Tag Archives: Native Plants

Oregon Native: Kinnikinnick

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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

Southern Oregon Native: Ceanothus thyrsiflorus

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Plant Name:  Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Common name:  Blue Blossom Wild Lilac
Plant Type:  Evergreen Groundcover or Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 12’; Creeping Blue Blossom grows slowly 2’ – 3’ high & 15’ wide. 
Plant Width:  5’ – 6’
Bloom Time:  April – June
Flower Color: White, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Purple
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Clay or Sand, but Needs Good Drainage
Water Need:  Low
Firewise: Very Flammable; within Defensible Space, keep individual plants trimmed back with no dead material & separate plants. 
Attributes: Attracts, Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Parasitoid/Predatory Insects; Pleasant Fragrance; Shade Tolerant; Nitrogen Fixer.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Hedge; Bee/Bird/Butterfly Gardens.
Note:  Do Not Fertilize; Tip Pruning maintains compact shape; Remove Leafless Interior Branches to Encourage New Growth; Prune in Dry Season.
Native to:  California & SW Oregon
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Hedwig Storch CC BY-SA 3.0 – NC State Extension website https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ceanothus-thyrsiflorus/

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas

Oregon Native: Western Serviceberry

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Plant Name:  Amelenchier alnifolia
Common name:  Saskatoon/Western Serviceberry
Plant Type:  Perennial Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 18’
Plant Width:  6’ – 8’
Bloom Time:  April – June
Flower Color: White Flowers Followed by Blue Berries
Exposure:  Full Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained; Tolerant of Sand, Loam, Clay.
Water Need: Medium
Fire Resistance: Zone 2 – Resistant Code 5 (plant 60 ft from home)
Attributes: Fall Color; Some Drought Tolerance; Attracts Birds/Butterflies; Larval Host for Some Butterflies; Value to Native Bees.
Uses:  Ornamental Shrub; Hedge; Native Gardens; Foundation Planting.
Note:  Prone to Root Sucker; Prune to an Open Form for Light & Air Circulation to reduce chance of Disease.
Native to:  North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Western Wild Ginger

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Plant Name:  Asarum caudatum
Common name:  Western Wild Ginger
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .25’ – .5’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained, Wet Soil.
Water Need:  Medium to Wet
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Tolerates Heavy Shade with Wet Soil; Attracts Butterflies; Larval Host.
Uses: Ground Cover; Rain Garden; Edging.
Note:  Spreads by Rhizomes; Blooms are near the Ground, Hidden by Foliage; May Harbor Slugs & Snails.
Native to:  British Columbia & Western States
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 10

Article by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>

Oregon Native Plant: Shinyleaf Spirea

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Plant Name:  Spiraea lucida  
Common name:  Shinyleaf Spirea
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  1’ – 3’
Plant Width:  2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color: White with Pinkish Tinge
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist; Tolerant of Clay & Rocky Soils
Water Need:  Low
Attributes: Attracts Native Bees; Pollen & Nectar for Pollinators; Good Fall Color; Deer Resistant, Firewise shrub ( Firewise does not mean Fire Proof, it means it’s resistant. Spires Lucida will typically regrow from the roots if burned)
Uses: Small Stature Shrub in Tight Landscapes, Pollinator Gardens, Woodland Gardens, Perennial Gardens,
Note:  Spreads by rhizomes; Blooms on Wood from Previous Season
Native to:  North West & North Central North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4

By: Viki Ashford, AGC Member; Master Gardener

Photo from: http://nativeplantspnw.com/shinyleaf-spiraea-spiraea-lucida/