Great Grow Out Program

Volunteer to Grow Native Plants From Home

Help put more native prairie plants in the ground, starting right at home! This program is free and all materials are provided.

Through the Great Grow Out, volunteers grow native prairie plants at home, at schools, at workplaces, and in their communities. The Coastal Prairie Conservancy provides everything you need to get started, completely free, including native seed, soil, pots, materials, and guidance.

Keep the plants you grow or return them to CPC for restoration and community projects. Either way, you are helping create more native habitat across our region. As Doug Tallamy, founder of the Homegrown National Park movement, puts it: “Nature is not optional. We need it for survival, and we need it where we live.”

Whether you are an experienced grower or completely new to native plants, there is a way for everyone to get involved.

Get Involved

NEW! Great Grow Out has expanded to include the entire plant growing cycle: Join us also to collect seeds, to clean and pack seeds, to take care of the potted plants at the Coastal Prairie Conservancy Native Seed Nursery, and to put these plants in the ground on our planting days. See our Great Grow Out Year-Round Activity flyer for more information.

Email Lan Shen to register for an upcoming Great Grow Out Workshop. We are happy to schedule workshops for your club or group!

Seeds Available NOW!

If you'd like to be a part of this year's Great Grow Out, you can pick up seeds at a number of different locations. Email Lan Shen or call 713-523-6135 to let us know you will be picking up seeds at any of these locations; we want to make sure we have them ready for you.

  1. Coastal Prairie Conservancy Main Office; 5615 Kirby Drive, Suite 867; Wednesdays from 2 – 5 p.m.

  2. Coastal Prairie Conservancy Field Office; 31975 Hebert Road; Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

  3. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Earth Day Event (April 2024); check back for more information.

If you have any questions, email Lan Shen or call 713-523-6135. Each seed packet has enough seeds for 18, 4"X4" pots. 

Available seeds are listed below. To view photos and information about each plant, click the corresponding link.

When your are ready to return your seedlings for use in a restoration project, email Lan or give us a call at 713-523-6135.

 
 

Learn To Grow Plants

Don’t have a green thumb but want to try growing natives? Take a look through our handbook or watch the videos below to get started!

Resources

We welcome comments from our growers!

Sent by Mary Hawkins who grew out rattlesnake master:
I … [researched] and found the following information, which was helpful. The seeds grow best when planted in the fall and over wintered in a protected environment. Also, rattlesnake master seedlings grow at glacial speed, and some seeds can take more than 12 weeks to sprout … I planted several seeds in each pot, and germination stretched over a six month period!

Sent by Doreen Gallevo who grew out longspike tridens:
The Tridens strictus was pretty easy to propagate. I used the starter tray filled with ProMix that you guys gave away when CPC spoke at a monthly NPSOT meeting, and I followed the instructions in the Growing Prairie Natives videos linked on your webpage. I had multiple seeds germinate in most cells. It did take some time to separate them into individual cones. I'm sure I lost a few of them (I probably didn’t water them often enough), but that 96-cell cone tray is a little more than half full and some of them are probably nine inches tall. They were in my backyard where I only get part sun, so they may have grown a little slower than in full sun, but it's the space that worked best for me.

Coastal Prairie Conservancy’s policy on working with minors

Volunteers under 18 must have a parent or guardian complete a waiver. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Group leaders: Please maintain a 1:10 chaperone-to-youth ratio and ensure all minors are registered in advance.

Volunteer Forms

Please complete our Waiver of Liability, Release & Indemnity form which is available on-line.

Pick-Up Form for Great Grow Out Seeds

Please click the button below once you’ve picked up seeds to help us keep track of active volunteers and seed supplies. Thank you!

seed pick-up form

Return Form for Great Grow Out Plants

Please click the button below once you’ve returned plants. Thank you!

Plant Return form