Fullerton College’s Horticulture Department hosted its annual spring plant sale on May 5, 6 and 12. The department showcased a diverse variety of this year’s plants that students and interns worked hard to prepare and grow.

Being the spring sale, the event mostly consisted of drought-tolerant plants. They also sold perennials, cacti and succulents, shade and house plants, vines and herbs.

The most popular plant purchased is generally a California-friendly plant. Laboratory technician and one of the coordinators of the plant sale, Diane Komos, expressed this is due to California’s current drought.

“Our drought-tolerant plants are the most popular and the reason is because we’re in the middle of a drought and water is being destroyed in some cities, so you don’t want ‘water hogs,’” Komos said.

Although the tomato plant sale usually attracts the largest amount of customers, the spring plant sale tends to also have quite a decent turnout, this year’s sale bringing about 300 customers in to shop.

Each intern has their own designated section they take care of. The proceeds acquired from each plant sale pay the salaries of the interns. “It’s been that way for nineteen years and they’re responsible for growing all the plants for sell,” Komos added.

The Horticulture Department is partnered with Fullerton Beautiful, an organization that hosts an annual garden walk where homeowners apply to open their private gardens up to the public on that day.

The organization creates maps of each year’s garden walk and charges each attendee for the maps. The money acquired is used to help provide the students with scholarships.

“There were four students chosen by teachers who received $500 each for scholarships and Fullerton Beautiful will do the same this year as well,” Komos said.