TOPANGA : Annual Native Plant Sale This Weekend

Residents of the Las Virgenes area can get free information about drought-busting plants and soil erosion this weekend at a native plant sale sponsored by the Topanga-Las Virgenes Resource Conservation District.

The purpose of the annual event is to spread the word that species native to desert climates are appropriate in this region, while thirsty plants that thrive in wetter zones are not.

“We live in an area where we need to conserve water,” said Melanie Beck, the district’s assistant executive officer. “Rather than planting monkey philodendron or some other tropical plant, we want to encourage people to landscape with plants that use less water and fit in with the chaparral.”

The Topanga-based district, a state agency set up to promote conservation efforts and education, will sell native plants and offer free consulting today and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its headquarters, 122 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.

About 1,700 plants representing more than 200 species gathered from nurseries throughout Southern California will be offered at near cost, Beck said. Most plants will be sold in one-gallon containers and will cost $5, she said.

Some of the more popular plants include varieties of ceanothus, a dark green shrub with brilliant blue or purple spring blossoms, and manzanita, a ground cover or bush with pale green leaves and twisting red branches.

The sale of native plants started about 10 years ago and has grown during the past several years because of the drought of the late 1980s and early 1990s, said Elizabeth Douphner, district executive officer.

Experts will be on hand to discuss landscaping possibilities, Douphner said, and the district will provide pamphlets about wildlife, erosion control and fire and flood prevention.