Horticulture Report: Sambucus nigra

Article by: Lynn Kuntsman, Jackson County Master Gardener & Wildlife Management

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Evening Primrose

Plant Name:  Oenothera species

Common name:  Evening Primrose
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial or Biennial
Plant Height: 2’ – 6’
Plant Width:  1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color:  Yellow or Pink or White
Exposure:  Sun to Shade
Soil Requirements: Rocky or Sandy Soil; Well-Drained
Water Needs: Low to Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 8 – Plant 30’+ from Structure
Attributes: Attract Moths; Birds Eat Seeds; Attracts Hummingbirds; Fragrant Flowers; Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant
Uses: Full Sun Ground cover; Rock Gardens; Erosion Control; Native Plant Gardens
Note: Flowers Open in the Evening
Native to: Eastern North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Oregon Native: Antennaria rosea (Pink Pussy Toes)

Plant Name:  Antennaria rosea
Common name:  Pink Pussy Toes
Plant Type:  Evergreen Groundcover
Plant Height:  .33’ – 1.3’
Plant Width: 8’ – 12’
Bloom Time:  June – August
Flower Color:  Cream to Pink to Red
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Good Draining Soil.
Water Need:  Low
Firewise: Yes, 30’ from house
Attributes: Host Plant for Caterpillars & Moths; Attracts Bees & Butterflies.
Uses:  Native Wildflower Groundcover; Butterfly & Pollinator Gardens; Rock Garden.
Native to:  Western US, Great Plains, Alaska
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo Credit: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Post by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Viola pednuculata (California Golden Violet)

Plant Name:  Viola pednuculata
Common name:  California Golden Violet
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1.3’
Bloom Time:  March – April
Flower Color: Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Rich Soil
Water Need: Moderate to High, but NO Water in summer.
Attributes: Insect Pollinators; Evergreen; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant
Uses: Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Gardens, Native Garden, Perennial Gardens,  Waterwise Gardens, Wildflower Gardens
Native to:  California
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 10

Report by; Viki Ashford
Photo by: Joe Decruyenaere, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native:Utah Serviceberry

Plant Name:  Amelanchier utahensis
Common name:  Utah Serviceberry
Plant type:  Deciduous Shrub
Height:  3’ – 15’
Spread: 10′-15′
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color:  White/Pink
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Tolerates most soils, but well-drained.
Water Needs:  Low – Medium
Attributes:  Browse Food for Birds & Wildlife; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Attracts Pollinators.
Note:  Berries eaten by Birds; Deep Root System; Plant is Self-Fertile.
Uses: Accent Shrub; Windbreak Hedge
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 8
Fire Resistance Score: 5 (Zone 2: plant 60 ft away from house)

Report by: Viki Ashford & Carlotta Lucas

Photo by: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons