Today in the garden: Member Viki Ashford’s Garden Photos by Viki
Plant Name: Ribes aureum
Common name: Golden Currant
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 7’
Spread: 2’ – 6’
Bloom Time: Early to Mid Spring
Flower Color: Golden Yellow
Exposure: Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Variety of Soils with Medium to Slow Drainage.
Water Needs: Low to High.
Attributes: Attracts Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies; Red Autumn Color; Attracts Bees & Birds; Deer Resistant; Fragrance of Cloves or Vanilla.
Note: Surround with Mulch.
Uses: Bee, Bird, Butterfly Gardens
Native to: North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service – Al Schneider
Plant Name: Rubus ursinus
Common name: Pacific Blackberry, or Dewberry
Plant Type: Evergreen, Semi Evergreen Shrub or Low Trailing
Plant Height: 6’ – 10’
Spread: 6’
Bloom Time: February to May
Flower Color: White to Pink
Exposure: Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements: Medium to Slow Drainage.
Water Needs: Moderate to High
Attributes: Hosts several Butterflies & Moths. Leaves can be used to make herbal tea. Produces Edible Berries. Sometimes plants are referred to as ground berries.
Note: 1st Year Stems (Primocanes) produce only leaves; 2nd Year Lateral Branches (Floricanes) produce flowers & fruit. Canes are very prickly; Prune during winter dormancy.
Uses: Ground Cover; Bird Garden; Native Gardens; Pollinator Gardens, Native Berries.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 10
Report by: Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members
Photo Credit: Wikipedia / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
Photo by: Carlotta Lucas
Plant Name: Spiraea douglasii
Common name: Douglas or Western Spirea
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 7’
Plant Width: 3’ – 6’
Bloom Time: June to August
Flower Color: Deep Pink
Exposure:Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well drained, acidic, loamy, sandy soil.
Water Need: Does well in wet areas;
Attributes: Retains brown seed heads; Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Other Pollinators; Deer Resistant.
Note: Needs consistent moisture; Remove suckers; Susceptible to Fire Blight, Leaf Spot, Powdery Mildew, Aphids, Scale. Prune after Flowering.
Uses: Hedge; Rain Garden; Cottage Gardens; Borders; Slopes.
Native to: Oregon to Alaska
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member
Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member Photo Location: Hyatt Lake, Oregon – July 25, 2020
Photos by: Lucretia Weems