Photos by Lynn McDonald, AGC Member
Today in the Garden
Tag Archives: Fall Color
Today in the Garden
Today in the garden flowers are in AGC member Lynn McDonald’s October garden.
Nasturtiums, Hydrangeas, Salvia and chrysanthemums, Petunias blooming since March, Geraniums, Origanum, Asters, Tithonia, Sweet peas in October (planted in spring), Gaura, Poppies and Bachelor Buttons, Verbena and Autumn Leadwort, Orange Cosmos, Dahlias
Southern Oregon Native: Cercocarpus montanus
Plant Name: Cercocarpus montanus
Common name: Alderlead/Silverleaf Mountain Mahogany
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height: 8’ – 20’
Plant Width: 4’ – 8’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color: Non-showy Flowers followed by Feathery, Silver-White Fruit. Small flowers appear red when they first open, then turn whitish-yellow
Exposure: Sun; Tolerates Shady Sites.
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained
Water Need: Low to Medium
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Nitrogen Fixer; Attracts Butterflies/Moths; Tolerates Drought; Bark is Dark Red Mahogany Color; Good Fall color.
Uses: Erosion Control; Hedge
Native to: SW Oregon – California – Rockies
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photos by: Nadiatalent, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member
Oregon Native: Western Serviceberry
Plant Name: Amelenchier alnifolia
Common name: Saskatoon/Western Serviceberry
Plant Type: Perennial Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 18’
Plant Width: 6’ – 8’
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: White Flowers Followed by Blue Berries
Exposure: Full Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained; Tolerant of Sand, Loam, Clay.
Water Need: Medium
Fire Resistance: Zone 2 – Resistant Code 5 (plant 60 ft from home)
Attributes: Fall Color; Some Drought Tolerance; Attracts Birds/Butterflies; Larval Host for Some Butterflies; Value to Native Bees.
Uses: Ornamental Shrub; Hedge; Native Gardens; Foundation Planting.
Note: Prone to Root Sucker; Prune to an Open Form for Light & Air Circulation to reduce chance of Disease.
Native to: North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 – 7
Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas
Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Oregon Native: Mountain Spirea
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 Plant: Shinyleaf Spirea
Plant Name: Spiraea lucida 
Common name: Shinyleaf Spirea
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 1’ – 3’
Plant Width: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color: White with Pinkish Tinge
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist; Tolerant of Clay & Rocky Soils
Water Need: Low
Attributes: Attracts Native Bees; Pollen & Nectar for Pollinators; Good Fall Color; Deer Resistant, Firewise shrub ( Firewise does not mean Fire Proof, it means it’s resistant. Spires Lucida will typically regrow from the roots if burned)
Uses: Small Stature Shrub in Tight Landscapes, Pollinator Gardens, Woodland Gardens, Perennial Gardens,
Note: Spreads by rhizomes; Blooms on Wood from Previous Season
Native to: North West & North Central North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4
By: Viki Ashford, AGC Member; Master Gardener
Photo from: http://nativeplantspnw.com/shinyleaf-spiraea-spiraea-lucida/