Tag Archives: Flowers for Pollinators

Horticulture Report – Western columbine

Posted on by

Native & Firewise Plant

Plant Name:  Aquilegia formosa

Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Common name: Western columbine
Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 2’ – 3’
Spread:   1’
Bloom Time:  Late Spring to August
Flower Color:  Red, Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage, Organic Material
Water Needs: Low to Moderate; irrigate once a month once established
Attributes:  Nectar in Flower Blooms are appealing to Hummingbirds;
Seed Heads provide Bird Food; Deer Resistant; Supports Bats, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars
Note:  Self-sows, but Deadheading controls spread
Uses:  Containers; Native Plant Gardens; Pollinator Garden; Rock Garden
Firewise:  YES
Native to: Lower 48 state, Alaska, Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Horticulture Report: Allium acuminatum

Posted on by

Plant Name: Allium acuminatum
Common Name:  Hooker’s onion
Plant type : Deciduous Perennial Herb
Height: 0’ – 2’
Spread: 0’ – 1’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color: Purple, White, Pin
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Dry, well-drained; sandy/loamy
Water Needs: Occasional Summer Water
Attributes: Bulblets reproduce easily; strong onion smell; deer resistant; attracts pollinators: bats, butterflies, birds; nectar source for butterflies
Note: Flowers appear on long stalks after leaves have died; goes dormant in summer after going to seed
Uses: Rock Garden; Dry Open Meadows; Habitat Restoration; Green Roof
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone 5 – 9

October Flowers for Pollinators

Posted on by

Fall flowers for pollinators:

Thunbergia ‘Black-eyed Susan vine’
Cosmos
Gaura ‘Wandflower’ & Fall Mums
Salvia elegans ‘Pineapple Sage’

Salvia Microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ & Yellow Coreopsis
Pineapple Sage Flower
Aster amellus: Michaelmas-daisy

October Color

Posted on by

In the Garden: October 22

Purple Ash Tree
Marigolds
Red Geraniums
Petunias, Lobelia, Clematis
Pineapple Sage, Pink Mums
Wild mushroom

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Annual Flower: Apricotta Cosmos 

Posted on by

Apricotta Cosmos 

  • Annual Flower: 85 days.
  • Flower color: pink lemonade; abundant large blooms.
  • Plant in Full Sun
  • Sprouts in 7-14 Days
  • Plant Height: 3.5 foot
  • Ideal Temperature: 65-85 Degrees F
  • Plant Spacing: 10”
  • NOT Frost Hardy
  • Attracts a variety of pollinators
  • Uses: Cut flowers, Pollinator garden, Color spots in the garden

Growing Tips: Sow in place in mid-spring. Plants require full sun, fairly warm temps, moderate moisture. Removing spent blooms prolongs the blooming season. Appicotta Cosmos is the winner of the Fleuroselect Novelty Award for its unusual color and sturdy stems.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds https://www.rareseeds.com/cosmos-apricotta