Tag Archives: Drought Tolerant

Southern Oregon Native: Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

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Plant Name:  Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Common name:  Blue Blossom Wild Lilac
Plant Type:  Evergreen Groundcover or Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 12’; Creeping Blue Blossom grows slowly 2’ – 3’ high & 15’ wide. 
Plant Width:  5’ – 6’
Bloom Time:  April – June
Flower Color: White, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Purple
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Clay or Sand, but Needs Good Drainage
Water Need:  Low
Firewise: Very Flammable; within Defensible Space, keep individual plants trimmed back with no dead material & separate plants. 
Attributes: Attracts, Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Parasitoid/Predatory Insects; Pleasant Fragrance; Shade Tolerant; Nitrogen Fixer.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Hedge; Bee/Bird/Butterfly Gardens.
Note:  Do Not Fertilize; Tip Pruning maintains compact shape; Remove Leafless Interior Branches to Encourage New Growth; Prune in Dry Season.
Native to:  California & SW Oregon
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Hedwig Storch CC BY-SA 3.0 – NC State Extension website https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ceanothus-thyrsiflorus/

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas

Oregon Native: Iris chrysophylla

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Plant Name:  Iris chrysophylla
Common name:  Yellow Leaf Iris
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1.2” – 8.4”
Plant Width:  Narrow
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: Creamy White to Pale Yellow
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Acidic Soil with Good Drainage
Water Need: Low
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant; Attracts Beneficial Insects.
Fire Resistance: Score 10 (Good). Plant 10 ft of structures.
Uses: Native Landscapes, Rock Gardens, Perennial beds, Pollinator Gardens, Wildlife Habitats
Note:  Divide & Transplant in October
Native to:  NW California & Western Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo from: Klamath Siskiyou Seeds https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/product/iris-chrysophylla-yellowleaf-iris/

Scabiosa ( Pincushion Flowers)

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Plant Name:  Scabiosa
Common name: Pincushion
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 1’ – 1.5’
Plant Width:  1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time:  April to Frost
Flower Color:  Lavender Blue
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Average, Medium, Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes: Showy Flower; Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant
Note: Remove Spent Flowers to Encourage More Bloom; Watch for Aphids, White Flies, Powdery Mildew.  80 species of annuals, biennials and perennials primarily from the Mediterranean region 
Uses: Massing in Border Fronts; Cottage Garden, Perennial Gardens, Cut flowers, Mediterranean Garden
Native to:  Mediterranean, Africa, Asia
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo by: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

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Plant Name:  Sanguinaria canadensis
Common name: Bloodroot
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 6” – 9”
Plant Width:  3” – 6”
Bloom Time:  March to April
Flower Color:  White Flower with Yellow Stamens.
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Humusy, Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flower, but Short Lived, & Close at Night; Tolerates Drought & Dry Soil; Early Spring Bee & Fly Pollinator.
Note: Goes Dormant in Mid to Late Summer; All Parts of Plant Exude Orange-Red Sap when Cut; Poisonous Characteristics.
Uses: Naturalize; Rock & Wildflower Gardens.
Native to:  Eastern & Central North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo from: UpstateNYer / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Solidago rugosa

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Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, is a late-blooming Goldenrod that is attractive to smaller insects.  This is a perennial that is 3′ high by 2′ wide.  The tiny blossoms open on top of the curving leaf stems, and burst into gold about mid-September, bringing some late interest to a Fall garden, and also providing food for tiny pollinators.  It’s sturdy and easy care. 
Prune it down in early Spring, and feed it before growth starts. 
It needs full sun and moderate water.  The myth that Goldenrod pollen causes hay fever is just that, a myth. I have been enjoying this striking plant in my South facing garden.  
Sherri Morgan, AGC Member

Oregon Native: Grindelia nana

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Plant Name:  Grindelia nana
Common name:  Idaho Gumweed
Plant Type:  Perennial Wildflower
Plant Height:  6” – 2’
Bloom Time: June to September
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Sharply draining, rocky, gravelly soil.
Water Need:  Low.
Attributes: Highly attractive to native bees & butterflies; Drought tolerant; Deer resistant; Resinous & sticky leaves that appear to sparkle.
Uses: Wildflower Gardens; Drought Tolerant Gardens; Pollinator Gardens.
Native to:  Western US
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  8

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member

Photo from: American West website: https://www.americansouthwest.net/plants/wildflowers/grindelia-nana.html