to make room for them, before a reservation is in place, does. Natives in nursery pots can sit for a few weeks while the application goes through. If you're planning around a rebate, read Water$mart's terms and conditions yourself. This post is general information, not legal or financial advice, so check the details of your own project with the program before you start.

Planning the weekend

Each day of the sale runs on different hours, and Friday has a parking catch.

According to CSUF Parking, the Arboretum has parking on site and in adjacent Lot G. On Fridays, permits are enforced from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the whole Friday sale window falls under enforcement. The Arboretum's FAQ says there's no admission fee, and its visit page suggests a $5 donation per person.

Saturday is the fullest day. A compost workshop runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The OC Power Authority has an info booth from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the BuildSMART Sustainable Resources Trailer is parked on site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Arboretum members can skip the crowds. The members-only preorder has been open since October 19 and closes Monday, November 2, at 9 a.m. Members get 10% off with promo code 1010, which brings an $11 pot to $9.90. Preorder sales are final. For a 500-square-foot conversion's 15 plants, that comes to $148.50 instead of $165.

Thinking about replacing your lawn and wondering how it affects your home's value? The BAIKHOME team is glad to talk through how Fullerton buyers see drought-tolerant front yards, and to start you with a Free Home Valuation.