Gardeners: shop here!!!! I love garden and nursery shopping. As an avid amateur gardener with yard and deck gardens in San Francisco and a half acre ornamental garden in the northern Coastal Range near Willits, I spend a fair amount of my free time (and dollars) shopping for plants, information, and ideas. I had a wonderful tho brief gardener's buying visit at Yerba Buena on a recent Tuesday afternoon...brief only because it closes at 5pm and I arrived at 430. What made this visit memorable was that the person who "helped" me actually did that...she was helpful!! Also cheerful, enthusiastic, and knowledgable, as well as kind! I was looking for plants to fulfill specific needs in a particular miniclimate, wanted coastal mountain + sun + native if possible + deer resistant + bee-butterfly attractant + low water + clay ...with plants identified in their pots and information to take away re each plant's name and growth habits. I got all of that in 5 varieties, 7 plants in all (talking large maturers here) for a tremendously reasonable cost per plant, with plants that had been grown by the nursery in recycled pots using only green practices, in under 30 minutes. Suffice it to say I will return again with more time to browse! This nursery is in a row of nurseries that feature various plant varieties, like orchids, succulents, cacti, etc. Its sign says "landscape plants" which was exactly what I was hoping to find. The bonus of a sharing gardener who knew every variety available, had suggestions to offer, and could help me locate them quickly was invaluable. Thanks for appreciating my enthusiasm and exactitude, and making my visit to your nursery memorable. I can't wait to get these specimens into the earth! read more

They have a good selection of native plants but we were charged way too much and the owner Kathy could be a little nicer to her customers. Unfortunately we will not return because of the overcharging and unnecessarily acrimonious interactions with the owner. read more

MASKS are required even though it feels like you are outdoors when you walk inside. That's ok with me. They have a strict check out process where you place what you want to buy in the table. If you pay with cash you place it in a box. PLANTS are native wild plants so don't expect it to look like a garden department at Home Depot or Lowes where you see a lot of blooming flowers. I chose a blue eyed grass plant. Unfortunately I paid $18 for a small sized plant and it ended up dead except for maybe 4 green sprouts that I'm not sure will make it the rest of the summer. Not sure what I did wrong, but maybe native plants aren't my thing. STAFF they offered me to ask any questions I had and did answer my questions. Two people working there. read more

Very rude lady at entrance stating mask are required, yet she wasn't even wearing one. Will sell you a mask for $1 each. I was with my 2 daughters who were excited to explore and purchase California native plants for our landscaping as we are native indigenous from California, and this is a way for us to carry on our tradition. Her response "what do you want, yeah we might have it." Promptly left and never went through the sliding door and headed down the road to Half Moon Bay Nursery where the owners were very inviting and helped us immensely. They even offered to stay in contact with our tribe to potentially help with our land stewardship. Please go to HMBN instead. The irony is we purchased native Californian Yerba Buena plants from HMBN. read more

Very overpriced.. many of the same natives are just down the road at hmbnursery for 40% less. And hmb nursery is not considered 'cheap' by any means.. fair but not 'low discount' I went there because a dear friend of mine gave me a gift certificate and intrigued it is all natives. When I checked out with only 3 plants.. . The shop owner remarked.. I was getting a steal.. only having to pay $2 (the extra above the gift card value). Cost for just the 3 plants was tad over $50. I thought it an odd response given my friend had paid for the gift card and it certainly wasn't a steal for her. And the shop owner was not providing discounts. Wearing the mask thing didn't bother me. That is their right to require. But will not be going back again.. read more

Horrible customer service, as others have noted. They are not at all helpful inside, unless perhaps they deem that one is a worthy customer. Masks are still required, but they will not provide customers with one, even for a nominal fee. The plant selection is nice. However, I do not plan to come back, given the subpar customer service. Visit the other wonderful neighboring shops! read more

The store has a great selection of plants, and one friendly employee. That is what earned it 2 stars. I will not go back due to the very limited inconvenient hours (Tuesdays and Fridays), and the attitude of the owner. I don't need or expect my ass kissed when shopping or anything. However, the owner seriously always acts so annoyed that I would have the audacity to try to shop at her store. I am usually spending $1000+ so I have a hard time understanding the animosity. Also, they still require masks, which is fine. That's their right. However, why not just have a box of masks available to people who have become accustomed to not wearing them? Heck, charge customers $1 for them. I watched the owner make a little girl cry the last time I was in there due to her not having a mask. I would rather give my money to an establishment that wants me there. read more

As others have said, they require masks because it's "indoors", even though it's open to the outside and airy the way nurseries are. Also, it's never very busy inside with many people. I was told I could use a mask or come back another day. Then, she said I could buy a mask off her. For $1. All I had was a $10, and I was told she couldn't give me change because cash for the masks came from a 'different source' ??? She eventually relented and 'found' some change only to place it on the counter and very quickly step away, instead of placing the change in my hand. I can give her the benefit of the doubt and guess maybe she has a health condition, except all my interactions are ice-y and unwelcoming. I only go because I like the native plants. They are, also, overpriced. To use a credit card adds an additional 4% surcharge, which is exorbitant. read more

I've purchased at least a half dozen times, at least 20+ plants each time. I do the "contactless delivery" and love it - quick and efficient. Just email your order; when you arrive, your plants will be outside and ready to load. I never even have to step inside. I love their plants and how they do business, plus the best selection of California native plants :) read more

We need to rebuild our native landscape and they are experts. They have a good inventory and they are very knowledgeable.

This was my 2nd time in the nursery and every time it always feels a bit unwelcoming. Cons: - the place requires mask; for me traveling 45 mins from South Bay just to be refused entry to this nursery is a bit much. So had to stop by nearby convenient store to get a mask. Take note, nobody else in the nearby store requires mask. - no dogs allowed by cats ok. Gosh, most hardware, nursery allows dog at this point. I mean, who travels w their cat to begin w. This was totally an owner preference. - horrible hours - again, I can stress enough if there's enough store out there, I won't even take this store a glance. Horrible hours 10-4; a normal working person cannot even have a chance to look at this store given it's such a drive to get there. Once you get there, you are hit w all these restrictions. - check and cash only. If you use credit card, you hit w 4% charge. This is ridiculous. - expensive. Plants are not cheap. Average of 18-25 per plant in this store. Pro - this has been a good native nursery this is a why I came back but probably my last time bec of all the cons above - selection is decent. Staff is knowledgeable. Overall, worth coming if the plant you are looking for is there. They also recommend some stuff. But w all the traffic, mask and cash. Not worth coming back for me. - read more

I'm posting this review after at least three poor experiences over several years while shopping at Yerba Buena Nursery. Over the years I kept encountering curt/rude behavior and bad customer service by the staff here, and I always let it slide because I want to support this small native nursery. And, although their selection is small and their prices are high, they usually had a good variety of local natives available. Every time I've been to Yerba Buena Nursery the staff has consistently acted inconvenienced and rushed when dealing with customers, whether the nursery was crowded or they had only one customer. They have always had pretty limited hours, and used to be closed on Sundays, which is a super busy day for this complex of retail nursery businesses on Highway 92, with lots of tourists and weekend shoppers.. They used to have a sign in the window stating that Sunday was their day to do "consultations"..? Never could understand that business strategy. Now the attitudes and hours at Yerba Buena Nursery have sunk to an all-time low. While most nurseries in the Bay Area, as well as the other businesses at this complex, have been open full time with social distancing and safety precautions in place, Yerba Buena has now closed to the public every day except Friday for a few hours. And when you arrive on a Friday during open hours you are met with a big red sign at the front door that says "CLOSED".. If you dare to poke your head in and ask if they are open you are met with a rude shout that "only one customer at a time is allowed in the store!" And if you ask where you should wait to be let in, they will tell you "wherever you want." Then when your turn comes to be let in, a staff person will shout to you from several yards away that they will "only give you 10 minutes on the floor to get your shopping done," and that they only take cash or check now. They used to take debit/credit, and this location is a few miles from Half Moon Bay or any ATM machines, so if you don't happen to have a bunch of cash with you for this expensive nursery, you are out of luck when you get there. This time was my last straw, and I walked away. I have spent hundreds of dollars here in the past replenishing my coastal garden and the gardens of clients, and I would have spent that again on this visit, but enough is enough. I really hope a thoughtful, friendly, convenient, and well stocked native nursery opens on the peninsula eventually. read more

My husband and I absolutely love this nursery. We live 3 hours away, so usually make a trip once per year to pick up hard-to-find native plant species for our yard. We always call the morning we drive down to make sure the species we want are in stock, and we purchase them over the phone so they can be put aside for us. Friendly customer service both over the phone and in person. Just ring the bell when you arrive to let them know you are there. Definitely worth the trip. read more

July 2023 and I was scolded the second I walked into the nursery without a mask, despite the fact that it's July 2023 and you are practically outdoors! No thanks. i walked right next door and gave them my business. I'll never return. I happily wore a mask for years but that is just ridiculous. read more

Hhmm I just dropped in to take a look while passing through the area. I poked around asked the owner lady person a few questions about what plants they offer and she definitely came off as condescending and not really welcoming. I came into the store super excited and left with a bitter taste in my mouth. It felt as if she was like "he isn't going to buy anything, so I dont want to waste my time talking ". I def felt a contrast with this place compared to the neighboring stores. Not as welcoming as the adjacent green houses. Fyi if you don't want to deal with bad customer service just avoid this place. There are plenty of more welcoming california native nurseries in norcal. read more

Maybe they get a lot of people coming in just to look, but that is no reason not to at least ask if people are looking for something in particular or need help. These are potential customers! I came looking for a specific item which they said they had in stock. When I arrived the owner (?, older blonde woman) was deep in conversation with a couple about landscaping. I waited for a good 15-20 minutes, looking at various items occasionally but mostly clearly standing around waiting. The shop is very small and if I were there only to browse, I would have been gone in 10 minutes. Apparently there *was* another employee there, because the owner asked them to answer the phone. But that employee never came out to ask if I needed help, nor did the owner tell her to. After the conversation with the couple was over, the owner went straight to noodling on her phone and did not address me at all. I had to go up to her to get her attention. Just don't come here. If they want your business, they should act like it. read more

Incredible selection and great website but customer service is pretty weak. My $600+ order had one error which I only noticed after I'd picked it all up and got home. I emailed and explained the problem of wrong plant given to me. Reply was - "It's the only ones we have apparently. They cost the same, and should perform similarly." Yeh right, same genus but different color flowers and slightly different projected size. There was no apology, no offer to take back/exchange. Nothing. Never going back again. Bay Natives in SF and Linda Vista in Saratoga are very good alternatives with nice friendly staff. read more

We had a small front yard with drought dead grass and a dying tree. Seemed like native, drought resistant plants were the best way forward and the promise of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds only served to motivate us to replace the tired area. We choose Yerba Buena Nursery and couldn't be happier. Each day when my wife comes home from work she stops and marvels at the sea of colors. Looking at the garden everyday still brings a smile to her face - she provides all the TLC necessary for her wildlife plant sanctuary. YB did everything they said they would do - and more. They still stop by periodically to see how their creation is doing. A big thank you for all the happiness you've brought our family. read more

You must wear a mask- fortunately I had one because they will turn you away and do not offer any masks for customers who don't have one - even doctor's offices will just charge a nominal fee for masks if patients forget! While they do have a good selection of natives for professional landscaping, their retail options are much more limited. They never seem to be open either. They are knowledgeable about their plants but the cashier asked repeatedly why I was only buying two- I kept repeating that I was replacing some that had died- as if it matters to them why their customers are buying plants- definitely a weird vibe. They do not take credit cards unless you want to pay a fee- only cash or checks (not sure who still carries either?) and their payment system is a little over the top- you have to place your payment in a glass vessel- they then put your change in a separate place. You'd think we were still in the middle of a pandemic -or worse- in this place! It's a plant store not the ICU! It's overkill for an outdoor setting but maybe they are immunocompromised or are expecting yet another plague.. I won't be returning, there are many great options for natives at other nurseries in the area. read more

Cool products - love to have CA natives. Very poor customer support. I get that you cannot take back all problem plants but how many really die in the pot in 2 weeks sitting right next to another of the exact same plan that is fine. Plus this stuff is not cheap so they should offer an exchange or something. They say "All plants leave healthy" Do not believe this and inspect your plants very carefully. read more

Native plant nursery. Good help from staff. Just love going in you never know what will inspire you.

I remember it as having a very good selection . I checked the operating hours before coming http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/hours.php . It said it was open Saturday's , so drove 2 hours through Half Moon Bay October traffic on 92 to get there. But there's a sign on the door - they're actually only open Tuesday and Thursdays for pickup . Big disappointment, won't repeat the trip this year . read more

The lady who helped us was knowledgeable. They do private landscape consultations too. We wanted to check this place out because they are known for there "California Natives". IT is a bit more expensive ($4-$5) more compared to Half Moon Bay Nursery. read more

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER! I shop at all the nursery's there on that strip and they are all helpful and considerate. These woman are not only rude but straight up mean people. Dont ask a question because she will give you a nasty one word answer. NEVER again will I shop here! read more

What a great small nursery full of healthy Native plants. There is such a variety of hard to find Native plant that you will want to buy more than you planned. Remember to take plenty of cash or a check.Thank you Yerba Buena ladies. The $ couple. read more

Kathy helped me choose, buy, and deliver a tree to a friend in CA - and I live across the country! I very much appreciated all her help and going the extra mile in terms of providing soil and planting guidance for my friend. Highly recommended! read more

Beautiful plants and helpful staff! They always have the most interesting Mimulus of any nursery I've ever been to. I love this place. read more

Yerba Buena Nursery - Curious Orange Mimulus - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I bought six plants from Kathy's nursery two days ago. Five were good and one went limp and was sick with five hours of bringing it home. Kept in shade and treated well. Weather not hot yet. I wrote to Kathy and asked if I could replace this plant and she said no. Not interested in what happened. Got a form letter back. No concern about the customer experience. Cranky owner and poor customer service. read more

I ordered plants over the phone and was a little anxious as to what I was buying sight unseen. Kathy was very helpful in my selection and even retrieved some plants out of pre-sale inventory for me. Anya emailed, called before she delivered. There were some details to work out because of my unavailability, but the plants were delivered as promised. They were all is great shape, the best looking huckleberry bushes I have seen. It all worked out and I am thankful I took the chance on delivery, saved myself time and got great plants and wonderful customer service to boot. Great to do business with a local shop. read more

I recently converted my lawn to a drought tolerant garden. It was a lot of work and I wanted plants that would make all of my efforts worthwhile. I had Yerba Buena plan my garden for me. The plan they came up with was much more expensive than I had anticipated so they revised the plan with about half the plants. I went ahead and purchased the plants and planted my garden. Unfortunately several of the plants have died. I stopped off by Wegmans Nursery in Redwood City to look for replacements and realized that they had many of the same plants that not only looked healthier but were almost half the price. I'm upset with myself that I did not check other nurseries first. I could have had a fuller, healthier garden for less money. Live and learn! . read more

Found a couple of plants here I haven't seen elsewhere, but in general I found plants less expensive elsewhere and which were better quality. Particularly at Bay Natives. I've planted my front yard twice with plants from Yerba Buena and and both times over half the plants died. I can't afford to replant for awhile after having spent several thousand bucks. read more

We wanted to cut down on our water use. We'd analyzed our usage and realized that each 20 minute watering of our very modest lawns was using as much water as our entire weekly household use (with four adults in the house). So it was time to get rid of the lawns. We started with the front. The water district's incentive scheme looked attractive but we had little knowledge of native plants and when we looked through the approved list of plants and tried to match what was available in stores we really struggled. Also, we had no idea how to lay out a landscape that would be attractive, work with the sun/shade in the yard, and also meet the coverage requirements of the water district. We were flummoxed and ready to give up on the whole scheme until we found Yerba Buena Nursery. For an extremely modest payment, Anya laid out a plan for us with a list of plants and coverage to satisfy the water district. Once the plan was approved by the water district we took delivery of the plants and planted them according to the clear instructions provided. The plants looked great from day one, so full of character. Six months later we have a profusion of color, the hummingbirds love us, our water usage is well below our allowance, and we've banked a nice check in the mail from the water district, Thank you Anya! read more

Gorgeous native nursery with a large plant selection and knowledgeable staff. They always have that difficult to find plant that I'm obsessing about. Love them and their plants. read more

I bought 3 Mimulus there, one of which didn't look really great but I liked the third color choice. I asked if they had any others in that color and she said no but she assured me it would be fine. Well, it wasn't. I've been gardening for years and I couldn't make this guy thrive. I wasted $16. She said I couldn't return it at the time but I took my chances anyway since I am experienced. I just won't go back. I could do better with Orchard! read more

The place for California native plants! We recently converted our front yard to a CA native garden. The staff at Yerba Buena were all so knowledgeable and helpful when it came to selecting the right plants for our project. The prices here may be a few dollars more than other local nurseries, but you definitely get what you pay for. The plants are much healthier, fuller, and robust. We bought a few plants from Bay Natives in SF (for $2-$3 less) and, 6 weeks after planting, the Bay Native plants are struggling while the Yerba Buena plants are thriving. I should have bought everything from Yerba Buena. We look forward to working with them again as we add CA natives to our backyard. read more

Let me start by saying I usually only leave reviews when I have a great experience and can give five stars. I would have not reviewed this store except TWICE they have been very rude here. Plus it's super expensive - if it were really cheap and they were just kinda rude, I wouldn't write this. The second time was a few months ago, but I'm really offended still. First, a woman who I later found out was the owner was weirdly judgmental when I showed her a picture of a plant I see on my hikes all the time when I asked if it was native. Whatever, no bad review. But then I went in there again anyway because I was looking for redwood sorrel and couldn't find it anywhere else, and I spoke with a very nice woman who said she normally works with the plants in the back. Then, I wanted native roses, so I called and presumably the nice woman answered and said they had three kinds of native roses. Sweet- I go in a third time on like a Tuesday at 10am and a young women (the daughter of the owner, I'm later told) asked if she could help me. I said "I'm looking for roses" and she said "cut roses or potted roses" and I thought that was strange as they obviously do not have cut flowers, and I said "wait, do you even carry cut roses?" And she said in a tone that clearly suggested I was an idiot "no, we only have native plants, we don't carry any roses, I'm just trying to figure out where to send you". WTF? I said "what? I called and they said you have roses" and she said "we only have native roses." For some reason, I didn't walk out right then. Luckily, she had to leave to take her dog to the groomer and the nice lady from the back helped me again. I told her how the lady before her had been rude and tried to send me away because she was apparently sure that even though the sign reads in huge letters "native plans" I was there looking for cut roses.... the nice lady apologized and said that is the owner's daughter and that they're used to tourists being confused. I ended up getting a rose and directions how to plant it, but I will never be back (even though my rose is doing well.) The owners clearly think that no one has any clue except for them and the rest of us can neither be bothered to read nor care to get native plants. The weirdest thing is, even if I was an idiot who couldn't read and walked into random stores looking for cut roses, why didn't she try to sell me a native rose anyway?!? She could have so easily said in response to my first question "yes, we have native roses, let me show you." Worst case I politely look and then leave and go ask instead at a restaurant or pet store if they sell cut roses or something. Now I feel compelled to write this as I am still mad even though it was a few months ago. read more

Found a large variety of native plants, they had almost everything I was looking for. We planted them a week ago. Fingers crossed, so far the plants seem healthy and are growing. read more

Such a great resource for plants that are easy to grow for our region. So many reasons to buy native plants. These folks are fantastic. Let them consult for you. You are part of the solution!! read more

We are fortunate to have on the peninsula a nursery dedicated to growing and selling hi-quality native plants. I have been shopping at Yerba Buena Nursery for 18 years, back when it was on Skyline and now its current location. Staff knows their stuff and the plants sold have healthy solid root systems. Healthy root systems is an important factor when establishing native plants especially in our heavy clay soil. I am will be at the Nursery on Mar 16 to buy some ground cover plants. I look forward to working with staff to help me with my plant selection. Susan, San Mateo CA read more

Very friendly and knowledgeable folks, with a good selection including many drought tolerant plants. Go early in the day to beat traffic. Update, Nov 2016: we are in the final stages of reworking our tiny SF back yard to plant a whole bunch of native plants (flowering perennials, a few shrubs). Their (very reasonable $) designer provided a helpful sketch and a good plant list, and the Nursery has been great about providing the plants we need when we need them. Very healthy stock too. Worth the drive from SF or wherever. read more