Tag Archives: North America native plant

Horticulture Report: Asclepias speciosa  (Showy Milkweed) 

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Oregon Native & Firewise Plant
Plant Name:  Asclepias speciosa

Common name: Showy Milkweed
Plant type: Deciduous Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 6’
Spread:  4’
Bloom Time:  May – September
Flower Color: Pink, White, Purple
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well Drained
Water Needs:  Medium; Drought Tolerant
Attributes:  Attracts Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies, Birds; Adult Monarchs feed on Flower Nectar and Caterpillars Eat Leaves; Deer Resistant; Monarch Larval Host
Note: Spread by Underground Rhizomes
Uses:  Butterfly Garden; Borders; Rock Gardens; Native Gardens
Firewise:  YES
Native to: Midwest to West USA, & Canada
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Vicki Watkins USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Asarum caudatum, aka: Western Wild Ginger

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Native Firewise Plant

Photo Credit: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plant Name:  Asarum caudatum

Common name: Western Wild Ginger

Plant type: Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial

Height: 1’

Spread:  6” – 1’6”
Bloom Time:  Spring

Flower Color: Brown Purple to Green Yellow

Exposure:  Full Shade

Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; High Organic Matter; Acidic

Water Needs:  Regular Water

Photo Credit: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Attributes:  Ginger Aroma when Leaves Rubbed; Winter Interest;    Showy Flowers; Attracts Ants as Pollinators

Note:  Spreads by Rhizomes; Flowers are Unique Shape, but Hidden under Leaves

Uses:  Containers; Groundcover; Lawn Alternative; Rock Gardens;    Borders

Firewise:  YES

Native to: Western North America

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 10

 

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member