Western Wild Ginger

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/>

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Plant Name:  Sanguinaria canadensis
Common name: Bloodroot
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 6” – 9”
Plant Width:  3” – 6”
Bloom Time:  March to April
Flower Color:  White Flower with Yellow Stamens.
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Humusy, Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flower, but Short Lived, & Close at Night; Tolerates Drought & Dry Soil; Early Spring Bee & Fly Pollinator.
Note: Goes Dormant in Mid to Late Summer; All Parts of Plant Exude Orange-Red Sap when Cut; Poisonous Characteristics.
Uses: Naturalize; Rock & Wildflower Gardens.
Native to:  Eastern & Central North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo from: UpstateNYer / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Horticulture Report: Interrupted Fern

Plant Name:  Osmunda claytoniana
Common name: Interrupted Fern
Plant Type:  Fern
Plant Height: 2’ – 3’
spread: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June
Flower Color:  Brown Spores
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Rich, Humusy, Acid Soil
Water Needs: Medium to Wet
Attributes: Distinct Interruptions in Center of Fronds Caused by Fertile leaflets. The Spore Bearding Fronds are Different from the Sterile Fronds.
Uses: Shaded Border; Along Ponds & Streams
Native to:  Midwest to Eastern North America
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo by: Circeus Wiki Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Osmunda_claytoniana_JSG.jpg#file

Horticulture Report: Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Plant Name: Phlox divaricata
Common name: Wild Sweet William/Woodland Phlox
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .75’ – 1’
Spread: .75’ – 1’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color: Rose/Lavender or Violet/Blue
Exposure:Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:Medium, Humus, Well-Drained Soil; Drought Tolerant.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy, Fragrant Flower; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant.
Note:Powdery Mildew can be a problem; Cut back stems after bloom. Roots at Nodes to Form Mat Foliage.
Uses: Evergreen Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Border Front & Cover for Early Spring Bulbs.
Native to: Eastern North America
Oregon Native:NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Report: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo: The Missouri Botanical Gardens http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/phlox_divaricata

Horticulture Report:Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox)

Plant Name: Phlox stolonifera
Common name: Creeping Phlox
Plant Type: Semi-Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height: 6″ – 12″
Spread: 9″ – 18″
Bloom Time: May – September
Flower Color: Lavender, Blue, or White
Exposure: Part Shade to Shade
Soil Requirements: Humus Rich, Moist Soil
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Deer Tolerant
Note: Slugs a problem in Moist Soil; Spread by Stolons
Uses: Ground Cover; Cover for Early Spring Bulbs; Border Fronts; Rock Gardens.
Native to: Southeastern US
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 9

Report by Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Michael Wolf / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)