By Carol Gilmore, Colorado Master Gardener 

A popular garden trend is to include native plants in the garden. Native plants attract, feed and shelter native birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Native shrubs provide a great intermediary space to support wildlife by providing shelter between the ground and trees to protect birds from predators and providing food for wildlife.

Native plants might not be readily available in garden centers, but you can learn to propagate them yourself. Many native shrubs can be propagated by seed.

Two native shrubs that are easy to grow are Rabbitbrush and Apache Plume.

Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) self-seeds easily. The seeds can be viable for up to four years, but the fresher the better. Plant the seeds in December and lightly cover them with soil as they need some light to germinate. They may sprout up to four weeks before the final frost in spring. An added bonus is that rabbitbrush is a keystone species that supports dozens of species of specialist bees.

Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) seeds can be harvested when their plumes turn white. Remove the fluffy part attached to the seed which naturally helps in disseminating it, and allow the seed part to dry. Store them at approximately 40 degrees. Plant the seeds a month before the last frost.

Another native shrub that can be started from seed is Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt). Remove the plume from the seed. Prepare for planting by soaking the seed in water for 30 minutes and then plant in the garden with a light soil covering. Plant approximately one month before the last frost.

Western Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi) is a little more difficult to propagate from seed. Dry storage reduces their viability to less than 30%, so keep them in barely moist vermiculite or perlite and over-winter in the refrigerator. Plant under soil to protect seeds from birds in the spring. The seeds need approximately three months of cold stratification.

Another option for Sand Cherry is to take a softwood cutting from late May to early July, and root it in well-drained vermiculite or perlite after dipping in rooting hormones. Be sure to keep the stem moist while rooting.

Golden or Wax Currants (Ribes aureum) can be started from seed or hardwood cuttings. Soak the currant berries to remove the seed from the fruit. Plant the seeds outdoors in pots for a four-month cold stratification period prior to spring.

For further reference:

• https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/native/FrontRangeSm.pdf
• https://frontrange.wildones.org/toolkit-main-outline-copy-june-15-2024/
• https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/native-plants/
• https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/propagation-deciduous-trees-and-shrubs-softwood-cuttings