Tipi Mountain Native Plants specializes in the propagation and production of native plants. We are primarily a wholesale nursery, but we are expanding the retail side of our business.
Tipi Mountain Native Plants offers the following services:
- Native plant propagation
- Revegetation consulting
- Custom seed collection, cleaning and propagation
- Reclamation
Custom Seed Handling
Many of the plants we grow are from seed that is collected by hand from the field. Finding and collecting wild seeds is both a challenging and rewarding process, and is the first step in creating a regionally specific library of native plant species.
Collecting seed involves long range planning and monitoring practices. Suitable plant populations must be located, and then monitored in order for collection to take place once seeds mature. Seed collection techniques take into account genetic variability, and a representative sample is collected. Seed maturity varies depending on plant species, and so timing is everything! If you miss the window of opportunity, you’re going to have to wait until next year to collect seed from that plant population. Our staff is very experienced in the collection of seed from various species.
Native Plant Propagation
Our local greenhouse allows us to grow seedlings year-round. Our resident horticulturists ensure that our nursery stock is well looked after, and nurtured into the best specimens possible.
We grow seedlings in various sizes:
– plugs are grown in styroblock containers to specification
– plants are grown in #1-5 gallon pot sizes, and larger or smaller sizes are available to specification
Propagating plants from locally collected seed has advantages:
- Provides you with a trustworthy seed source
- Allows for niche ecosystem selections
- Increases survival rate
- Increases genetic variation and biodiversity, and Ultimately leads to increased environmental sustainability
Reclamation and Revegetation
There are many areas and industries that require revegetation to meet reclamation objectives and criteria. Reclamation projects can range from low elevation hydro projects to high elevation mine sites. This diversity in local ecology, along with alternate disturbance types, requires a unique approach for successful revegetation. Tipi Mountain Native Plants has the ability to provide site specific native plant species to meet the individual needs of the buyer. By collecting seed from similar elevations and ecosystems, we can offer the best suited plants for a given site. We strive to mimic natural plant communities to give you a successful and diverse product.
Today, merely greening up a disturbed site is not enough to meet specified ecological requirements. Tipi Mountain Native Plants offers a diverse selection of plant species to meet the increasing biodiversity requirements of reclamation. Our expertise in native plants allows us to recommend which species are best suited for your project.
It can be difficult to establish vegetation post-disturbance. One reason for this is the degradation of soil structure and nutrients. To mitigate this issue, Tipi Mountain Native plants offers a variety of nitrogen-fixing native plant species. Some examples are mountain alder (Alnus incana), soopalallie (Shepherdia canadensis) and wolf-willow (Eleagnus commutata). These nitrogen-fixers help quick-start soil nutrients naturally, allowing less tolerant plant species to become established. From initial site establishment to diverse plant communities, Tipi Mountain Native Plants offers solutions for your revegetation needs.
