Oregon Native Plant: Ceanothus cuneatus (Buckbush)

High risk plant for wildfire, so not a good choice for homes in wildfire  regions!

Plant Name:  Ceanothus cuneatus
Common name:  Buckbrush
Plant Type:  Native, Perennial, Evergreen Shrub
Plant Height:  3.3’ – 11.5’
Spread:  2.5’ – 3.5’
Bloom Time: February – April
Flower Color:  Creamy White to Pale Blue to Lavendar
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Sand, Clay, & Serpentine, but needs fast drainage.
Water Needs:  Very Low Moisture.
Attributes:  Pollen/Nectar for Native Bees; Host for some Butterflies; Drought Tolerant; Deer Tolerant.
Note:  Mature Plants are highly flammable.
Uses:  Fragrant Flowers; Hedge/Screen or Small Tree.
Native to:  Western States to Baja CA
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7b – 10b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Eric in SF [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Oregon Native: Tufted Hairgrass

Plant Name:  Deschampsia cespitosa
Common name:  Tufted Hairgrass
Plant Type:  Ornamental Grass
Plant Height:  2’ – 3’
Spread:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: July – September
Flower Color:  Tones of Gold, Silver, Purple, Green
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Medium, Moist, Well-Drained Soil;
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flowers; Attracts Birds; Winter Interest; Airy Panicles of Variably-Color form a cloud that is attractive when backlit; Deer Resistant.
Note:  Cut Foliage to Ground in Late Winter
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Mixes well with Shade Loving Perennials; Butterfly Gardens, Woodland Gardens.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native Plant: Aralia californica

Plant Name: Aralia californica
Common name:Spikenard, Elk’s Clover, Western Aralia
Plant type:Perennial Herb
Height: 3’ – 9’
Spread: 10’
Bloom Time:June – September
Flower Color:Greenish White flowers, (Dark Purple Berries in the fall)
Exposure: Part to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:Medium drainage; moist
Water Needs: Moderate to High
Attributes:Attracts beneficial insects; yellow autumn foliage; deer resistant
Note: Ginseng family
Uses: Shade Gardens, Fall color, Deer-Resistant gardens,
Native to: California and Oregon
Oregon Native:YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Photos from: Klamath- Siskiyou Native Seeds https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/2016/02/19/western-aralia-aralia-californica/

Oregon Native Plant: Dryopteris arguta (Coastal Wood Fern)

Plant Name:  Dryopteris arguta
Common name:  Coastal Wood Fern or Shield Fern
Plant type:  Fern
Height:  2’
Spread: 1’ – 3’
Bloom Time: NA
Flower Color:  NA
Exposure: Full sun, Partial Sun, Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates Clay.
Water Needs:  Low
Attributes:  Deer Resistant; Host plant for Orange Tortrix Moths; Drought Tolerant; Evergreen.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Native Gardens;  Pollinator Garden; Naturalizing; Woodland Gardens; Shade Gardens; Border Planting; Slope Planting;
Native to: Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 9

Report submitted by: Viki Ashford

Photo Resource: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America [CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

NOTE:

Orange Tortrix Moths: The larvae of the Orange Tortrix feed primarily on blackberry, dewberry, raspberry, and grapes. They feed on any tender, exposed vine tissue, weeds, and in grapes on the vine. They enter the shoot clusters at bloom time and make webbed nests among the berries. They injure leaves and berry stems as well. In addition to this physical injury, they vector in disease organisms that introduce rot.

Black Lace Elderberry

Plant Name:  Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’
Common name: Black Lace Elderberry

Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  72” – 96”
Spread: 72” – 96”
Bloom Time: Spring
Flower ColorPink
Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Acidic to Alkaline Soil
Water Needs: Average
Attributes:  Pink Flowers contrast with Purple Black Foliage.  Berries.  Fall Interest.  Deer Resistant.
Note:  Good in Wet Soil.  Prune immediately after Bloom.  Fertilize in Spring with Granular Fertilizer.
Uses:  Potted Plant Specimen; Hedge.
Native to: Europe, Northern Africa, Southwestern Asia
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4a – 7b

Report submitted by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native: Red Baneberry

Plant Name:  Actaea rubra
Common name:  Red Baneberry
Plant type:  Perennial Herb
Height: 1.3’ – 2.6’
Spread: 1′
Bloom Time:  Spring-Summer
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Part to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates variety of garden soils with moisture.
Water Needs: Low to High
Attributes:  Deer Resistant; Shade Garden Plant with Red Berries
NOTE:   Berries are POISONOUS, but not to birds.  Plants don’t flower until third year.
Uses:  Bank Stabilization, Shade Gardens, Native Gardens
Native to: North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3-8

Report submitted by:  Viki Ashford

Photo by: Julie Makin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center