Tag Archives: Flowers for Humming Birds

Horticulture Report: Veronica Ground Covers

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Plant Name:  Veronica species
Common name:  Speedwell
Plant Type:  Perennial Groundcover
Plant Height:  4” – 8”
Plant Width:  18” – 24”
Bloom Time: May/June
Flower Color: Blue, Pink, White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained
Water Needs:  Drought Resistant; For Best Bloom Water Moderately About 1” a Week.
Fire Resistant: YES; Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes:  Attracts Butterflies/Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant. NOTE: Veronica tends to be deer-resistant, though extreme conditions deer with graze on plants they otherwise wouldn’t eat.
Uses: Rock Gardens; Flower Bouquets; Perennial Border.
Note:  Showy in Full Bloom; Cut Back for Overwintering; Deadhead to Extend Bloom.
Native to: Northern Europe; Asia
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Veronica species

  • Blue Woolly Speedwell (Veronica pectinata)
  • Turkish Veronica (Veronica liwanensis)
  • Thyme Leaf Speedwell  (Veronica oltensis)
  • Snowmass® Blue-Eyed Speedwell (Veronica Snowmass P018S)
  • Veronica filiformis (Creeping Speedwell)
  • Veronica peduncularis  or umbrosa ‘ George Blue’
  • Veronica Repens
  • Veronica peduncularis
  • Veronica liwanensis
  • Veronica oltensis
  • Veronica Repens

Oregon Native: Pacific Bleeding Heart

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Plant Name:  Dicentra formosa
Common name:  Pacific Bleeding Heart
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  6” – 18”
Plant Width:  3’
Bloom Time:  March – July
Flower Color:  Pink
Exposure: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained, Humus Soil.
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistance: Score 10 (Good). Plant Zone 1 within 10 feet of structures
Attributes: Attracts Hummingbirds; Conspicuous Flowers; Food Plant for Butterfly Larvae; Deer Resistant.
Uses:  Accent Plant; Ground cover; Cottage Garden; Beds & Borders, Pollinator Gardens, Native Landscapes, Firewise Landscapes.
Note:  Keep Mulched with Decaying Humus; Extensive Rhizome System; All Plant Parts Poisonous. Deadheading Extends Bloom; May Go dormant in summer after flowering, Re-appears in fall to flower again.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo by: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Red Elderberry

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Plant Name:  Sambucus racemosa
Common name: Red Elderberry

Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height: 10’ – 20’
Width:  8′-10′
Bloom Time: April – July
Flower Color: Creamy White Flowers Followed by Bright Red Berries.
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Well Draining Loamy, Silty, Nutrient Rich.
Water Needs: High Moisture
Attributes:  Nectar for Hummingbirds; Fragrant Flowers; Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant.
Note: Susceptible to Viral Canker, Powdery Mildew, Leaf Spot, Cane Borers.


Uses: Soil Stabilization; Wildlife Garden; Hedge.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 7

” Warning: Red Elderberry Fruits are not edible when raw, but when cooked they make a good jam, pie, and wine.” (Oregon State University)

Report By: Viki Ashford, AGC member & Master Gardener

Photos from: Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/sambucus-nigra-subsp-cerulea

Horticulture Report: Spaeralcea ambigua (Apricot Mallow)

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Plant Name: Spaeralcea ambigua
Common name:  Apricot Mallow, Desert Globemallow
Plant Type:  Perennial Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 5’
Plant Width:  2’ – 4’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color:  Apricot or Dark Orange
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Grows well in most well-draining soils.
Water Needs: Extremely Low
Attributes: Attracts Bees and Butterflies. Adored by Hummingbirds!
Note:  Good Pruning after bloom keeps plant from becoming woody; Easily Reseeds.
Uses: Xeriscape “Gardens; Cottage & Mediterranean Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report: Viki Ashford, AGC member

Oregon Native: Ribes sanguineum (Red flowering Currant)

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Plant Name:  Ribes sanguineum
Common name:  Red Flowering Currant
Plant Type:  Deciduous Multi-Stemmed Shrub
Plant Height: 8’ – 10’
Spread: 6’ – 8’
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Flower Color: Rich Red to Pink & White
Exposure: Sun
Soil Requirements:  Tolerated poor soil.
Water Needs: Drought Tolerant once established.
Attributes:  Hummingbirds attracted to flowers; Birds attracted to fruit; Host for butterflies & moths; Deer Resistant.
Note: Little pruning required; suckering will form a small patch.
Uses: Single Filler Shrub; Hedge
Native to:  British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo credit: Walter Siegmund / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

Today in the Garden

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“Some pollinators in action in my garden this week.”                                       ~Goly Ostovar, AGC Member