Plant Name: Helianthus mollis
Common name: Ashy Sunflower, Hairy Sunflower, Downy Sunflower
Plant Type: Rhizomatous Perennial Sunflower
Plant Height: 2’ – 4’
Spread: 1’ – 3’
Bloom Time: July – September
Flower Color: Ray & Disk Flowers are Yellow.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average, Sandy, Poor Rocky Soil that Drains Well.
Water Needs: Dry to Medium
Attributes: Attracts Birds & Butterflies; Tolerates Dry, Rocky Soil.
Note: Plants spread by rhizomes & self-seeding to form colonies; Caterpillars & Beetles often chew foliage.
Uses: Showy Flower for Arrangements; Naturalized Areas, Border Gardens, Wildflower & Native Plant Gardens.
Native to: Central & Eastern North America
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9
Tag Archives: Bird-Friendly Plants
Red-Flowering Currant
Plant Name: Ribes sanguineum
Common name: Red Flowering Currant
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub
Height: 3-9 feet
Spread: 21/2 feet
Bloom Time: February – April 
Flower Color: Deep Pink to Red
Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Fertile, Well-drained
Water Needs: Moderate
Attributes: Elegant showy fuchsia-like flowers, Drought tolerant, Deer-proof, Plant for pollinators, Foliage eaten by Zephyr and other butterfly larvae, Small black berries are eaten by songbirds and small mammals
Uses: Dry Open Woodlands, Native Plant, Cottage Gardens, Perennial Garden,
Mixed Shrub Boarders
Native to: Pacific Coast
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-10
Food for Birds
We’ve heard it before, * “do not cut and remove perennial stems and flower heads in the fall.” These pictures clearly demonstrate local birds feeding on these valuable fall and winter food sources!
Photos courtesy of: Suzanne Sky – Talent, Oregon
*Read AGC’s article: //ashlandorgardenclub.org/2018/10/15/gardening-prepare-for-winter/
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas
Horticulture Report: Cotoneaster salicifolius
Plant Name: Cotoneaster salicifolius
Common name: Willow-leaf cotoneaster
Plant type: Broadleaf Evergreen shrub
Height: 6-8 ft
Width: 6-10 ft
Bloom Time: May
Flower Color: Small White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained Sandy Loam
Water Needs: Average, tolerates drought
Attributes: Non-edible Showy Red Berries in Winter, Arching Habit with open branches, Bird-friendly.
Uses: Border, Specimen, Background plant, Bank Cover, Group/Mass Plantings, Hedge, Year-round Interest.
Note: In hot areas part sun is best.
Native to: Western China & Northern India
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-8
Low-growing varieties:
Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Repens’: Low-growing form. Can use as a groundcover. Covered in red pomes fruits in the fall. Semi-evergreen in severe winter areas. ‘Green Carpet’ is very similar in habit.
Cotoneaster salicifolius ‘Scarlet Leader’ – Prostrate form creates a mat-like low ground cover only 2-3′ tall but spreads 8- 10′. Foliage is glossy & disease-free. Leaves can have purple hue in winter. Produces abundant scarlet berries in the winter.