Tag Archives: Native Plants

Pacific Wildflower

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On our hike yesterday we saw one of our favorite wildflowers, a Pacific Hounds Tongue, it is an old herbal I first heard of in Tasha Tudor literature. It is a Borage Family member and has a pretty little ‘forget me not” flower.”   ~Joanie Kintscher, AGC President

Pacific Hounds Tongue (Adelinia grande) is an early-blooming native perennial plant that prefers to grow in light dappled shade. Hound’s tongue is commonly found growing beneath Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana). It attracts native bees and hummingbirds and is an occasional larval host plant for moths and butterflies.

Oregon Native: Callirhoe involucrate (Purple Poppy Mallow)

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Plant Name:  Callirhoe involucrate
Common name:  Purple Poppy Mallow
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – 1’
Spread:  .5’ – 3’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  Magenta
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Shallow, Rocky
Attributes:  Showy Flower; Drought Tolerant; Nectar for Bees; Attracts Butterflies.
Note:  Grows well from seed & may self-show.  Long tap root makes transplanting difficult.
Uses:  Semi-Evergreen Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Native Plant Gardens.
Native to:  Central United States
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Stan Shebs Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Callirhoe_involucrata_group.jpg

Oregon Native Plant:  Iris tenax (Oregon Iris)

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Plant Name:  Iris tenax
Common name:  Oregon Iris
Plant type:  Perennial
Height:  1’ – 3’
Spread: 2’
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color:  Pink, Purple, White, Yellow
Exposure: Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Drier, Well-Drained
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Attracts Hummingbirds; Drought Tolerant once established; Evergreen.
Note:  Rhizomes may be poisonous to animals & humans.
Uses:  Rock Garden Plant; Edge of Gravel Path or Front in the Perennial Border.
Native to:  California, Oregon, Washington
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 9

Report submitted by: Viki Ashford

Photo Resource: Wikimedia Photo by: Peter B James Pbjamesphoto

Oregon Native: Tufted Hairgrass

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Plant Name:  Deschampsia cespitosa
Common name:  Tufted Hairgrass
Plant Type:  Ornamental Grass
Plant Height:  2’ – 3’
Spread:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: July – September
Flower Color:  Tones of Gold, Silver, Purple, Green
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Medium, Moist, Well-Drained Soil;
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flowers; Attracts Birds; Winter Interest; Airy Panicles of Variably-Color form a cloud that is attractive when backlit; Deer Resistant.
Note:  Cut Foliage to Ground in Late Winter
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Mixes well with Shade Loving Perennials; Butterfly Gardens, Woodland Gardens.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native Plant Inside-Out Flower

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Plant Name: Vancouveria hexandra
Common name: Inside-Out Flower
Plant type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Spread: 1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Organically rich, acidic, consistently moist, well drained loam
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Spread by underground rhizomes,
it will easily fill a space; disease & pest free.
Note:  Cut back & clean up dead leaves in spring to ready for new growth.
Uses:  Ground Cover or Edger;
Native to:  SW Washington, Oregon, & California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 7

Report Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas

Western Orange Trumpet Honeysuckle

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Plant Name:  Lonicera ciliosa
Common name:  Western Orange Trumpet Honeysuckle
Plant Type:  Deciduous Vine
Plant Height:  10’ – 30’
Spread: 30’
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Flower Color:  Orange Red Yellow; Orange-Red Berries
Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist with Medium Drainage, not dry.
Water Needs: Regular
Attributes:  Hosts Butterflies & Moths, The orange-red berries are eaten by a variety of birds including robins, juncos, flickers, and finches; although not a favorite.
Note:  Check curled leaves for aphids & spray undersides with water.
Uses:  Trellis,  Hedge, Bird Garden, Host Gardens, Native Gardens
Native to:  British Columbia to California (west of Cascades)
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a-9b

Report submitted by: Viki Ashford