Native Plant Nursery

Nupqu Nursery is the leading native plant nursery in the Southern Interior and Kootenay Region of British Columbia. We specialize in native plant propagation and offer revegetation planning, custom seed harvesting, and ecological restoration services. The Nupqu team is committed to providing local, high-quality, and resilient, and region-specific plant species to support biodiversity and promote ecological resilience.

Our Services

Comprehensive solutions for plant sourcing, ecological restoration, and habitat enhancement.

Native Plant Sourcing: Providing a wide variety of local plant species, carefully selected to support regional ecosystems and biodiversity.
Custom Planting Solutions: Tailored planting plans for environmental restoration and landscape reclamation projects.
Ecological Restoration: Specializing in plant species that restore natural habitats, improve soil health, and support wildlife.
Nursery-Grown Plants: All plants are grown from locally sourced seeds, ensuring they are established to thrive in the regional environment.
Consultation & Support: Offering expert advice and project support on plant selection, soil health, and best practices for ecological restoration.
Seed Collecting: Our experienced team specializes in gathering seeds from a diverse range of native species. We’re always experimenting with new species and would be happy to collaborate with you on your project, including growing specific plants at our nursery.
Sustainability Focus: Committed to sustainable growing practices.
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement: Providing plant species that enhance habitats for local wildlife, pollinators, and other beneficial organisms.

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 sourced 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
Not only native to BC but to specific regions and ecosystems
Allows for niche ecosystem selections
Increases hardiness and survival rate
Increases genetic variation and biodiversity, and ultimately leads to increased environmental sustainability

Other benefits of using native plants include:

Less maintenance, water usage, and pesticide use
Increased savings, wildlife attraction, and natural beauty

Why Grow Native?

Native plants are ideal for a wide range of uses. When planted on the correct site they are very low maintenance, provide valuable ecosystem services including food and cover for wildlife, stabilize stream banks, and improve fish habitat. Native plants enhance biodiversity and ecological sustainability.

Reclamation and Revegetation: Many areas and industries require revegetation to meet reclamation objectives and criteria. Reclamation projects vary widely, from low-elevation hydro developments to high-elevation mine sites. This ecological diversity and the range of disturbance types demand a tailored approach for successful revegetation. Nupqu Native Plants specializes in providing site-specific native plant species to address the unique needs of each project.
Local Ecology: At Nupqu Native Plants, we offer a wide selection of native species to meet the growing demands for biodiversity in reclamation projects. With our deep expertise in native plants, we can recommend the ideal species to support your project’s success. By sourcing seeds from comparable elevations and ecosystems, we ensure the plants we provide are suited to each site’s unique conditions. Our goal is to replicate natural plant communities, delivering successful and diversified restoration outcomes.
Soil Regeneration: Establishing vegetation after a disturbance can be challenging, often due to degraded soil structure and nutrients. To address this, Nupqu Native Plants provide a range of nitrogen-fixing native species, such as mountain alder (Alnus incana), soopalallie (Shepherdia canadensis), and wolf-willow (Elaeagnus commutata). These plants naturally enrich soil nutrients, creating a foundation that allows less tolerant species to thrive. From initial site establishment to the development of diverse plant communities, Nupqu Native Plants offers tailored solutions for successful revegetation.

Custom Seed Handling

Many of the plants we grow originate from seeds carefully collected by hand in the field. This meticulous process is both challenging and rewarding, forming the foundation of a regionally specific library of native plant species.

Planning: Seed collection requires long-term planning and monitoring. Suitable plant populations must be identified and observed to determine the optimal time for collection once the seeds mature.
Collecting: Our seed collection techniques prioritize genetic variability, ensuring a representative sample is gathered. Because seed maturity varies by species, timing is critical—missing the window means waiting another year for collection. Our experienced team specializes in gathering seeds from a diverse range of native species. If you’re looking for a species, please contact us. We’re always experimenting with new species and would be happy to collaborate with you on your project, including growing specific plants at our nursery.

Recent Projects

We are dedicated to the sustainable management and restoration of natural landscapes.

Native Plant Nursery Office

8425 Mission Road, Cranbrook, BC, V1C 7C9

Gerald Puhach, BA Diploma

Operations Manager – Native Plants