Oregon Native Plant: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Yellow Rabbitbush)

Plant Name:  Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Common name: Yellow Rabbitbrush
Plant Type:  Shrub
Plant Height:  8” – 39”
Bloom Time: August – October
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Course to Medium; Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Low
Habitat: Dessert and semi-dessert
Attributes:  Drought Tolerant; Provides Cover & Nesting Habitat for Small Birds; Fall Forage for Some Butterflies; Pollen/Nectar for Native Bees; Provides Cover for Rabbits.
Note:  Spring Forage for Deer.
Uses: Restoration & Re-vegetation Plantings; Drought-Tolerant Plantings; Native Gardens; Low Maintenance Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5b – 8b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Taken By: Matt Lavin, Bozeman Montana, USA https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chrysothamnus_viscidiflorus_(3939348143).jpg

Oregon Native: Thalictrum sparsiflorum (Fewflower Meadow Rue)

Plant Name:  Thalictrum sparsiflorum
Common name:  Fewflower Meadow Rue
Plant type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Height:  4’ – 6’
Spread: 2’ – 3’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color:  White to Pinksh
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Average to Medium Well-Drained Soil
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flower; Deer Resistant.  Blueish, Columbine like foliage with airy clusters atop sturdy stems.
Note:  Powdery Mildew & Rust can occasionally be a problem. Contrary to its name, it produces many flowers.
Uses:  Good Background Plant when grouped.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 7

Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Today In the Garden: Witch Hazel ‘Diane’

Plant Name:  Amamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’
Common Name: Witch Hazel ‘Diane’
Plant Type: deciduous shrub or small tree
Height: 8 – 10 feet
Spread: 6 – 8 feet
Bloom Time: Mid to Late Winter – February and March
Flower Color: Red – Orange Red
Flowers: Spider-like clusters
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Sun
Soil Requirement: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil; tolerates clay soil.
Water Needs: Medium to Moist
Attributes:Striking fall color; Showy Flowers; Winter Interest; Deer Tolerant
Uses: Forrest margins, along stream banks, Screen or tall hedge, naturalized landscapes, cottage gardens, shrub borders, woodland gardens, specimen plant.
Note: Protect from strong winter winds, deep freezing may damage the early blooms.
Native to:Diane is a hybrid, but common witch hazel is native to eastern North America.
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-8

Report and Photos by: Carlotta Lucas

Spring: Crocus vernus

Spring is only a week away and crocuses are popping up in the garden.190311053710

Plant Name:  Crocus vernus
Common name:  Spring Crocus, Giant Crocus
Plant Type:  Crom
Height:   3 inches- 6 inches
Spread:   3 inches- 6 inches
Bloom Time:  March- April
Flower Color:  Purple, White, Yellow, Mixed with stripes
Exposure:   Full sun to Part shade
Soil Requirements:   Well-drained
Water Needs:   Medium
Attributes:   Showy flowers, Early spring flowers
Note:   Dutch Crocuses are bred to produce larger flowers.  
Protect from squirrels when freshly planted
Tolerant:   Deer, black walnut, and clay soils,
Uses:    Cottage Garden, Rock Garden, Coastal Garden, Prairie & Meadow Gardens, Naturalize, Early spring color
Native to:    the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans
USDA Hardiness Zone:    3 – 8