Tag Archives: plants for bats

Fire-wise & Native Plant: Western Clarkia

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Plant Name: Clarkia purpurea

Common name: Western Clarkia

Plant type: Annual Wildflower

Height: 3’

Spread: 1’

Bloom Time: April – July

Flower Color: Pink, Purple, Deep Wine Red

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Drainage can be Fast, Medium, or Slow

Water Needs: Low

 

Attributes: Supports Bats, Bees, Caterpillars, Butterflies; Conspicuous Flower; Slug Resistant

Uses: Containers; Bedding Plants

 

Firewise: YES

Native To: Western North America

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 6b – 10b

 

 

Report by Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members

 

Photo by: John Doyen, Calscape.org

Fire-wise & Native: Clarkia Amoena

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Plant Name: Clarkia amoena

Common name: Farewell to Spring (Godetia)

Plant type: Annual

Height: 2’ – 3’

Spread: .75’ – 1’

 

Bloom Time: June – August

Flower Color: Shades of Pinkto Purple

Exposure: Full Sun – Part Shade

Soil Requirements: Drainage fast, medium or slow; tolerates clay or sandy soil. Minimum fertilizer needed.

Water Needs: Low, but soil should be moist until flowering, then it can be dry.

 

Attributes: Attracts Bees & Butterflies; Deer Resistant; Supports Bats & Caterpillars; Conspicuous Flower, Self-seeding: pinch out the central leader to encourage branching and heavy bloom. Do not thin seedlings as crowding encourages blooming

 

Note: Susceptible to powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, Stem rot and Leaf spot.

Watch for aphids and mites.

 

Uses: Native Plant &; Cut Flower Gardens; Containers; Beds, Borders, Cottage Gardens

Firewise: YES

Native To: Western North America

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8b – 10b

 

Report by Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members

Photo by: Stephen Lea. Wikipedia

 

Fire-wise Native Plant: Grey Rabbitbush

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Plant Name: Ericameria nauseosa, synonym: Chrysothamnus nauseosa
Common names: Grey Rabbitbrush, Rubber Rabbitbush, Chamisa
Plant type: Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Height: 3’-9’
Spread: 3’-9
Bloom Time: July to October
Flower Color: Golden Yellow

Exposure: Sun
Soil Requirements: Sandy, fast, well-Draining
Water Needs: Drought Resistant with Deep Tap Root; Little or NO Supplemental Water

Attributes: Woolly Leaves; Attractive to Bees, Butterflies; Other Late Season Pollinators; Supports Bats, Caterpillars; No Serious Disease or Insect Problems

Note: Pungent Smelling Flowers; Cut Twigs Exude Milky Latex; no maintenance except annual shearing; prune in the Winter. Plant has a nauseous disagreeable ordor when the leaves or flowers are crushed, described as pineapple-like by some and foul and rubbery smell by others.
Uses: Desert Landscape; Water-wise plant; Pollinator Gardens; Hedge; Xeriscaping; Erosion Control

Fire-wise Plant: YES
Native To: Southern BC, Great Plains, Mexico, West to Pacific Ocean, Central North America

Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashland & Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members
Photos from Oregon State University: https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/ericameria-nauseosa

Horticulture Report: Firewise/Native Plant

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Plant Name: Cercocarpus betuloids/montanus

Common name: Mountain mahogany
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 8’ – 20’
Spread:  10’ – 12’
Bloom Time:  Winter – Spring
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Partial Shade to Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Adapts to Variety of Soil Types; Slow to Fast Drainage
Water Needs:  Low
Attributes:  long, fuzzy seeds that resemble curled feathers and shine in the sun; Attracts hummingbirds & butterflies; Wildlife supported includes Bats, Birds, Caterpillars; Dark Bark Color; Aromatic
Note: Can be cut down to the ground for new growth;
Uses: In Narrow Areas and as a Hedge or Privacy Screen. Responds well to light or heavy pruning, which may be necessary when planted in small spaces; Bank Stabilization; Erosion Control
Firewise: YES
Native To:  Southwestern Oregon south to Baja California and east to central Arizona
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  6b -11a

Article by Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo courtesy of Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/cercocarpus-betuloides

Horticulture Report: Arbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone)

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        Oregon State University

Oregon Native & Firewise Plant   
Plant Name:  Arbutus menziesii
Common name: Pacific madrone
Plant type: Broadleaf Evergreen Tree
Height: 20’ – 65’
Spread:   5’ – 25’
Bloom Time:  Flowers in Spring; Berries in Fall
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Shade to Partial Shade; North Facing Slope

Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Soil Requirements: Fast to Medium Drainage; Tolerates Heavy Soil
Water Needs: Dry to Medium
Attributes:  Peeling Bark; Red Berries; Robins, Starlings, Band-tailed Pigeons Feed on Berries; Supports Bats, Butterflies, Caterpillars,                           Moths; Host to Brown Elfin Butterfly; Nectar for Hummingbirds; Winter Interest; Drought Tolerant
Note:  Slow Growing; Large Tree; Messy in the Garden due to Bark & Leaf Shedding; Pests are Phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death), Madrone Canker, Aphids, Leaf Miners
Uses:  Bank Stabilization; Hedge; Bird Gardens; Mixed Borders
Firewise:  YES
Native to: Pacific Northwest & California
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Oregon Native & Firewise: Amelancier alnifolia

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Oregon Native Firewise Plant

Amelancier alnifolia

Plant Name: Amelancier alnifolia
Common name: Pacific serviceberry
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub/Tree
Height: 15’ – 30’
Spread:   15’ – 20’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Sun or Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Sandy or Loamy
Water Needs: Irrigate 1x/Month after establishment

Attributes:  Easily Pruned to More Erect Form or Flatter, Rounder, Open Shape; Food Source Birds; Attracts Bats, Caterpillars, Larval Host for some Butterflies; Berries for Mammals; Shelter for Animals; Fragrant Flowers; Flavorful Edible Fruit used fresh or in baked goods

Note: Fruits in Summer; Fall Color Foliage; Root Suckering is Common; Diseases/Insects:  Rust, Leaf Spot, FireBlight, Powdery Mildew; Aphids, Thrips, Mites,

Uses:  Hedge; Pollinator Garden; Shrub Border; Woodland Gardens; Naturalized Areas
Native to: Some Canadian Provinces; Midwest to West United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 – 7