Tag Archives: Oregon Native Plants

Oregon Native Plant: Western Sword Fern

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Plant Name:  Polystichum munitum
Common name: Western Sword Fern
Plant Type:  Evergreen Fern
Plant Height: 1.5’ – 5.5’
Spread: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: N/A
Flower Color:  N/A
Exposure: Full Shade to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates variety of soils with adequate moisture.
Water Needs: Weekly deep watering; drought tolerant once established.
Attributes:  Fronds live 1.5 – 2.5 years; hosts butterflies & moths; Deer Resistant.
Note: Cut back dead fronds.
Uses: Ground Cover; Beds & Borders; Woodland Garden.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  6 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member, Master Gardener

Photo Credit: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_sword_fern_(Polystichum_munitum)-_Flickr-_brewbooks.jpg

Oregon Native Plant: Black Chokecherry

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Plant Name:  Prunus virginiana melanocarpa
Common name: Black Chokecherry
Plant Type: Perennial Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height: 3’ – 12’
Spread: 13.5’
Bloom Time: May to Early July
Flower Color:  White followed by Fleshy Drupes of Dark Red to Black
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Moist
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Larval Host to Some Moths; Native Bees & Butterflies.
Uses: Bird Garden, Native Garden, Pollinator Garden
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photographer: Reveal, James L. https://www.wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=73181

Oregon Native: Oceanspray

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Plant Name:  Holodiscus discolor
Common name: Oceanspray
Plant Type:  Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 10’
Spread:  10’ – 15’
Bloom Time: May, June, July
Flower Color: Creamy White
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist; Gravelly or Rocky Soil; Adaptable to Most Soils, but with Good Drainage.
Water Needs:  Tolerates Low to High Moisture Level.
Attributes: Fragrant Flowers; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds; Host for Beneficial Insects.
Note:  Prune severely each year after flowering to maintain graceful shrub; Susceptible to Fire Blight.
Uses:  Hedge; Deer Resistant
Native to: British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 10b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo from: Native Plants PNW http://nativeplantspnw.com/ocean-spray-holodiscus-discolor/

Oregon Native: Potentilla gracilis (Slender Cinquefoil)

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Plant Name:  Potentilla gracilis
Common name: Slender Cinquefoil
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Wildflower
Plant Height: 1’ – 2’
Spread: 1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: June – September
Flower Color: Golden Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Light Shade.
Soil Requirements:  Average, Moist, Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium; Drought Tolerant once Established.
Attributes:  Nectar & Pollen Source for Native Bees, Butterflies, Beneficial Insects; Attractive Seed Heads; Fall Foliage Color Interest; Deer Resistant.
Uses: Perennial Garden Border; Cottage Garden; Wildflower Gardens.
Native to:  Canada & Western North America
Oregon Native:   YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo credit: Stan Shebs / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Oregon Native Plant: Ribes nevadense

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Plant Name:  Ribes nevadense
Common name:  Sierra Flowering Currant/Mountain Pink Currant
Plant Type:  Deciduous Multi-Stem Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 6’
Spread: 3’
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Flower Color: Soft Pink
Exposure: Sun to Light Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates variety of soil with good drainage.
Water Needs: Can tolerate moderate drought, but prefers consistent moisture.
Attributes:  Attracts Bees, Other Insects, Hummingbirds; Host for Butterflies & Moths; Fragrant Flowers.
Uses: Bee, Bird, and Butterfly Gardens; Native Gardens.
Note: The fruit is an edible bluish-black berry, somewhat waxy and studded with glandular hairs. Always get professional advice before consuming wild edibles; in the wild this berry can be confused with poisonous berries in the area. 

Native to:  California, Nevada, Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 8

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo from:https://www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com/

Oregon Native: Black Hawthorn

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Plant Name:  Crataegus douglasii
Common Name:  Black Hawthorn
Plant Type:  Much-Branched Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height:  6’ – 30’
Spread:  10’ – 25’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  White followed by Blue-Black Berries
Exposure:  Sun – Part Shade – Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist
Water Needs: High
Attributes: Showy Fruits,  A few Birds consume Berries; Attracts Butterflies; Fragrant Flowers; Autumn Foliage; Drought Tolerant.
Note:   Prune in winter or early spring; Susceptible to: Rust, Fireblight, Powdery Mildew, Borers, Leafminers, & Scale.  Cons: Has Prickles & Thorns; Messy Fruits; Suckers Form Thickets. 
Uses: Hedge
Native to:  Alaska to Northern California, Rockies
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo from: Oregon State University Department of Horticulture https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/crataegus-douglasii