Tag Archives: Firewise Plant

Horticulture Report: Little Goblin® Dwarf Ilex verticillata

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Dwarf Ilex verticillata

Proven Winners®:  Little Goblin ® (female)   Little Goblin Guy® (male)

Ilex verticillata are dioecious meaning they are male or female plants.  A male plant is needed for female plants to produce berries.  One male plant can pollinate up to 10 female plants. Male plant must be planted within 50 ft of female plants, plus the male’s blooming time must align with female’s bloom time.

Common Name: Winterberry Holly

Plant type: Deciduous Dwarf  Shrub

Height: 3-4 feet        Width: 3-4 feet
Bloom Time: Late Spring

Flower Color:  White (small)
Exposure:  Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours)

Firewise: Yes- Low flammability, 6 feet of structure

Soil Requirements: Prefers rich organic acidic soil, but will grow in average garden soil.

Water Needs:  Moist Areas
Attributes: Vibrant Red Winter Berries; Important food source for American Robins; Winter Interest; Slow growing; Blooms on old wood  
Uses:  Bioswales, Wetland habitats, Native gardens, Bird habitat, Rain garden, Firewise garden, Wildlife gardens, Cutting garden, Container planting, Floral arrangements.
Native to: Eastern North America

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3a-9b

Firewise Plant: Evening Primrose

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Plant Name:  Oenothera species

Common name:  Evening Primrose
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial or Biennial
Plant Height: 2’ – 6’
Plant Width:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color:  Yellow or Pink or White
Exposure:  Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements: Rocky or Sandy Soil; Well-Drained
Water Needs: Low to Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 8 – Plant 30’+ from Structure
Attributes: Attract Moths; Birds Eat Seeds; Attracts Hummingbirds; Fragrant Flowers; Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant
Uses: Full Sun Ground cover; Rock Gardens; Erosion Control; Native Plant Gardens
Note: Flowers Open in the Evening
Native to: Eastern North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Firewise Plant: Muscari armeniacum Grape Hyacinth

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Plant Name:  Muscari armeniacum
Common name:  Grape Hyacinth
Plant Type: Bulbous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – .75’
Plant Width:  .25’ – .50’
Bloom Time: April
Flower Color:  Royal Blue with thin White Rim
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained; Sandy; Loam
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 10 – Plant 10’+ from structure.
Attributes: Showy Flower; Fragrant; Good Cut Flower; Deer Resistant; Tolerates Clay Soil; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Mass in Open Areas; Around Shrubs; Under Deciduous Trees; Rock Gardens; Front of the Border; Container Plant.
Note:  Reduce Watering After Foliage Begins to Die Back.
Native to: Western Asia, Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo by (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html, via Wikimedia Commons

Fire-Resistant Plant: Greenleaf Manzanita

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Plant Name:  Arctostaphylos patula
Common name:  Greenleaf Manzanita
Plant type: Shrub
Height: 3.3’ – 7’
Spread: 6’ –  9’
Bloom Time:  Winter – Spring
Flower Color: White, Pink
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Fast Draining; Slightly Acidic.
Water Needs: Low; Deep Moisture.
Attributes:   Insects Attracted to Flowers Including Native Bees; Birds Attracted to Fruits; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Nectar Source.
Firewise: YES; One of the Few Manzanitas That Are Fire-Resistant.
Note:  Slow Growing;  Tolerates Very Cold Temperatures.
Uses:  Hedges; Bird & Hummingbird Gardens; Bee Gardens; Erosion Control.
Native to: Sierra Nevadas/North Coast Range California/Oregon/Washington; Parts of Arizona/Colorado.
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5b – 9b

Article by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo courtesy of Pat Breen, Oregon State University

Firewise Plant: Aurinia saxatilis (Basket-of-Gold)

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Plant Name:  Aurinia saxatilis
0Common name:  Basket-of-Gold
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  8” – 18”
Plant Width:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color:  Gold to Light Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average to Sandy, Well-Drained Soil; Intolerant of Clay Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 8 = 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant; Showy Flower; Drought Tolerant; Nectar Source for Beneficial Insects.
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Ground Cover; Border Fronts.
Note:  Prune After Flowering to Maintain Shape; Possible Aphid Problem.
Native to: Central & Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Photo credit: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Firewise Plant: Geranium cinereum

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Ballerina Cranesbill

Plant Name:  Geranium cinereum
Common name:  Cranesbill
Plant Type:  Semi-Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height:  4” – 6”
Plant Width:  10” – 12”
Bloom Time:  May – September
Flower Color:  Pink, White, Magenta
Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Requirements: Chalk, Loam, Sand; Good Drainage.
Water Needs: Low to Average
Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 1-8, Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Border Edging; Containers.
Note: Shear Plants by One-Half in Mid Summer to Encourage Bushy Growth & Repeat Blooming.
Native to: Pyrenees Mountains
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9