Firewise Plant: Lilies

Plant Name: Lilium species
Common name: Lilies
Plant Type: Herbaceous Bulb
Plant Height: 1’ – 4’
Plant Width:12” – 2’
Bloom Time: Late Spring to Early Autumn
Flower Color: Range of Colors: White/Yellow/Orange/Pink/Red/Purple
Exposure: Blooms in the Sun; Bulbs in the Shade.
Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Moderately Acidic.
Water Needs: Moderate
Fire Resistant:YES; Zone 1 – Plant 10+ feet from Structure
Attributes: Good Cut Flower; Attracts Large Pollinators; Fragrant.
Uses: Herbaceous Border; Container.
Note: Plant Twice as Deep as the Height of the Bulb.
Native to: Old World; New World
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Firewise Plant: Daylily

Plant Name:  Hemerocallis species

Common name:  Daylily

Plant Type: Perennial

Plant Height:  1’ – 4’

Plant Width:  1’ – 3’

Bloom Time:  July – August

Flower Color:  White, Yellow, Pink, Red, Gold, Mixed

Exposure: Full to Part Sun

Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained.

Water Needs: Average to Medium

Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 1:  Plant 10+ feet from Structure.

Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds.

Uses:  Borders; Mass Planting; Perennials Beds.

Note: Large Flowers Bloom for 1 Day; Blooms are Edible; After Flowering, Remove Spent Blooms & Seedpods to Encourage Re-Bloom.

Native to: Eurasia; China; Japan

Oregon Native:  NO

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 9

Horticulture Report: Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon)

Plant Name:  Penstemon strictus
Common name: Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Plant Type:  Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height: 1’ – 4’
Spread: 3’
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  Royal Blue to Purple
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Dry, Light, Well-Drained Soil, but will tolerate Heavy Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Attributes: Supports Native Bees; Attracts Birds & Hummingbirds.
Note:  Spreads by Stolons.
Uses: Native Gardens
Native to: California, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah.
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo Credit: Jerry Friedman / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

Horticulture Report: Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific/Western Ninebark)

Plant Name: Physocarpus capitatus
Common name: Pacific/Western Ninebark
Plant Type: Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 5’ – 20’
Spread: 8’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Late April – July
Flower Color:  White Flowers with Red Tip Stamens/Reddish to Brown Fruit
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Acidic
Water Needs:  Medium – ( best with summer watering)
Attributes: Flaking/Peeling Bark; Attracts Pollinator Insects; Deer Resistant; 3″-5″ Clusters of white flowers.
Uses: Hedge, Woodland Gardens, Native Gardens, Along streams
Native to: British Columbia to California & east to Montana
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo Credit: Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/physocarpus-capitatus

Oregon Native: Oceanspray

Plant Name:  Holodiscus discolor
Common name: Oceanspray
Plant Type:  Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 10’
Spread:  10’ – 15’
Bloom Time: May, June, July
Flower Color: Creamy White
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist; Gravelly or Rocky Soil; Adaptable to Most Soils, but with Good Drainage.
Water Needs:  Tolerates Low to High Moisture Level.
Attributes: Fragrant Flowers; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds; Host for Beneficial Insects.
Note:  Prune severely each year after flowering to maintain graceful shrub; Susceptible to Fire Blight.
Uses:  Hedge; Deer Resistant
Native to: British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 10b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo from: Native Plants PNW http://nativeplantspnw.com/ocean-spray-holodiscus-discolor/

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