Market perceptions and opportunities for native plant production on the southern Colorado plateau

Increases in revegetation activities have created a large demand for locally adapted native plant materials (NPM) in the southwestern United States. Currently, there is a minimal supply of local genotypes to meet this demand. We investigated the potential for the initiation of a native plant market in the southern Colorado Plateau. Through a literature search, interviews, and site visits, we identified existing native plant markets outside of the region as useful models to help initiate a regional market. We used webbased surveys to identify and analyze current and future NPM needs and concerns. Survey results indicate that management policy strongly drives decisions regarding the use and purchase of NPM. From a demand perspective, lack of availability and cost of NPM has kept purchasing minimal, despite policy changes favoring the use of natives. For suppliers, further development of NPM is limited by inconsistent and unreliable demand and lack of production knowledge. The knowledge and tools necessary to initiate an NPM market are available, but inadequate funding sources and insufficient information sharing hinder its development. Communication among producers, land managers, buyers, and researchers, as well as partnerships with local growers, appear to be vital to initiating a functional market.