XEN

Native plant nursery, ecological restoration, xeriscape landscaping, contaminated site clean up and

Xeriscape Endemic Nursery & Ecological Solutions - Native Plant Nursery, Ecological Restoration & Land Reclamation, Consulting & Regulatory Coordination

10/08/2026

We’re loving the beautiful fall colours around the nursery! Our Douglas Maple (Acer glabrum), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), and Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) are just a few of many Okanagan native plants that put on a show as temperatures begin to drop 🍂

09/25/2026

This week, we found out some of our Golden Aster (Heterotheca villosa) seeds germinating while still attached to the parent plant! This phenomenon is called vivipary, coming from Latin roots meaning “live birth.”

Seed dormancy and germination are controlled by a balance between abscisic acid (ABA), which keeps seeds dormant, and gibberellins (GA), which promote growth and germination. When conditions are unusually warm and moist, ABA can decrease and GA can increase prematurely, triggering seeds to sprout before they detach from the parent plant.

Vivipary is actually a specialized evolutionary adaptation for some plants! It’s most often seen in mangroves, which grow in unstable tidal environments. By germinating while still attached, the developing seedling has a better chance of rooting quickly when it falls, rather than being washed away or buried before it can establish.

While it may not be an evolutionary adaptation for the Golden Aster, it’s still cool to see vivipary in action!

09/14/2026

Come see us at the Okanagan Xeriscape Association (OXA) Fall Plant Sale this weekend! We’ll be bringing lots of both ornamental and native xeriscape plants 🍂

📆 Saturday, September 19th from 10am - 2pm
💥NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR💥
📍 Xeriscape Spirit Square Garden (2569 May St, West Kelowna)

09/11/2026

Let’s talk fall planting!

While spring is often seen as the go-to planting season, fall is actually one of the best times to plant. The soil is still warm from summer, but cooler air temperatures reduce stress on new plants. This gives the roots more time to establish in milder conditions before facing the hot, dry Okanagan summer. By the time spring comes, the roots will also be ready to take advantage of spring moisture and growing conditions.

Cooler temperatures also mean less evaporation and water loss, reducing the need for watering, which is an important benefit as we continue to face drought conditions and water restrictions.

Many of our restoration projects take place in the fall for these reasons, especially in areas that rely solely on rainfall for water. Planting in the fall helps improve survival rates and gives plants a better shot at long-term success.

This year, consider planting in the fall instead of waiting until spring. If you’re looking to buy native or xeriscape plants, we will be at the Okanagan Xeriscape Association (OXA) Fall Plant sale at Xeriscape Spirit Square Garden (2569 May St, West Kelowna) on September 19th from 10am-2pm and would be more than happy to help you out!

08/21/2026

Did you know Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) gets both its common and scientific names from its clusters of white berries? Symphoricarpos albus comes from Greek and Latin roots meaning “white fruit borne together”. Its bright white berries persist well into winter, providing an important food source for birds when other resources are scarce. Common Snowberry is widely used in restoration because it is extremely adaptable and drought-tolerant, allowing it to grow in almost any environment. It also spreads readily by suckers, helping to stabilize soil, prevent erosion, and quickly establish valuable habitat. Its compact growth habit, typically reaching about 3 feet tall, makes its excellent for erosion control in areas where an unobstructed view is a priority. 🌱

08/07/2026

With all the wildfire smoke lately, we thought it would be a fitting time to highlight some of the fire adaptations of plants native to our region!

First up is Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), one of our most fire-resistant plants. It maintains high moisture levels in its foliage, has broad leaves that are less prone to ignition, lacks the highly volatile oils found in many fire-prone species, and naturally sheds its lower branches as it matures, creating separation from surface fuels. If it does burn, it often resprouts vigorously from underground rhizomes that are protected from the heat of the fire.

Swipe to learn about a few more native species and their responses to wildfire 👉🏻

Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii) is also quite fire-resistant thanks to its high moisture content and low levels of flammable resins. Its leaves and flowers contain saponins, soap-like compounds that are highly fire retardant. Following fire, Mock Orange can often regenerate by resprouting from its root crown, allowing it to recover even when above-ground growth is damaged.

Snowbrush Ceanothus (Ceanothus velutinus) takes a different approach than the previous species. Instead of resisting fire, it depends on it. Its seeds can remain dormant in the soil for decades, and heat from wildfire helps break their dormancy and trigger germination. Snowbrush Ceonothus is also a nitrogen fixer, which allows it to replenish nitrogen depleted soil following wildfires.

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) is one of our most fire-adapted conifers. Historically, it evolved alongside our region’s frequent medium- and low-intensity fires. Mature trees develop thick, insulating bark that protects living tissue from heat, and they naturally shed many of their lower branches, which reduces the likelihood that fires will climb into the canopy.

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is a disturbance colonizer that produces extremely wind-mobile seeds capable of travelling several kilometres in search of new burn areas to thrive in. It is often one of the first colourful signs that a burned area is recovering. Its underground rhizomes can also often survive wildfires, allowing it to quickly re-establish af

07/24/2026

A fun thing about many trailing plants is that you can propagate them from their runners (also called stolons) to grow new plants! Both pictured here, Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) send out long horizontal stems with nodes that can develop roots when they come into contact with soil. Once those roots are established, the new plant can be separated from the parent plant and continue growing on its own 🌱

07/17/2026

In addition to our native species, we also carry a variety of highly drought tolerant ornamental plants for homeowners and landscapers, including the stunning Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) featured here! These species thrive with minimal water, making them a lower maintenance option that can help reduce both water use and costs without sacrificing beauty. Swipe through to see some of our other drought tolerant plants currently showing off their blooms 🌼

Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber var. coccineus) 🌸

Lanceleaf Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) 🌿

Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella) 🌺

Winter Hardy Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum hybridum ‘Winter Hardy’) 🌸

07/02/2026

A few of the little critters (and their eggs!) that call XEN home 🪺🪲✨

Despite being a man-made environment, our nursery is home to plenty of Okanagan wildlife and insects. From nesting in plants to finding shelter in pots, these little visitors always seem to find a place here. Whenever possible, we’re happy to leave them undisturbed… after taking a few photos, of course!

12/16/2025

Another fantastic Arsenault Enviromental project we had the pleasure to work on!

Address

2468 Hayman Road
Westbank, BC
V1Z1Z9

Telephone

2507690369

Website

http://xeneco.ca/

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