Tag Archives: Native Plants

Oregon Native Plant: Shinyleaf Spirea

Posted on by

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/

Oregon Native: Zizia aptera

Posted on by

Plant Name:  Zizia aptera

Common name:  Heart Leaved Meadow Parsnip
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  1’ – 3’
Plant Width:  1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color: Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Loam, Clay Loam, or Rocky Material, Sandy or Sandy Clay.
Water Need:  Medium
Attributes: Good Cut Showy Flower; Nectar & Pollen for Insects; Basal Leaves are Heart Shaped; Deer Resistant; Red/Burgundy Stem Color.
Uses: Wild or Native Plant Gardens; Pollinator Garden
Note:  Late Summer Foliage Deteriorates; Short Lived.
Native to:  Almost All of North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Chelsea Monks, Black Hills National Forest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dwarf Serviceberry

Posted on by

Plant Name:  Amelanchier pumila
Common name:  Dwarf Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 5’
Spread: 3’ – 5’
Bloom Time: March – April
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerant of Wide Range of Soils, but Moist.
Water Needs: Medium
Firewise: Medium Fire Resistance
Attributes:  Attracts Birds; Showy Flowers; Hosts Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Edible Fruit loved by Birds.
Uses: 4 Seasons of Interest; Hedge; Border; Rock Garden; Bird Garden.
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native: Thimbleberry

Posted on by

Plant Name:  Rubus parviflorus

Common name:  Thimbleberry
Plant Type:  Perennial Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 8.2’
Spread: 4’ – 8’
Bloom Time: Spring; Fruit Mid to Late Summer.
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Fertile, Fast Drainage; Slightly Acidic.
Water Needs: Moderate to High
Firewise:  Yes    *Please Note: Firewise does not mean Fire Proof!
Attributes:  Hosts several Butterflies & Moths; Attracts Birds
Note: Thornless. If Fruit is priority:  Remove fruited canes immediately after harvest; leave non-fruiting canes to overwinter.  Possible Problems:  Leaf spot, anthracnose, botrytis, powdery mildew, root rots, verticillium wilt, raspberry mosaic, cane borers & crown borers, aphids.
Uses:  Bird Garden, Native Garden, Hedge.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member and Master Gardener

Photos from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflowers website taken by Terry Glase

For more information on Thimbleberries: https://calscape.org/Rubus-parviflorus-(Western-Thimbleberry)

Oregon Native: Blackcap Raspberry

Posted on by

Plant Name:  Rubus leucodermis
Common name: Whitebark Raspberry or Blackcap Raspberry
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub-Vine, Arching or Trailing
Plant Height: 1’ – 6.6’
Spread: 3’
Bloom Time: Spring; Fruit Ripens July – Aug
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerant of Sand, Loam, & Clay.
Water Needs:  Moderate to High
Attributes: Host to some Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Thorny Shoots; Crown is Perennial, Canes are Biennal; First Year Stems (Primocanes) are non-flowering; Flowers form on 2ne Year Lateral Stems (Floricanes).
Uses: Bird Gardens; Fruit Gardens.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: To Zone 5

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo by: Aleazrocha / Public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rubusleucodermis2.jpg