1. Gardens by the Sea Nursery, located along the coast in beautiful Encinitas, is a hidden gem. They carry a large selection of house plants, cacti, and succulents. What we’ve found most impressive is their pottery collection. As one review put it, “I was incredibly impressed by the selection, prices, and amazing customer service.” We agree!

2. Jessi’s Foliage and Plants, also located in Encinitas, boasts over 20 years of experience. If you are looking for a specific indoor plant to add to your collection, they will likely have it here. If you don’t visit their greenhouse, you can often find them at farmer’s markets and swap meets in Oceanside, Pacific Beach, Little Italy, and San Diego (Kobey’s).

3. Cordova Gardens, which is likely already on your list, is a family-owned and operated garden center. With such an impressive selection, this is genuinely a houseplant paradise. You will have to see their fiddle leaf forest to believe it! “This is a haven for gardeners… Plan to spend close to an hour your first trip.” You won’t find a more accurate assessment of Cordova.

4. Anderson’s La Costa Nursery, which opened in 1954, is a staple in San Diego County. The nursery sits on over an acre in Encinitas and carries one of the broadest selections of indoor and outdoor plants — over 3,000 varieties! Whether you’re looking for inspiration, a plant for your collection, or a gift for a loved one, you will likely find it at Anderson’s.

5. PlanterSam’s in San Marcos, our own pride and joy, had to make the list! What started as a side business selling plant displays and succulent arrangements has turned into something much greater. Now, we carry everything from house plants, succulents, and cacti to macramé, pots, and plant-related decor! As someone walked by our store they said, “Wow, it’s like having a nursery in our neighborhood!”

6. Green Thumb Nursery is a one-stop-shop for all of your plant needs. Green Thumb carries gardening supplies, indoor and outdoor plants, home and garden decor, furniture, and more. It’s no surprise that their nursery sits on over 4 acres and has 150 near-perfect reviews.

7. Landmark Plant Co, with Encinitas and Oceanside locations, is a modern plant, ceramic, and gift shop. What makes Landmark unique is its full-service planting station, knowledgeable staff, and events. One of their most recent events was a succulent terrarium building workshop!

8. Waterwise Botanicals is located just north up the 15 freeway in Bonsall. Waterwise Botanicals is a destination to experience as much as it is a place to buy plants. With acres of land, they have plenty to explore including ponds, picnic tables to sit and enjoy lunch, a gazebo, shade house, and more.

9. Andy's Orchids is a lesser-known, 'secret' plant nursery in San Diego. It's lesser known because it's only open to the public a handful of times per year. If you're lucky enough to visit on one of those days, you'll get a peak at this family-owned nursery that boasts 7,000 species of orchids and over 750,000 plants.

1. Vista Succulent Nursery is veteran-owned and family operated. We are thrilled we discovered this gem of a nursery. Their well-priced succulent inventory is expansive, and so is their expertise. You may even find that rare succulent you were looking for! It may feel like you made a wrong turn, but don’t worry, you’ll be glad you visited this succulent nursery in Vista.

2. Solana Succulents, a small retail succulent nursery located in Solana Beach, has been in the same location since 1992. If you ever have any questions about succulents or cacti, owner Jeff Moore will be able to help! He’s published four books on the topic, including Aloes & Agave in Cultivation, Soft Succulents, Spiny Succulents, and Under the Spell of Succulents.

While this is not an exhaustive list or in any particular order, we hope that this inspires you to find your own favorite plant and succulents nurseries. If you don’t know where to start, try visiting Gardens by the Sea, Jessi’s Foliage and Plants, or Cordova Gardens!

Did we miss any of your favorite local plant or succulent nurseries in North County? If you think there are any deserving nurseries in San Diego that should be added to this list or on future editions of this series (south and east counties), let us know and we will update it!

If you’re interested in what we are up to at our nursery in San Marcos, don’t hesitate to check out our Instagram where we share the most up-to-date information!