Tag Archives: Native garden plant

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/)

Oregon Native: Ribes aureum (Golden Currant)

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Plant Name:  Ribes aureum
Common name: Golden Currant
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 7’
Spread: 2’ – 6’
Bloom Time: Early to Mid Spring
Flower Color: Golden Yellow
Exposure: Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Variety of Soils with Medium to Slow Drainage.
Water Needs: Low to High.
Attributes:  Attracts Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies; Red Autumn Color; Attracts Bees & Birds; Deer Resistant; Fragrance of Cloves or Vanilla.
Note: Surround with Mulch.
Uses: Bee, Bird, Butterfly Gardens
Native to:  North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service – Al Schneider

Horticulture Report: Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon)

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Plant Name:  Penstemon strictus
Common name: Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Plant Type:  Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height: 1’ – 4’
Spread: 3’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  Royal Blue to Purple
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Dry, Light, Well-Drained Soil, but will tolerate Heavy Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Attributes: Supports Native Bees; Attracts Birds & Hummingbirds.
Note:  Spreads by Stolons.
Uses: Native Gardens
Native to: California, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah.
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Jerry Friedman / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

Oregon Native Plant: Western Sword Fern

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Plant Name:  Polystichum munitum
Common name: Western Sword Fern
Plant Type:  Evergreen Fern
Plant Height: 1.5’ – 5.5’
Spread: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: N/A
Flower Color:  N/A
Exposure: Full Shade to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates variety of soils with adequate moisture.
Water Needs: Weekly deep watering; drought tolerant once established.
Attributes:  Fronds live 1.5 – 2.5 years; hosts butterflies & moths; Deer Resistant.
Note: Cut back dead fronds.
Uses: Ground Cover; Beds & Borders; Woodland Garden.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  6 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member, Master Gardener

Photo Credit: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_sword_fern_(Polystichum_munitum)-_Flickr-_brewbooks.jpg

Horticulture Report: Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf)

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Plant Name:  Jeffersonia diphylla 

Photo by James Henderson, University of Tennessee Herbarium

Common name: Twinleaf
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .75’ – 1.5’
Spread: .5’ – .75’
Bloom Time:  March – May
Flower Color:  White
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Humusy,
Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy Flower & Fruit; Tolerates Heavy Shade; Interesting fruit after flowering.
Note: Susceptible to Slugs & Snails.
Uses:  Shade Garden; Native Plant Garden; Ground Cover; Shady Rock Gardens.
Native to:   Eastern North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Oregon Native: Potentilla gracilis (Slender Cinquefoil)

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Plant Name:  Potentilla gracilis
Common name: Slender Cinquefoil
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Wildflower
Plant Height: 1’ – 2’
Spread: 1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: June – September
Flower Color: Golden Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Light Shade.
Soil Requirements:  Average, Moist, Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium; Drought Tolerant once Established.
Attributes:  Nectar & Pollen Source for Native Bees, Butterflies, Beneficial Insects; Attractive Seed Heads; Fall Foliage Color Interest; Deer Resistant.
Uses: Perennial Garden Border; Cottage Garden; Wildflower Gardens.
Native to:  Canada & Western North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo credit: Stan Shebs / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)