AGC Annual Plant Sale
Author Archives: AGC
Horticulture Report: Arbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone)
Oregon State University
Oregon Native & Firewise Plant
Plant Name: Arbutus menziesii
Common name: Pacific madrone
Plant type: Broadleaf Evergreen Tree
Height: 20’ – 65’
Spread: 5’ – 25’
Bloom Time: Flowers in Spring; Berries in Fall
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Shade to Partial Shade; North Facing Slope
Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Soil Requirements: Fast to Medium Drainage; Tolerates Heavy Soil
Water Needs: Dry to Medium
Attributes: Peeling Bark; Red Berries; Robins, Starlings, Band-tailed Pigeons Feed on Berries; Supports Bats, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Moths; Host to Brown Elfin Butterfly; Nectar for Hummingbirds; Winter Interest; Drought Tolerant
Note: Slow Growing; Large Tree; Messy in the Garden due to Bark & Leaf Shedding; Pests are Phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death), Madrone Canker, Aphids, Leaf Miners
Uses: Bank Stabilization; Hedge; Bird Gardens; Mixed Borders
Firewise: YES
Native to: Pacific Northwest & California
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 9
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Oregon Native & Firewise Plant: Narrowleaf Milkweed
Plant Name: Asclepias fascicularis 
Common name: Narrowleaf Milkweed
Plant type: Deciduous Flowering Perennial
Height: 3’
Spread: 8” – 10”
Bloom Time: Summer to Fall
Flower Color: Lavender, Pink, Greenish White
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Dry to Moist Soil; Grows in Clay Soil
Water Needs: Low
Attributes: Attracts Monarch Butterflies; Host Caterpillars; Attracts Native Bees, Bumble Bees; Predatory Insects; Monarch Butterflies lay eggs & larvae feed & mature into chrysalis; Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant
Note: Open Seed Pods spill Plentiful Silky Hairs; Somewhat Toxic; Spreads by Rhizomes
Uses: Native Gardens; Pollinator Gardens; Rock Gardens
Firewise: YES
Native to: Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6a – 10b
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Horticulture Report: Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed)
Oregon Native & Firewise Plant
Plant Name: Asclepias speciosa
Common name: Showy Milkweed
Plant type: Deciduous Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 6’
Spread: 4’
Bloom Time: May – September
Flower Color: Pink, White, Purple
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well Drained
Water Needs: Medium; Drought Tolerant
Attributes: Attracts Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies, Birds; Adult Monarchs feed on Flower Nectar and Caterpillars Eat Leaves; Deer Resistant; Monarch Larval Host
Note: Spread by Underground Rhizomes
Uses: Butterfly Garden; Borders; Rock Gardens; Native Gardens
Firewise: YES
Native to: Midwest to West USA, & Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9
Report by: Viki Ashford
Photo Credit: Vicki Watkins USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Daffodils Galore!
AGC President, Carol Walker’s front yard is a profusion of color.
Did you know daffodils are deer proof?
You can see this flower display at the corner of Liberty Street and Holly Street during April.
Horticulture Report: Arctostaphylos nevadensis
Oregon Native & Firewise
Plant Name: Arctostaphylos nevadensis
Pinemat Manzanita
Common name: Pinemat Manzanita
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 1’ – 2’
Spread: 3’ – 5’
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, Winter
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Acidic Soil; Fast Draining
Water Needs: Low; Don’t Irrigate Once Established
Attributes: Supports Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds; Pollen & Nectar for Native Bees; Nectar for Hummingbirds
Note: Not easily established at low elevations
Uses: Soil Stabilization; Ground Cover; Lawn Alternative; Rock Garden
Firewise: YES
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 9a
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Photos from Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/arctostaphylos-nevadensis