Tag Archives: Plants for Hummingbirds

Horticulture Report: Rock Cress

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Plant Name:  Aubrieta deltoidei
Common name: Rock Cress
Plant Type:  Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – .75’
Plant Width:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time:  Late Spring – Early Summer
Flower Color:  Purple-Red
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained;
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistant: YES; 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds;
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Front of Border; Containers.
Note: Cut Back After Flowering, Not in Fall; Short Lived; Divide Every 1 – 3 Years;
Native to: Eastern Europe
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 -8

Purple Rock Cress

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Eli+, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Veronica Ground Covers

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Plant Name:  Veronica species
Common name:  Speedwell
Plant Type:  Perennial Groundcover
Plant Height:  4” – 8”
Plant Width:  18” – 24”
Bloom Time: May/June
Flower Color: Blue, Pink, White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained
Water Needs:  Drought Resistant; For Best Bloom Water Moderately About 1” a Week.
Fire Resistant: YES; Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes:  Attracts Butterflies/Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant. NOTE: Veronica tends to be deer-resistant, though extreme conditions deer with graze on plants they otherwise wouldn’t eat.
Uses: Rock Gardens; Flower Bouquets; Perennial Border.
Note:  Showy in Full Bloom; Cut Back for Overwintering; Deadhead to Extend Bloom.
Native to: Northern Europe; Asia
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Veronica species

  • Blue Woolly Speedwell (Veronica pectinata)
  • Turkish Veronica (Veronica liwanensis)
  • Thyme Leaf Speedwell  (Veronica oltensis)
  • Snowmass® Blue-Eyed Speedwell (Veronica Snowmass P018S)
  • Veronica filiformis (Creeping Speedwell)
  • Veronica peduncularis  or umbrosa ‘ George Blue’
  • Veronica Repens
  • Veronica peduncularis
  • Veronica liwanensis
  • Veronica oltensis
  • Veronica Repens

Firewise/Oregon Native: Evergreen Huckleberry

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Plant Name:  Vaccinium ovatum
Common name:  Evergreen Huckleberry
Plant Type:  Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 5’
Plant Width:  6’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color: White Flowers followed by Edible Blue-Black Berries in Late Summer.
Exposure:  Full Sun to Deep Shade
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained, Acidic, Sandy Soil; Will Tolerate Clay if Good Drainage.
Water Need:  Regular Water to Drought Tolerant.
Firewise: YES
Attributes: Evergreen; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds; Multiple Season Interest; Deer Resistant.
Uses:  Stems Used in Flower Arranging; Hedgerow; Container Plant; Shrub Border; Foundation Plantings. Native Gardens, Woodland gardens, Edible native plants
Note:  Little Pruning Needed.
Native to:  Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/ Master Gardener

Oregon Native Plant: Salmonberry

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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

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Berry with leaf – Photo by: Margalob / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Flower – Photo by :Walter Siegmund / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Horticulture Report: Spaeralcea ambigua (Apricot Mallow)

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Plant Name: Spaeralcea ambigua
Common name:  Apricot Mallow, Desert Globemallow
Plant Type:  Perennial Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 5’
Plant Width:  2’ – 4’
Bloom Time:  Spring
Flower Color:  Apricot or Dark Orange
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Grows well in most well-draining soils.
Water Needs: Extremely Low
Attributes: Attracts Bees and Butterflies. Adored by Hummingbirds!
Note:  Good Pruning after bloom keeps plant from becoming woody; Easily Reseeds.
Uses: Xeriscape “Gardens; Cottage & Mediterranean Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report: Viki Ashford, AGC member

Oregon Native: Ribes sanguineum (Red flowering Currant)

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Plant Name:  Ribes sanguineum
Common name:  Red Flowering Currant
Plant Type:  Deciduous Multi-Stemmed Shrub
Plant Height: 8’ – 10’
Spread: 6’ – 8’
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Flower Color: Rich Red to Pink & White
Exposure: Sun
Soil Requirements:  Tolerated poor soil.
Water Needs: Drought Tolerant once established.
Attributes:  Hummingbirds attracted to flowers; Birds attracted to fruit; Host for butterflies & moths; Deer Resistant.
Note: Little pruning required; suckering will form a small patch.
Uses: Single Filler Shrub; Hedge
Native to:  British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo credit: Walter Siegmund / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)