Category Archives: Oregon Native Plants

Oregon Native: Monardella odoratissim (Coyote Mint)

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Plant Name:  Monardella odoratissima
Common name: Coyote Mint, Mountain Pennyroyal
Plant Type:  Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 1’
Spread: 3’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color:  Whitish to Pale Purple to Pink.
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Sandy, Well-Draining.
Water Needs:  Drought Tolerant
Attributes: Aromatic; Hosted by Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Short-lived species; Deadhead spent blossoms; Cut back in fall.
Uses:  Bee, Butterfly, Hummingbird Gardens; Container.
Native to:  Western US & Canada
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Orchid Black / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)

Douglas Asters

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Botanical Name: Aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Common Name: Douglas Aster
Plant Type:Perennial
Height: Up to 4 ft
Spread: 3-4 ft
Flower Color: Yellow, Violet
Blooms: Summer into late Fall
Exposure: Full Sun – Part Shade
Soil: Moist &Rich, but will tolerate a variety of soils.
Water Needs: Medium
Wildlife: Host for 7 Butterfly & Moths species!
Habitat: Moist lowlands
Uses:Attracts Butterflies, Pollinator Gardens, Perennial Gardens, Native Gardens, and along Stream banks.
Native: Northwest USA
USDA Zones: 6a-9b

Photo from: https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/product/symphyotrichum-subspicatum-douglas-aster/

Oregon Native: Collomia grandiflora

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Plant Name:  Collomia grandiflora
Common name: Large Flower Collomia
Plant Type:  Annual Herb
Plant Height:  4” – 3’
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color:  Yellow Salmon to White with Blue Pollen
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry
Water Needs:  Low to No Water.
Attributes: Pollen for Bees.
Note:  Flowers are eaten by deer.  Powdery mildew is possible.
Uses: Cut Flower; Native Garden; Wildflower gardening; Pollinator Garden.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  6a – 9b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native Plant: Ceanothus cuneatus (Buckbush)

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High risk plant for wildfire, so not a good choice for homes in wildfire  regions!

Plant Name:  Ceanothus cuneatus
Common name:  Buckbrush
Plant Type:  Native, Perennial, Evergreen Shrub
Plant Height:  3.3’ – 11.5’
Spread:  2.5’ – 3.5’
Bloom Time: February – April
Flower Color:  Creamy White to Pale Blue to Lavendar
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Sand, Clay, & Serpentine, but needs fast drainage.
Water Needs:  Very Low Moisture.
Attributes:  Pollen/Nectar for Native Bees; Host for some Butterflies; Drought Tolerant; Deer Tolerant.
Note:  Mature Plants are highly flammable.
Uses:  Fragrant Flowers; Hedge/Screen or Small Tree.
Native to:  Western States to Baja CA
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7b – 10b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Eric in SF [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Oregon Native Plant: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Yellow Rabbitbush)

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Plant Name:  Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Common name: Yellow Rabbitbrush
Plant Type:  Shrub
Plant Height:  8” – 39”
Bloom Time: August – October
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Course to Medium; Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Low
Habitat: Dessert and semi-dessert
Attributes:  Drought Tolerant; Provides Cover & Nesting Habitat for Small Birds; Fall Forage for Some Butterflies; Pollen/Nectar for Native Bees; Provides Cover for Rabbits.
Note:  Spring Forage for Deer.
Uses: Restoration & Re-vegetation Plantings; Drought-Tolerant Plantings; Native Gardens; Low Maintenance Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5b – 8b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Taken By: Matt Lavin, Bozeman Montana, USA https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chrysothamnus_viscidiflorus_(3939348143).jpg

Pacific Wildflower

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On our hike yesterday we saw one of our favorite wildflowers, a Pacific Hounds Tongue, it is an old herbal I first heard of in Tasha Tudor literature. It is a Borage Family member and has a pretty little ‘forget me not” flower.”   ~Joanie Kintscher, AGC President

Pacific Hounds Tongue (Adelinia grande) is an early-blooming native perennial plant that prefers to grow in light dappled shade. Hound’s tongue is commonly found growing beneath Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana). It attracts native bees and hummingbirds and is an occasional larval host plant for moths and butterflies.