Half Moon Bay Nursery

If you find yourself driving from the SF mid-peninsula on hwy 92 towards the beach be sure to stop at one of my favorite spots - Half Moon Bay Nursery. It's easy to miss the entrance so keep an eye out for the first set of greenhouses on the left. There are several nurseries on this stretch of hwy 92 but in my opinion this is the best.

Front drive of Half Moon Bay Nursery
Front drive of Half Moon Bay Nursery
The nursery is composed of a few large, outside areas as well as several connected green houses which look as if they'd been added at different times over many years. Nooks and crannies abound filled with all sorts of plants organized by category.

Winding through greenhouses looking for succulents
I've been coming here for over a decade and for much of that time I wasn't so very interested in succulents. In fact this isn't a succulent nursery at all - they just have a great selection and competitive prices!

The succulent greenhouse





Earlier this year I recognized some of their larger cactus as having come from Waterwise Botanicals in San Diego County. For example a 5 gal Cliestocactus or Trichocereus from Waterwise went for about $18 wholesale earlier this year and roughly twice that price here at the Half Moon Bay Nursery. When you factor in shipping plus all the overhead of running a nursery this seems like a reasonable markup. Paying the markup for a few plants certainly beats driving all the way to San Diego and back!

Sedum, Echeveria, smaller Aloes and more




Another aspect of this nursery I like is the constantly rotating stock as it means there is always something new to look at during a seasonal or even monthly trip.


Aloe thraskii
Anyone need a young Aloe Tree?

Agave 'Blue Flame'

If you need instant gratification and are willing to pay a premium there are always several large specimen plants available. Even these pricier plants seem to move pretty quickly. I've never bought a plant at this price point but they sure are aspirational.

Aloe plicatilis
Aloe plicatilis
Is $160 for a 15 gal Aloe plicatilis a competitive price? I've definitely seen similar ones at other nurseries listed for a higher price.

Assortment of Leucadendron and Leucospermum
Heading out the backside of the succulent house is a passageway filled with perfect companion plants for your Aloe, Agave, Cacti etc ... Leucadendron and Leucospermum. At the end of this passageway is the back of the nursery.

Backside of Half Moon Bay Nursery
Backside of Half Moon Bay Nursery
Looking for penstemon, salvia, rudbeckia, cistus or just about anything else? Chances are you'll find these plants here in the back of the nursery. In the distance are structures with shade loving plants which deserve a post of their own some day.

I barely scratched the surface of what's available at Half Moon Bay Nursery so if you're in the area be sure to stop in and experience for your self. They do not currently have a website as far as I can tell but you can still learn more through the HMB Nursery Yelp Profile

Comments

  1. It looks like a fantastic nursery, Hans, one I'd enjoy visiting if I traveled up that way - especially if we had our car with us so that I could more easily tote plants home as visiting a nursery without the ability to do that is downright painful. Succulents were still relatively hard to come by in my immediate area when we moved into our current place 7 years ago but now I can't think of a garden center locally that doesn't carry a good mix of them. Still, your Half Moon Bay Nursery looks to have an excellent selection.

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    1. Thanks Kris. If you do make it out this way be sure to give me a shout.

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