The Nursery:

In The Nursery we grow a large a large variety of native grasses, sedges, and forbs all from seed. We also grow many species of native trees and shrubs both from seed and bare root stock. For seed production we use a variety of methods such as directly sowing seed outdoors and controlled stratification using refrigerators.

A man wearing glasses, a brown beanie, and a gray jacket is examining a plant on a wooden screen with a mesh surface inside a greenhouse.
Inside a greenhouse with trays of young seedlings and gardening supplies at the back.

Each year we produce enough plants to supply our retail location with plants for the current years fall and the next years spring inventory. We over winter our plants out side and let them break dormancy in the spring when they naturally would. Due to this practice our plants are ready to go in the ground the day you get them from us, they are already hardened off. however due to this practice our inventory is staggered in the spring time with new plants become ready for sale each week as the all start waking up from their winter hiatus

We spend much of the summer and fall months repotting plants and getting them ready for sale or over wintiering.

A person's hand holding a small sprouted seedling with roots and soil, with a garden bed of young seedlings in the background and a wooden label that reads 'Wild leek'.
Green young plants in black pots in a nursery or garden with a fence and trees in the background.
A person in a brown jacket and tan beanie unrolling a white fabric tarp over trays of seedlings on a black plastic-covered outdoor planting bed.
A snow-covered backyard with a fence, leafless trees, and several black plant containers. A road with a stop sign is visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

RETAIL LOCATION:

The retail location is not only a place for people to buy locally grown native plants, but also a space for people to gather, get ideas for their own projects, and a place to sit and enjoy nature. Our gardens are inspired by some of the different eco-systems of Missouri and Kansas. They mimic prairie, savannas, and woodland eco-systems.

A caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes on a green plant with orange, pink, and yellow flowers.

Benefits of Native Plantings:

  • Create ecosystems to support local wildlife such as: Birds, Insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals

  • Can be used for rain water management

  • Keep our water sheds clean and and reduce effects of agricultural run off

  • Reduce erosion and stabilize stream banks

  • Build healthy soil

  • Help clean the air in urban environments

  • Require less water then conventional landscapes once established

  • Require less fossil fuels to maintain then introduced grass lawns

  • Reconnects us with nature

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Hello City Roots Customers! This is City Roots last weekend open for the Season! Thanks to everyone who came out this season, a-lot of native plants went in the ground this year! For our last weekend open In appreciation of you all and in sympathy fo
The Fall colors are starting to come in and the gardens and natural areas we visit are starting to get that classic fall time “crunch” as you walk through them. This is a great time to add any last minute plantings to your garden. For th
City Roots will gladly take back any of our undamaged pots or any similar pots. We accept square quart pots, 3in starter pots, black tree & shrub pots in 1-5 gallon size. Thanks to everyone who uses our pot return program, we super appreciate it.
City Roots is set up with Sow Wild Natives and Missouri Wild Flowers for a native plant sale at Missouri Western in St. Joseph Missouri. On Saturday the sale is from 1-5 and is going on in conjunction with the Missouri Master gardeners conference. On