Las Pilitas Nursery

Super happy ordering online some Penstemon Centranthifolius(Red Penstemon) . They’ve been hard to find here in S Cal and Las Pilitas had them! I ordered online and the came packed very well. I’m super happy I found Las Pilitas. Now I know I have a place to get natives for changing our landscaping. Below are the plants and packaging. Would 100% recommend them! Update, The Scarlet Bugler Penstemon grew in amazing. Native to Southern Ca in our growing zone. I used CalScape.com to find out what grew well. Attached is the Scarlet Bugler Penstemon. It's not full yet but it's grown to height and the hummingbirds love it.

I have always been more than satisfied when buying native plants from this Nursery.

I purchased a Cercis occidentalis (western redbud). What I got was a barely alive not quite 4” high wiry looking redbud and a very sickly oenothera hockum (Hooker’s evening primrose) covering most of the bag they were shipped in. When I sent an email questioning why I was sent the second plant, Penny’s reply was if there is something else growing in the pot, they just leave it and if I don’t like it, to just peel it out. When I replanted today, I found that the evening primrose had nearly choked off all the redbud’s roots. No wonder the redbud is so stunted and fragile looking. (Bear in mind, this is the plant I paid for.) The primrose was also in obvious distress, so I don’t know if either will survive transplanting. Their roots were completely enmeshed, and it took me a very long time to separate them. In addition to the mass of fine roots, the evening primrose had thick roots coiled all through the shared root ball; it was definitely killing the redbud. And soon as I opened the bag, a lot of the fine roots shed off with me even touching them – a very bad sign about the condition of both plants. I believe I was sold a very distressed redbud that no-one else wanted. If I had seen this in person, I would have passed on it. I also figured there would be no way to return them (I doubt they would survive) and get my money back, so I am trying my best to recoup my cost by keeping both alive. However, I feel ripped off and will never order from this nursery again. I have ordered from other nurseries and have never received such poor-quality plants.

Penny and Las Pilitas Nursery are awesome! So happy for their fall opening days. Penny and her team are very personable and the plants are rare/great/ecologically important. Beautiful and spectacular grounds for plant nerds.

Incredibly helpful staff, amazing variety and knowledge of native California plants. Plants are well cared for and in excellent shape. Shipping is very careful as well. I have ordered 10+ times and have never had an issue. Highly recommend.