Firewise Plant: Prairie Coneflower

Plant Name:  Ratibida columnifera
Common name:  Prairie Coneflower or Mexican Hat
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 18” – 24”
Plant Width:  12” – 24”
Bloom Time: July – October
Flower Color:  Yellow or Red with Distinct Tall Center.
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry to Moist Well-Drained; Loamy/Sandy.
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 2 – Plant 40’+ from House.
Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Long Bloom Season; Nectar for Bees, Butterflies, Insects; Seeds for Birds.
Uses: Sunny Borders; Rock Gardens; Native Plant Gardens; Containers.
Native to: Most of North America, but NOT Oregon
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

 

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo courtesy of: Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Columbine

 Plant Name:  Aquilegia species

Common name:  Columbine

Plant Type:  Perennial

Plant Height:  10” – 36”

Plant Width:  10” – 12”

Bloom Time: May – July

Flower Color: Multicolor

Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Requirements: Clay, Loam, Sand

Water Needs:  Average

Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 8 = Plant 30’+ from house. 

Attributes: Good Cut Flower; Showy; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds; Many Colorful Hybrid Varieties.

Uses: Borders; Containers; Rock Gardens; Cottage Gardens; Native Gardens.

Note:  Remove spent flowers to prolong blooming; Self-seeds Prolifically; Prone to Powdery Mildew & Leaf Miners.

Native to: Northern Hemisphere

Oregon Native:  YES

 USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Board Member

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Horticulture Report: Sedums

Plant Name:  Sedum species
Common name:  Sedum or Stonecrops
Plant Type:  Perennial Succulent
Plant Height:  2” – 12”; Varies Depending on Varieties:  Ground Cover Level to Upright
Plant Width:  6” – 24”
Bloom Time:  Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Pink, Red, White, Yellow (Depends on Variety)
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Sun
Soil Requirements: Loamy, Sandy, Well Draining.
Water Need:  Low; Drought Tolerant Once Established.
Fire Resistant: YES; 10” or more from house.
Attributes: Attracts Birds/Butterflies; Foliage in Shades of Green to Blue/Chartreuse to Pink; Deer Resistant
Uses: Rock Garden; Edging; Containers, Smaller varieties ground cover.
Note: Deadhead After Flowering to Maintain Shape & Size; or Leave Attractive Seed Heads for Winter Interest; Subject to Mealybugs, Scale, Slugs/Snails, Powdery Mildew.
Native to: Eastern United States
Oregon Native:  Some varieties of Sedum spathulifolium and other broadleaf stonecrop are native to Oregon
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Autumn Joy Sedum and Broad-Leaf Sedum Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Sedum oreganum (Yellow flowers) photo by: Stan Shebs https://calscape.org/loc-california/Sedum%20oreganum()

Today in the Garden

Today in AGC Member, Viki Ashford’s garden

Oregon Native: Erigeron umbellatum (Yellow Sulphur Buckwheat) 

Yellow Flowers with grey foliage; Exposure: Sun to part shade; Drought tolerant once established; Attracts Pollinators; USDA 4-10

Oregon Native: Kinnikinnick

Plant Name:  Archtostaphylos uva ursi
Common name:  Kinnikinnick
Plant Type:  Trailing Evergreen Shrub
Plant Height:  6” – 12”
Plant Width:  10’
Bloom Time:  March – June
Flower Color:  Pink to White
Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Rocky, Sandy, Acidic Soil
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistant: YES
Attributes: Red Berries Succeed Through Winter; Reddish-Purple Fall Color; Papery, Reddish, Exfoliating Bark; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, & Other Birds; Larval Host for Butterflies & Moths; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant
Uses:  Large Scale Groundcover with Year-round Interest; Control Soil Erosion; Border Margin; Native Plant Garden; Rock Garden
Note:  Slow Growing; Trailing Stems Send Out Small Roots;
Native to: Almost All of North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2 – 6

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas