Tag Archives: Oregon Native Plants

Oregon Native:  Solidago californica ( Goldenrod)

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Plant Name:  Solidago californica
Common name: Goldenrod
Plant Type:  Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height: 1.5’ – 2’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time:  Summer -Fall
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Medium Draining, Tolerates a variety of soils
Water Needs:  Wet in Winter/Spring, Dry in summer
Fire Resistance: Score 8, Plant 30 feet from structures
Attributes: Attracts Birds & Pollinating Insects.
Note:  May become Invasive due to Creeping Root stock; Deadhead or Leave Faded Flowers for Seed.
Uses: Bee/Butterfly Gardens, Native gardens, Pollinator Gardens
Native to:  Oregon & California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo by:  Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Iris chrysophylla

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Plant Name:  Iris chrysophylla
Common name:  Yellow Leaf Iris
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1.2” – 8.4”
Plant Width:  Narrow
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: Creamy White to Pale Yellow
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Acidic Soil with Good Drainage
Water Need: Low
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant; Attracts Beneficial Insects.
Fire Resistance: Score 10 (Good). Plant 10 ft of structures.
Uses: Native Landscapes, Rock Gardens, Perennial beds, Pollinator Gardens, Wildlife Habitats
Note:  Divide & Transplant in October
Native to:  NW California & Western Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo from: Klamath Siskiyou Seeds https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/product/iris-chrysophylla-yellowleaf-iris/

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/>

Western Pasque Flower

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Plant Name:  Anemone occidentalis
Common name:  Western Pasque Flower
Plant type: Perennial Herb
Height:  4” – 2.5’
Bloom Time: May to August
Flower Color:  White with Purplish Tinge; Silky Plumed Seed head Follows.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained Scree (loose rocky debris)
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Long Lasting Unique Seed Head. Firewise: Good Fire Resistances
Note:  Poisonous Parts
Uses: Rock Garden; Moist Meadow. Alpine Plantings,
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8

Seed Heads

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Flower Photo by: Eric Yarnell, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seed Heads Photo (Mt. Rainer, WA) by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

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/

Oregon Native: Zizia aptera

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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