Tag Archives: Butterfly Host Plants

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

Oregon Native: Thimbleberry

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Plant Name:  Rubus parviflorus

Common name:  Thimbleberry
Plant Type:  Perennial Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 8.2’
Spread: 4’ – 8’
Bloom Time: Spring; Fruit Mid to Late Summer.
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Fertile, Fast Drainage; Slightly Acidic.
Water Needs: Moderate to High
Firewise:  Yes    *Please Note: Firewise does not mean Fire Proof!
Attributes:  Hosts several Butterflies & Moths; Attracts Birds
Note: Thornless. If Fruit is priority:  Remove fruited canes immediately after harvest; leave non-fruiting canes to overwinter.  Possible Problems:  Leaf spot, anthracnose, botrytis, powdery mildew, root rots, verticillium wilt, raspberry mosaic, cane borers & crown borers, aphids.
Uses:  Bird Garden, Native Garden, Hedge.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member and Master Gardener

Photos from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflowers website taken by Terry Glase

For more information on Thimbleberries: https://calscape.org/Rubus-parviflorus-(Western-Thimbleberry)

Oregon Native Plant: Ribes zoezlii

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Plant Name:  Ribes zoezlii
Common name:  Sierra Gooseberry
Plant Type:  Deciduous, Multi-Stem, Spiny Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 5’
Spread: 1’
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Flower Color: Burgundy and White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade.
Soil Requirements: Coarse to Medium Texture.
Water Needs: Dry to Medium Dry
Attributes:  Hosts for Numerous Butterflies & Moths; Fragrant; Showy Tubular, Fuchsia-like Flowers; Fall Color: Fruit is covered in spines, but it is edible, great for gooseberry jam.
Note: As always, get professional advice before consuming any plant or berry in the wild.
Uses: Attracts Bee, Bird and Butterflies; Hummingbird Gardens; Pollinator Gardens; Native Gardens, Woodland Gardens
Native to:  California & Oregon
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9

Report: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Fruiting Photo: Dcrjsr / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Flowering Photo: USFS Region 5 / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)