Tag Archives: Oregon Native Plants

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

Dwarf Serviceberry

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Plant Name:  Amelanchier pumila
Common name:  Dwarf Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 5’
Spread: 3’ – 5’
Bloom Time: March – April
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerant of Wide Range of Soils, but Moist.
Water Needs: Medium
Firewise: Medium Fire Resistance
Attributes:  Attracts Birds; Showy Flowers; Hosts Butterflies & Moths.
Note: Edible Fruit loved by Birds.
Uses: 4 Seasons of Interest; Hedge; Border; Rock Garden; Bird Garden.
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Oregon Native Wildflower: Anemone drammondii

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Plant Name:  Anemone drammondii
Common name:  Drummond’s Anemone
Plant type:  Perennial Wildflower
Height:  9.5”
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color:  White tinged with Blue
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Rocky, Scree Soil; Well-drained.
Water Needs: Low
Attributes:  Attracts Insect Pollinators
Note: Plant at Deciduous Stage; Tap Root
Uses:  Wildflower Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2a-8b

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member and Master Gardener

Photo by: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons