ASHLAND GARDEN CLUB

A Gathering of Gardeners Passionate About Growing Things in Ashland, Oregon

Horticulture Report: Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed)

Posted on April 22, 2025 by AGC

Oregon Native & Firewise Plant
Plant Name: Asclepias speciosa

Common name: Showy Milkweed
Plant type: Deciduous Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 6’
Spread: 4’
Bloom Time: May – September
Flower Color: Pink, White, Purple
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well Drained
Water Needs: Medium; Drought Tolerant
Attributes: Attracts Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies, Birds; Adult Monarchs feed on Flower Nectar and Caterpillars Eat Leaves; Deer Resistant; Monarch Larval Host
Note: Spread by Underground Rhizomes
Uses: Butterfly Garden; Borders; Rock Gardens; Native Gardens
Firewise: YES
Native to: Midwest to West USA, & Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Vicki Watkins USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Indian Hemp Dogbane

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Ashland Garden Club

Native Firewise Plant-

Plant Name: Apocynum cannabinum

Common name: Indian Hemp Dogbane

Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial

Height: 3’ – 7’

Spread: 1.5’ – 2.5’
Bloom Time: July – August

Flower Color: Cream/White
Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Requirements: Moist Sandy to Gravelly

Water Needs: Low to Moderate

Attributes: Pollinated by Bees, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Flies, Beetles, Wasps, & Moths; Flowers are Hermaphrodite; Supports Bats, Butterflies, Caterpillars; Drought Tolerant

Note: All parts of the plant are Poisonous; it Contains a milky latex which may cause Skin Blisters; Invasive via spreading roots;

Uses: Rain Gardens; Woodland Gardens; Butterfly Garden; Native Plant Garden; Erosion Control

Native to: NE United States & Canada

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Thayne Tuason, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia

Horticulture Report – Western columbine

Posted on March 7, 2025 by AGC

Native & Firewise Plant

Plant Name: Aquilegia formosa

Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Common name: Western columbine
Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 2’ – 3’
Spread: 1’
Bloom Time: Late Spring to August
Flower Color: Red, Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage, Organic Material
Water Needs: Low to Moderate; irrigate once a month once established
Attributes: Nectar in Flower Blooms are appealing to Hummingbirds;
Seed Heads provide Bird Food; Deer Resistant; Supports Bats, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars
Note: Self-sows, but Deadheading controls spread
Uses: Containers; Native Plant Gardens; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Firewise: YES
Native to: Lower 48 state, Alaska, Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member