Firewise/Oregon Native: Evergreen Huckleberry

Plant Name:  Vaccinium ovatum
Common name:  Evergreen Huckleberry
Plant Type:  Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 5’
Plant Width:  6’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color: White Flowers followed by Edible Blue-Black Berries in Late Summer.
Exposure:  Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained, Acidic, Sandy Soil; Will Tolerate Clay if Good Drainage.
Water Need:  Regular Water to Drought Tolerant.
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Evergreen; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds; Multiple Season Interest; Deer Resistant.
Uses:  Stems Used in Flower Arranging; Hedgerow; Container Plant; Shrub Border; Foundation Plantings. Native Gardens, Woodland gardens, Edible native plants
Note:  Little Pruning Needed.
Native to:  Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Oregon Native: Calycanthus occidentalis

Plant Name:  Calycanthus occidentalis
Common name:  California or Western Sweetshrub or Spice Bush
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 13’
Plant Width:  3’ – 13’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Autumn
Flower Color: Dark Red to Burgundy to Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Sun; Will Tolerate Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates a Wide Variety of Soil.
Water Need:  Med to High
Attributes: Pollinated by Beetles; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant; Yellow Fall Color.
Firewise: Yes
Uses: Hedge, Butterfly Garden; Shrub Border; Foundation Plant; Woodland Garden.
Note:  Bark has strong Camphor smell when scraped; Strongly Scented Flowers; Prune Immediate after Flowering; Flowers only last a day or two.
Native to:  Western US
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member/ Master Gardener

Oregon Native: Siskiyou Iris

Plant Name:  Iris bracteata
Common name:  Siskiyou Iris
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1’ 
Bloom Time: Spring &  Summer
Flower Color: Golden Yellow to Creamy White
Exposure:  Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements:  Prefers Sandy or Loamy Soil
Water Need:  Low to Medium
Attributes: Deer Resistant
Uses: Wildflower Gardens, Perennial Beds, Native Gardens, Woodland Gardens 
Note:  In the wild it grows in sunny to shady areas in dry pine forests or in sunny in meadow openings.
Native to:  California & Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Photo by John McRae, U.S. Forest Service https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/Pacific_Coast/iris_bracteata.shtml

Today in the Garden

Philadelphus lewisii – Lewis Mock Orange

Deciduous shrub native to the Western United States. Height: 5-12 feet. Exposure: Full Sun to Part shade. Likes moist well draining soil. Produces fragrant showy white flowers.

Photos by Viki Ashford, Ashland Garden Club Member

Today in the Garden

Today in AGC Member, Viki Ashford’s garden

Oregon Native: Erigeron umbellatum (Yellow Sulphur Buckwheat) 

Yellow Flowers with grey foliage; Exposure: Sun to part shade; Drought tolerant once established; Attracts Pollinators; USDA 4-10