Category Archives: Oregon Native Plants

Oregon Native: Tufted Hairgrass

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Plant Name:  Deschampsia cespitosa
Common name:  Tufted Hairgrass
Plant Type:  Ornamental Grass
Plant Height:  2’ – 3’
Spread:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: July – September
Flower Color:  Tones of Gold, Silver, Purple, Green
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Medium, Moist, Well-Drained Soil;
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flowers; Attracts Birds; Winter Interest; Airy Panicles of Variably-Color form a cloud that is attractive when backlit; Deer Resistant.
Note:  Cut Foliage to Ground in Late Winter
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Mixes well with Shade Loving Perennials; Butterfly Gardens, Woodland Gardens.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native: Thalictrum sparsiflorum (Fewflower Meadow Rue)

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Plant Name:  Thalictrum sparsiflorum
Common name:  Fewflower Meadow Rue
Plant type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Height:  4’ – 6’
Spread: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color:  White to Pinksh
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Average to Medium Well-Drained Soil
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flower; Deer Resistant.  Blueish, Columbine like foliage with airy clusters atop sturdy stems.
Note:  Powdery Mildew & Rust can occasionally be a problem. Contrary to its name, it produces many flowers.
Uses:  Good Background Plant when grouped.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 7

Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native Plant Inside-Out Flower

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Plant Name: Vancouveria hexandra
Common name: Inside-Out Flower
Plant type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Spread: 1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Organically rich, acidic, consistently moist, well drained loam
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Spread by underground rhizomes,
it will easily fill a space; disease & pest free.
Note:  Cut back & clean up dead leaves in spring to ready for new growth.
Uses:  Ground Cover or Edger;
Native to:  SW Washington, Oregon, & California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 7

Report Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas

Native plant: Veratrum californicum

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White false hellebore (Veratrum californicum) can be identified from the similar green false hellebore (Veratrum viride) by its spreading to ascending panicle branches and white flowers. The latter species has drooping panicle branches in the inflorescence and creamy green flowers. White-false hellebore can be found in vernally moist meadows in the mountains across central and eastern Oregon as well as in lower elevation meadows west of the Cascades and along the Pacific coast.

Common Name: Corn Lily
Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun to semi- shade, will not tolerate full shade
Moisture: Moist – Wet
Soil: Loam (medium); Clay (heavy); Sandy (light) if it stays wet.
Attributes: Bold showy plant; White flowers on tall stocks
Note: Cut back when leaves turn brown
Uses:  Native Gardens; Wetlands; Wildflower; Woodland;
Native: Western North America (elevations 3,500ft – 11,000 ft)

Warning: Veratrum californicum has poisonous leaves and roots. The roots are 5 to 10 times as poisonous as leaves or stem, so take special care when handling. Veratrum califoricum causes severe birth defects and death in sheep and in various rodent species.  There are also incidents of llamas, alpacas, goats and cows being affected. Deer and gophers do not bother this plant.

Veratrum californicum Photo by: Klamath Siskiyou Seeds

Article by: Lucretia Weems and Carlotta Lucas

Viburnum ellipticum

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Horticulture Report

Plant Name:  Viburnum ellipticum
Common name: Oregon Viburnum
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 11’
Spread: 6’ – 10’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Water Needs: Prefer semi-moist, but will tolerant dry
Attributes:  Supports Pollinators; Pest-eating insects & birds; 3-Season; Fall berries for birds. 
Interest: Showy flowers, Red leaves in fall and blue-black Berries  
Note:  Tolerates seasonal flooding & drought.  Grows along stream banks.
Uses:  As a Screen or Background Plant,  Use along high banks of creeks, margins of wet areas, and at edges of trees
Native to: Washington & Oregon west of the Cascades
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9

Report Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Horticulture Report: Smilacina racemosa

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Plant Name: Smilacina racemosa
Common name: False Solomon’s Seal
Plant type: Perennial, Wildflower
Height: 3’
Spread: 2’
Bloom Time:Mid Spring
Flower: Color White
Exposure: Light to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements: Deep, humus-rich, acid soils
Water Needs: Average to Moist
Attributes: Attracts Bee/Butterfly; Fragrant Flowers followed by Red Berries, Birds and small mammals eat these berries, Easy care, Drought Tolerant, Graceful arching stems
Uses: Woodland Gardens; Native Gardens
Native to: Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

born1945_Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0

Report Submitted by: Viki Ashford