Plant Name: Brodiaea elegans Common name: Elegant Cluster Lily/Harvest Brodiaea Plant type: Perennial Herbaceous; Grows from a Corm Height: 2’ Spread: 6” Bloom Time: Spring – Summer Flower Color: Pale Purple/Purple/White Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade Soil Requirements: Does well in Clay Soil; Medium to Slow Drainage Water Needs: Low to Very Low Attributes: Supports Butterflies; Drought Tolerant Note: Plant in Groups; Insect Pollinated Uses: Containers; Beds & Borders; Rock Garden Firewise: YES Native To: Mountain Ranges of California & Oregon Oregon Native: YES USDA Hardiness Zone: 7a – 10b
Plant Name: Arctostaphylos columbiana
Common name: Hairy Manzanita
Plant type: Shrub
Height: 3’ – 10’
Spread: 10’
Bloom Time: March – May
Flower Color: Pale Pink to White; Fruit is Tawny Orange to Bright Red
Exposure: Sun to Light Shade
Soil Requirements: Fast Draining; Rocky, Sandy Soil
Water Needs: Very Low
Attributes: Evergreen; Supports Butterflies & Moths & Hummingbirds & Beneficial Insects; Distinctive Bark; Early Season Flowering for Pollinators Firewise: NO
Note: Subject to Leaf Spot; Don’t Fertilize
Uses: Pollinator Gardens, Native Gardens, Wildlife Habitat Gardens, Natural areas, Perennial gardens
Native to: Northwest California to Southwestern British Columbia Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8b -10a
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener
Photo from Oregon State University: https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/arctostaphylos-columbiana
Plant Name: Aurinia saxatilis 0Common name: Basket-of-Gold Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Plant Height: 8” – 18” Plant Width: 1’ – 2’ Bloom Time: April – May Flower Color: Gold to Light Yellow Exposure: Full Sun Soil Requirements: Average to Sandy, Well-Drained Soil; Intolerant of Clay Soil. Water Needs: Low Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 8 = 30’+ from house. Attributes: Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant; Showy Flower; Drought Tolerant; Nectar Source for Beneficial Insects. Uses: Rock Gardens; Ground Cover; Border Fronts. Note: Prune After Flowering to Maintain Shape; Possible Aphid Problem. Native to: Central & Southeastern Europe Oregon Native: NO USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 7
Plant Name: Carex species: There are more than 1,500 species of these perennials.
Common name: Sedges
Plant Type: Deciduous or Evergreen Perennials
Plant Height: 12” – 4’
Plant Width: 10” – 12”
Bloom Time: Varies
Flower Color: Stems & Panicles of flower heads in short spikes. Provides Interesting Foliage and Movement.
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade, some varieties will take Full Sun, (check specific plant’s preference)
Soil Requirements: Carex grow in soils ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 on the pH scale. Most average garden soils fall between a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0.
Water Needs: Some like Wetter Sites, Some Drier Conditions. Check variety for water needs.
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 8; Plant 30’+ from house
Attributes: Deer Resistant, Provides 3- seasons of Interest, Easy to grow, Low maintenance; Wide Range of Colorful Grass-like Foliage; Adds Drama to a Landscape, Adds Texture, Host plants for butterflies and skippers. Beneficial to pollinators by providing cover in the winter. Excellent seed source for birds. Provides Texture and Movement in a landscape.
Uses: Carex species to suit just about any situation. Mass plantings, Ground Cover, Container Plantings, Rockery gardens, Lining Sidewalks, Edging Flowerbeds, and more.
Note: May be Susceptible to Rust, Smut, Leaf Spot, Aphids.
Native to: Found Worldwide
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9, check variety for hardiness in your zone.
Carex buchananaii
Carex glauca
Carex morrowii (variegated)
Carex Albula
Report by: Viki Ashford, and Carlotta Lucas, both AGC Board Members
Photos by Monrovia Nursery: https://www.monrovia.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=carex
Few insects can digest the pollen of squash plants. But where squash plants go, squash bees have followed. Now, they’ve made it from Mexico and the Inter-mountains West all the way to Oregon. Learn about the journey of these special bees and their kinship to this family of plants.
Plant Name: Rubus spectabilis Common name: Salmonberry Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub Plant Height: 3’ – 10’ Spread: 3’ – 6’ Bloom Time: March – June; Fruit June to August. Flower Color: Red or Rose; Fruit Color is Yellow, Orange, or Red Exposure: Sun or Shade Soil Requirements: Tolerant of Sandy or Clay Soil with Various Soil Drainage. Water Needs: Moderate to High Attributes: Nectar for Bees, Butterflies, Other Insect, Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant. Note: Biennial Stems: The 1st year only leaves; 2nd year develop lateral shoots which bear fruit. Uses: Thickets for Birds; Bank Stabilization from Deep Rhizomatous Root Growth. Native to: Western North America Oregon Native: YES USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9
Water Needs: Moderate to High