The Untended Garden in March!
Excuse the weeds, but the bumbles bees like them.
~Garden and Poster by Goly Ostovar, AGC Member
Garden Poster
Tag Archives: Plants for Native Bees
Native Shrubs for Southern Oregon
RED-FLOWERING CURRANT, (BLOOD CURRANT)
Ribes sanguineum Purch
Mid-height deciduous shrub, 3–9-feet with many upright stems from the base. Gray-green leaves. Blooms emerge before foliage with pendant red/pink flower clusters bloom in late winter. Shrub produces blue/black berries with waxy bloom in the summer.
This plant is a rapid grower and is drought tolerant. There is a selection of varieties flowering currants available in shades of red, pink, and white.
Habitat: Dry open woods, Forest edge, Slopes
Flowers attract hummingbirds, Berries attract birds.
PACIFIC, OR WESTERN, NINEBARK
Physocarpus capitatus (Pursh) Kuntze
Mid-height, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub to 8′-10’. Leaves resemble a maple tree leaves. Produces small white flowers in dense 2–3″ clusters in late spring. Plant turns a rose-brown color in the fall. Older stems have shredding bark.
Habitat: Best used in moist locations, along creeks & streams.
Ninebark Varieties:
Summer Wine – Bright red leaves when emerging, turning dark purple. Upright arching branches. Height 5.5 feet, same width. Exposure: Sun, part shade. USDA Hardiness Zone 2
Little Devil – Red stems with green and Red glossy leaves – Height 3.5 feet, same width. Exposure: Sun, part shade. USDA Hardiness Zone 2
Diablo : Dusky dark purple leaves turn red in autumn. Upright and arching shape. Height 8-10 ft, same width. Exposure: sun, part shade. USDA Hardiness Zone 2
Dart Gold: Bright gold new leaves, sometimes tinged with red. Chartreuse color in the shadowed center of the plant. Grows in an upright fountain shape. Grows to 5-ft , same width. Exposure: part shade. USDA Hardiness Zone 2
Amer Jubilee: New leaves are a glowing orange and gold, with touches of purple. Growth is upright rounded shape. Height 5.5ft, Width 4 to 5 feet. Exposure: Sun, part shade. USDA Hardiness Zone 2
by Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member
Hellebore for Winter Flowers
Plant Name: Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose)
Plant type: Evergreen perennial
Height: 12” – 15”
Bloom Time: February to April
Flower Color: Varies – Purple, Whitish Yellow, Whitish Green, Pink, Burgundy
Exposure: Full Sun in Winter, Dappled shade in spring, summer, and fall
Soil Requirements: Well drained loamy soil; Amend soil with organic matter
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Late Winter Bloomer, Deer Resistant , Waterwise plant, Long Blooming Season, Flowers have nodding habit.
Firewise status: unknown
Note: Mulch to maintain summer moisture, Monitor for aphids in the spring and treat accordingly. Hellebores provide a variety of bees with nectar and pollen at a time when few other plants are blooming.
Uses: Borders, Containers, Mass Plantings, Woodland Garden, Cut Flowers, Winter Flowers, Pollinator Gardens, Bee Habitat.
USDA Zone: 2-10
Horticulture Report: Sambucus nigra
Article by: Lynn Kuntsman, Jackson County Master Gardener & Wildlife Management
Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member
Firewise Plant: Muscari armeniacum Grape Hyacinth
Plant Name: Muscari armeniacum
Common name: Grape Hyacinth
Plant Type: Bulbous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – .75’
Plant Width: .25’ – .50’
Bloom Time: April
Flower Color: Royal Blue with thin White Rim
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained; Sandy; Loam
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 10 – Plant 10’+ from structure.
Attributes: Showy Flower; Fragrant; Good Cut Flower; Deer Resistant; Tolerates Clay Soil; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Mass in Open Areas; Around Shrubs; Under Deciduous Trees; Rock Gardens; Front of the Border; Container Plant.
Note: Reduce Watering After Foliage Begins to Die Back.
Native to: Western Asia, Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photo by (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html, via Wikimedia Commons
Fire-Resistant Plant: Greenleaf Manzanita
Plant Name: Arctostaphylos patula
Common name: Greenleaf Manzanita
Plant type: Shrub
Height: 3.3’ – 7’
Spread: 6’ – 9’
Bloom Time: Winter – Spring
Flower Color: White, Pink
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Fast Draining; Slightly Acidic.
Water Needs: Low; Deep Moisture.
Attributes: Insects Attracted to Flowers Including Native Bees; Birds Attracted to Fruits; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Nectar Source.
Firewise: YES; One of the Few Manzanitas That Are Fire-Resistant.
Note: Slow Growing; Tolerates Very Cold Temperatures.
Uses: Hedges; Bird & Hummingbird Gardens; Bee Gardens; Erosion Control.
Native to: Sierra Nevadas/North Coast Range California/Oregon/Washington; Parts of Arizona/Colorado.
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 9b
Article by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photo courtesy of Pat Breen, Oregon State University