Category Archives: Oregon Native Plants

Oregon Native: Calycanthus occidentalis

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Plant Name:  Calycanthus occidentalis
Common name:  California or Western Sweetshrub or Spice Bush
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 13’
Plant Width:  3’ – 13’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Autumn
Flower Color: Dark Red to Burgundy to Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Sun; Will Tolerate Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates a Wide Variety of Soil.
Water Need:  Med to High
Attributes: Pollinated by Beetles; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant; Yellow Fall Color.
Firewise: Yes
Uses: Hedge, Butterfly Garden; Shrub Border; Foundation Plant; Woodland Garden.
Note:  Bark has strong Camphor smell when scraped; Strongly Scented Flowers; Prune Immediate after Flowering; Flowers only last a day or two.
Native to:  Western US
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member/ Master Gardener

Oregon Native: Siskiyou Iris

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Plant Name:  Iris bracteata
Common name:  Siskiyou Iris
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1’ 
Bloom Time: Spring &  Summer
Flower Color: Golden Yellow to Creamy White
Exposure:  Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements:  Prefers Sandy or Loamy Soil
Water Need:  Low to Medium
Attributes: Deer Resistant
Uses: Wildflower Gardens, Perennial Beds, Native Gardens, Woodland Gardens 
Note:  In the wild it grows in sunny to shady areas in dry pine forests or in sunny in meadow openings.
Native to:  California & Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Photo by John McRae, U.S. Forest Service https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/Pacific_Coast/iris_bracteata.shtml

Oregon Native: Lanceleaf Coreopsis

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Plant Name:  Coreopsis lanceolota
Common name:  Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1’ – 2.5’
Plant Width:  1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time:  April – June
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Sandy, Gravelly, Loam, Clay – all with good drainage.
Water Need:  Medium; Drought Tolerant
Firewise: Zone 1 score 8, plant 30 ft or more from a structure
Attributes: Attracts Pollinators; Good Cut Flower.
Uses:  Native Wildflower Gardens; Borders; Cottage/Cutting Garden.
Note:  Deadhead to maintain flowering into summer; selectively thin in the interior to improve appearance; Mulch.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members

Photo by: Qwertzy2, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Antennaria rosea (Pink Pussy Toes)

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Plant Name:  Antennaria rosea
Common name:  Pink Pussy Toes
Plant Type:  Evergreen Groundcover
Plant Height:  .33’ – 1.3’
Plant Width: 8’ – 12’
Bloom Time:  June – August
Flower Color:  Cream to Pink to Red
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Good Draining Soil.
Water Need:  Low
Firewise: Yes, 30’ from house
Attributes: Host Plant for Caterpillars & Moths; Attracts Bees & Butterflies.
Uses:  Native Wildflower Groundcover; Butterfly & Pollinator Gardens; Rock Garden.
Native to:  Western US, Great Plains, Alaska
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo Credit: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Post by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Southern Oregon Native: Cercocarpus montanus

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Plant Name:  Cercocarpus montanus
Common name:  Alderlead/Silverleaf Mountain Mahogany
Plant Type:  Evergreen Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height: 8’ – 20’
Plant Width:  4’ – 8’
Bloom Time:  April – May
Flower Color: Non-showy Flowers followed by Feathery, Silver-White Fruit. Small flowers appear red when they first open, then turn whitish-yellow 
Exposure:  Sun; Tolerates Shady Sites.
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained
Water Need:  Low to Medium
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Nitrogen Fixer; Attracts Butterflies/Moths; Tolerates Drought; Bark is Dark Red Mahogany Color; Good Fall color.
Uses:  Erosion Control; Hedge
Native to:  SW Oregon – California – Rockies
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photos by: Nadiatalent, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Oregon Native: Dutchman’s Breeches

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Plant Name:  Dicentra cucullaria
Common name:  Dutchman’s Breeches
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – 1’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time:  March – May
Flower Color:  2 Outer Petals are White; 2 Inner Petals are Yellow
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Rich, Moist, Humusy, Well-Draining Soil; Tolerates Clay Soil.
Water Need:  Medium
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Showy Flowers; Nectar Attracts Bees.
Uses:  Native & Wildflower Gardens; Shade Garden.
Note:  Some Susceptibility to Aphid Infestation; Plant Goes Dormant in Early Summer; All Parts Poisonous.
Native to:  Central & Eastern North America, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Biosthmors, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member