We here at Nopalito Native Plant Nursery are very, very humble, so naturally we created this page to tell you all about ourselves...

October 18th, 2009...... We are a few hours from our grand opening, and we are getting all emotional.  It could be all the beers, or lack of sleep, or the fact that we have grown very close these last few years.  There are 3 of us at the heart of Nopalito - Antonio and Rick Sanchez, and Kenji Akune.  Rick and Kenji went to High School together, and have remained close friends.  Antonio (Rick's Cousin/ Primo) met and became friends with Kenji, and one day after many hikes and chile relleno burritos the 3 of us decided 'Lets do it, lets open up a nursery, dedicated to native, drought-tolerant plants and bring it to our local community.'  After lots of hard work, lots of good friends and a few mistakes, we are happy to say Nopalito is now a reality!  As we begin another step in our local journey, it is necessary to recognize and thank all the people who have helped make our dreams a reality.

Family – Thanks to our families, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents, spouses and little ones, for being there always.

Teachers, Mentors and Friends – We have been blessed and honored to work with and cross paths with so many influential folks in the native plant community.  Folks who have especially influenced us and guided us include Phil and Sherry (and Liz!) at Cal Flora Nursery, Carol Bornstein, Bruce Reed at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and all of the great folks at the Theodore Payne Foundation.  And thanks to our interns, for your hard work and passion for learning.  Gracias.

Customers – We have loved meeting so many great people at local farmers markets, and we look forward to meeting many more in the future.  Your stories, questions and dreams help us grow as a business and as people.  Thank you!

The Elders – Thank you... The folks who have been gathering native plant wisdom and sharing it with others for years and years.  These people, many of whom are no longer with us, are true visionaries, able to see California and its natural habitats, plants and creatures for what they are......one of the most beautiful places on earth.  We are truly blessed to have worked with some of you, and look forward to working with many more of you in the future.  Special thanks go out to the many native folks, their ancestors and their friends who have helped to pass down the knowledge and ways these plants can enrich not only our gardens, but our lives.

Sincerely,
Kenji, Rick and Antonio
Nopalito Native Plant Nursery

Plant Native, Enjoy Life!