Tag Archives: Firewise plants

Firewise/Oregon Native: Evergreen Huckleberry

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Plant Name:  Vaccinium ovatum
Common name:  Evergreen Huckleberry
Plant Type:  Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 5’
Plant Width:  6’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color: White Flowers followed by Edible Blue-Black Berries in Late Summer.
Exposure:  Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained, Acidic, Sandy Soil; Will Tolerate Clay if Good Drainage.
Water Need:  Regular Water to Drought Tolerant.
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Evergreen; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds; Multiple Season Interest; Deer Resistant.
Uses:  Stems Used in Flower Arranging; Hedgerow; Container Plant; Shrub Border; Foundation Plantings. Native Gardens, Woodland gardens, Edible native plants
Note:  Little Pruning Needed.
Native to:  Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Firewise Plant: Dianthus, Garden Carnation

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Plant Name:  Dianthus species
Common name: Garden Carnation or Pinks
Plant Type:  Annual; Evergreen Perennial; Subshrub; Over 300 Species
Plant Height:  2” – 12”
Plant Width:  6” – 16”
Bloom Time:  May – August
Flower Color: Pink, White, Red, or Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained Soil
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 20’+ from House.
Attributes: Grayish-Green Foliage; Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies; Good Cut Flower; Sweet Clove Fragrance.
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Cottage Gardens.
Note: Regularly Deadhead for Repeat Bloom; Do Not Mulch in Winter with Compost.
Native to: Asia & Europe
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Viki Ashford, AGC Member / Master Gardener

Horticulture Report: Dead Nettle

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Plant Name:  Lamium species
Common name: Dead Nettle
Plant Type:  Prostrate Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  8” – 12”
Plant Width:  12” – 36”
Bloom Time:  May – June
Flower Color: Pink, White, Purple
Exposure:  Part Shade to Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Rich, Humus Rich, Well-Drained Soil.
Water Need:  Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1-8 – 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Attractive Foliage; Attracts Bees; Variety of Foliage Colors & Textures; Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant.
Uses:  Spiller in Containers; Dead Bulb Foliage Cover; Groundcover.
Note: Trailing Type Growth; Cut Back or Shear to Stimulate New Growth; Roots Where Stems Touch Ground.
Native to: Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Photo by: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Calycanthus occidentalis

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Plant Name:  Calycanthus occidentalis
Common name:  California or Western Sweetshrub or Spice Bush
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 13’
Plant Width:  3’ – 13’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Autumn
Flower Color: Dark Red to Burgundy to Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Sun; Will Tolerate Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates a Wide Variety of Soil.
Water Need:  Med to High
Attributes: Pollinated by Beetles; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant; Yellow Fall Color.
Firewise: Yes
Uses: Hedge, Butterfly Garden; Shrub Border; Foundation Plant; Woodland Garden.
Note:  Bark has strong Camphor smell when scraped; Strongly Scented Flowers; Prune Immediate after Flowering; Flowers only last a day or two.
Native to:  Western US
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member/ Master Gardener

Horticulture Report: Sempervivum

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Plant Name:  Sempervivum species
Common name:  Hens & Chicks
Plant Type:  Succulent
Plant Height:  2” – 6”
Plant Width:  6” – 10”
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color: Pink
Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained Sandy or Gravelly Soil.
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistant: YES; Grow 10’+ from house.
Attributes: Wide Variety of Foliage Colors; Deer Resistant; Year Round Interest
Uses:  Rock Walls; Rock Gardens; Succulent Gardens; Edging
Note:  Parent Plant Produces Flowers & Smaller Plants (or chicks); Plant Dies After Flowering Thus Offsets; >
Native to: Southern Europe/Western Asia
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Delosperma nubigenum, Yellow Ice Plant

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Plant Name:  Delosperma nubigenum
Common name: Yellow Iceplant
Plant Type:  Evergreen Ground Cover Succulent
Plant Height:  1” – 3”
Plant Width:  24” – 30”
Bloom Time:  June – September
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average Soil; Good Drainage is Essential
Water Need:  Dry to Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 10’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Yellow Flowers, Winter Interest of Reddish Bronze Foliage; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Ground Cover; Containers; Front of the Border
Native to: South Africa
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report by Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo from: Washington State University Clark County Extension http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=447