Tag Archives: Firewise plants

Firewise Plant: Lambs’ Ear

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Plant Name:  Stachys byzantina
Common name:  Lambs’ Ear
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 12” – 15”
Plant Width:  15” – 18”
Bloom Time: July – Frost
Flower Color:  Purplish-pink spikes
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well-Drained; Loam/Sand
Water Needs: Dry – Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES: Zone 2 – Plant 50’+ from Home.
Attributes: Attractive, Velvety, White-Silver Leaves; Tolerates Deer, Drought, Dry Soil; Foliage Provides Interesting Texture & Color; Attracts Butterflies
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Garden; Accent in the border under shrubs.
Note: Spreads by creeping stems that root as they grow; Can be aggressive in rich soils; Damp leaves promote onset of disease; DON’T water overhead; Remove damaged leaves for neat appearance.
Native to: Turkey, Armenia, Iran
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo credit :Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/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

Firewise Plant: Lilies

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Plant Name: Lilium species
Common name: Lilies
Plant Type: Herbaceous Bulb
Plant Height: 1’ – 4’
Plant Width:12” – 2’
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Autumn
Flower Color: Range of Colors: White/Yellow/Orange/Pink/Red/Purple
Exposure: Blooms in the Sun; Bulbs in the Shade.
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Moderately Acidic.
Water Needs: Moderate
Fire Resistant:YES; Zone 1 – Plant 10+ feet from Structure
Attributes: Good Cut Flower; Attracts Large Pollinators; Fragrant.
Uses: Herbaceous Border; Container.
Note: Plant Twice as Deep as the Height of the Bulb.
Native to: Old World; New World
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Lupine

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Plant Name: Lupinus varieties

Common name:  Lupine

Plant Type: Perennial

Plant Height: 18” – 48”

Plant Width:  24” – 26”

Bloom Time: May – July

Flower Color:  Multiple Colors Including Blue, Yellow, Pink, White

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Adaptable to Soils of Slow to Fast Drainage.

Water Needs: Moderate to High.

Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 1 – Plant 30+ feet From Structure.

Attributes: Showy Flowers; Deer Resistant; Nitrogen Fixer.

Uses: Back of the Border; Bee, Bird, Butterfly Gardens; Good Cut Flower; Perennial Border; Cottage Garden.

Note: May Need Staking;; Deadhead to Encourage Additional Flowering; Powdery Mildew & Aphids May be Troublesome; Slugs & Snails May Attack New Plants.

Native to: Western North America

Oregon Native:  YES

 USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 6

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Yucca

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Yucca recurvifolia

Plant Name:  Yucca species

Common name: Yucca

Plant Type:  Herbaceous & Succulent Perennial

Plant Height:  2’ – 4’

Plant Width:  2’ – 4’

Bloom Time: Spring

Flower Color:  White, Red, Yellow

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Dry, Sandy, Well-Draining.

Water Needs: Low to Medium.

Fire Resistant:  YES:  Zone 1 – Plant 30’+ from House.

Attributes: Swordlike Leaves in Shades of Green; Some Yuccas are Pollinated by Moths; Drought Resistant; Red & Yellow Plants Attract Hummingbirds.

Uses:  Native Plant Gardens; Rock Gardens; Xeric Gardens; Containers; Focal Plant.

Note: Cut off Flower Stalks in Autumn or Late Winter; Use Well-Balanced Nitrogen Fertilizer or Compost Once a Year in Spring.

Native to: Many Parts of North America, but not Pacific Northwest.

Oregon Native:  NO

 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo from: Oregon State University Dept of Horticulture:  https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/yucca-recurvifolia

Firewise Plant: Daylily

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Plant Name:  Hemerocallis species

Common name:  Daylily

Plant Type: Perennial

Plant Height:  1’ – 4’

Plant Width:  1’ – 3’

Bloom Time:  July – August

Flower Color:  White, Yellow, Pink, Red, Gold, Mixed

Exposure: Full to Part Sun

Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained.

Water Needs: Average to Medium

Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 1:  Plant 10+ feet from Structure.

Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds.

Uses:  Borders; Mass Planting; Perennials Beds.

Note: Large Flowers Bloom for 1 Day; Blooms are Edible; After Flowering, Remove Spent Blooms & Seedpods to Encourage Re-Bloom.

Native to: Eurasia; China; Japan

Oregon Native:  NO

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9