Tag Archives: Plants for Rock Gardens

Horticulture Report: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

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Oregon Native & Firewise
Plant Name:  Arctostaphylos nevadensis       

                Pinemat Manzanita

Common name: Pinemat Manzanita
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 1’ – 2’
Spread:   3’ – 5’
Bloom Time:  Spring, Summer, Winter
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Acidic Soil; Fast Draining
Water Needs: Low; Don’t Irrigate Once Established

Attributes:  Supports Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds; Pollen & Nectar for Native Bees; Nectar for Hummingbirds
Note:  Not easily established at low elevations
Uses:  Soil Stabilization; Ground Cover; Lawn Alternative; Rock Garden    

Arctostaphylos nevadensis

Firewise:  YES
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 9a

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photos from Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/arctostaphylos-nevadensis

Horticulture Report: Asarum caudatum, aka: Western Wild Ginger

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Native Firewise Plant

Photo Credit: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plant Name:  Asarum caudatum

Common name: Western Wild Ginger

Plant type: Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial

Height: 1’

Spread:  6” – 1’6”
Bloom Time:  Spring

Flower Color: Brown Purple to Green Yellow

Exposure:  Full Shade

Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; High Organic Matter; Acidic

Water Needs:  Regular Water

Photo Credit: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Attributes:  Ginger Aroma when Leaves Rubbed; Winter Interest;    Showy Flowers; Attracts Ants as Pollinators

Note:  Spreads by Rhizomes; Flowers are Unique Shape, but Hidden under Leaves

Uses:  Containers; Groundcover; Lawn Alternative; Rock Gardens;    Borders

Firewise:  YES

Native to: Western North America

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 – 10

 

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Horticulture Report: Antennaria microphylla

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Native & Firewise Plant

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antennaria_microphylla_(3997484407).jpg">Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons

Antennaria microphylla,           Little Leaf Pussytoes

Plant Name: Antennaria microphylla

Common name: Little Leaf Pussytoes

Plant type: Deciduous Perennial Herb

Height: 4” – 2’

Spread:   Low Growing, Tight Groundcover

Bloom Time:  April – August

Flower Color:  White/Pink

Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Requirements: Loamy or Clay Soil

Water Needs: Moderate

Attributes:  Attracts Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Birds, Bees

Uses:  Groundcover; Low Borders; Rock Gardens

Native to: Midwest to West

Oregon Native: YES

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Photo Credit: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/lic

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Horticulture Report: Allium acuminatum

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Plant Name: Allium acuminatum
Common Name:  Hooker’s onion
Plant type : Deciduous Perennial Herb
Height: 0’ – 2’
Spread: 0’ – 1’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color: Purple, White, Pin
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Dry, well-drained; sandy/loamy
Water Needs: Occasional Summer Water
Attributes: Bulblets reproduce easily; strong onion smell; deer resistant; attracts pollinators: bats, butterflies, birds; nectar source for butterflies
Note: Flowers appear on long stalks after leaves have died; goes dormant in summer after going to seed
Uses: Rock Garden; Dry Open Meadows; Habitat Restoration; Green Roof
Native to:  Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone 5 – 9

Firewise Plant: Lambs’ Ear

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Plant Name:  Stachys byzantina
Common name:  Lambs’ Ear
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 12” – 15”
Plant Width:  15” – 18”
Bloom Time: July – Frost
Flower Color:  Purplish-pink spikes
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Well-Drained; Loam/Sand
Water Needs: Dry – Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES: Zone 2 – Plant 50’+ from Home.
Attributes: Attractive, Velvety, White-Silver Leaves; Tolerates Deer, Drought, Dry Soil; Foliage Provides Interesting Texture & Color; Attracts Butterflies
Uses: Ground Cover; Rock Garden; Accent in the border under shrubs.
Note: Spreads by creeping stems that root as they grow; Can be aggressive in rich soils; Damp leaves promote onset of disease; DON’T water overhead; Remove damaged leaves for neat appearance.
Native to: Turkey, Armenia, Iran
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo credit :Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Firewise Plant: Geranium cinereum

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Ballerina Cranesbill

Plant Name:  Geranium cinereum
Common name:  Cranesbill
Plant Type:  Semi-Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height:  4” – 6”
Plant Width:  10” – 12”
Bloom Time:  May – September
Flower Color:  Pink, White, Magenta
Exposure: Full to Part Sun
Soil Requirements: Chalk, Loam, Sand; Good Drainage.
Water Needs: Low to Average
Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 1-8, Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies.
Uses:  Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Border Edging; Containers.
Note: Shear Plants by One-Half in Mid Summer to Encourage Bushy Growth & Repeat Blooming.
Native to: Pyrenees Mountains
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9