Tag Archives: Butterfly Host Plants

Oregon Native: Pacific Bleeding Heart

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Plant Name:  Dicentra formosa
Common name:  Pacific Bleeding Heart
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  6” – 18”
Plant Width:  3’
Bloom Time:  March – July
Flower Color:  Pink
Exposure: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained, Humus Soil.
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistance: Score 10 (Good). Plant Zone 1 within 10 feet of structures
Attributes: Attracts Hummingbirds; Conspicuous Flowers; Food Plant for Butterfly Larvae; Deer Resistant.
Uses:  Accent Plant; Ground cover; Cottage Garden; Beds & Borders, Pollinator Gardens, Native Landscapes, Firewise Landscapes.
Note:  Keep Mulched with Decaying Humus; Extensive Rhizome System; All Plant Parts Poisonous. Deadheading Extends Bloom; May Go dormant in summer after flowering, Re-appears in fall to flower again.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo by: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Mountain Spirea

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Plant Name:  Spiraea splendens
Common name:  Mountain Spirea/Rose Meadowsweet
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  1.5’ – 3’
Plant Width:  1.5’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June to August
Flower Color: Rose Pink
Exposure:  Sun to Light Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates a Variety of Soils, but Well-Drained.
Water Need:  Low
Attributes: Yellow Fall Color; Fragrant Flowers; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Good for Pollinators.
Uses: Butterfly Garden; Small Space Shrub.
Native to:  British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9

City of Ashland Firewise Plant: Plants may be planted within 5 feet of a building.

Report by AGC Members: Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas

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

Oregon Native:Utah Serviceberry

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Plant Name:  Amelanchier utahensis
Common name:  Utah Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 15’
Spread: 10′-15′
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color:  White/Pink
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates most soils, but well-drained.
Water Needs:  Low – Medium
Attributes:  Browse Food for Birds & Wildlife; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Attracts Pollinators.
Note:  Berries eaten by Birds; Deep Root System; Plant is Self-Fertile.
Uses: Accent Shrub; Windbreak Hedge
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 8
Fire Resistance Score: 5 (Zone 2: plant 60 ft away from house)

Report by: Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas

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

Western Wild Ginger

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Plant Name:  Asarum caudatum
Common name:  Western Wild Ginger
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .25’ – .5’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained, Wet Soil.
Water Need:  Medium to Wet
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Tolerates Heavy Shade with Wet Soil; Attracts Butterflies; Larval Host.
Uses: Ground Cover; Rain Garden; Edging.
Note:  Spreads by Rhizomes; Blooms are near the Ground, Hidden by Foliage; May Harbor Slugs & Snails.
Native to:  British Columbia & Western States
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 10

Article by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>

Dwarf Serviceberry

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Plant Name:  Amelanchier pumila
Common name:  Dwarf Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 5’
Spread: 3’ – 5’
Bloom Time: March – April
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerant of Wide Range of Soils, but Moist.
Water Needs: Medium
Firewise: Medium Fire Resistance
Attributes:  Attracts Birds; Showy Flowers; Hosts Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Edible Fruit loved by Birds.
Uses: 4 Seasons of Interest; Hedge; Border; Rock Garden; Bird Garden.
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native: Amelanchier pallida

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Plant Name:  Amelanchier pallida
Common name:  Pale Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  10’
Bloom Time: April – June; Fruiting – July – September
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist Soil; Tolerates Sandy/Loamy/Clay Soils.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Hosts Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Self Fertile; Edible Fruit, but Birds will strip plant before ripe.
Deer eat leaves & twigs, Bears eat the berries.
Uses:  Pollinator Garden, Woodland Garden, High elevation plant, Along stream beds.
Native to:  Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Additional Information: https://calscape.org/Amelanchier-pallida-()

Report by: Viki Ashford, AG Member and Master Gardener

Photo: http://www.intermountainnursery.com