Tag Archives: Plants for Rock Gardens

Horticulture Report: Ajuga reptans

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Plant Name: Ajuga reptans
Common name:  Carpet Bugleweed
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – .75’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time:  May to June
Flower Color:  Blue
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist/Humusy/Well-Drained Soil.
Water Need:  Medium
Firewise: Yes; locate 30’+ from home
Attributes: Showy Flower/Colorful Leaves; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees, Hummingbirds, Songbirds
Uses:  Groundcover; Containers; Rock Gardens; Spring Bulb Cover.
Note:  Cut Back to Ground after Flowering; Spreads by Stolons.
Native to:  Europe, North Africa, SW Asia
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas

Oregon Native: Iris chrysophylla

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Plant Name:  Iris chrysophylla
Common name:  Yellow Leaf Iris
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1.2” – 8.4”
Plant Width:  Narrow
Bloom Time: April – June
Flower Color: Creamy White to Pale Yellow
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Acidic Soil with Good Drainage
Water Need: Low
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Drought Tolerant; Attracts Beneficial Insects.
Fire Resistance: Score 10 (Good). Plant 10 ft of structures.
Uses: Native Landscapes, Rock Gardens, Perennial beds, Pollinator Gardens, Wildlife Habitats
Note:  Divide & Transplant in October
Native to:  NW California & Western Oregon
Oregon Native:  YES
 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo from: Klamath Siskiyou Seeds https://klamathsiskiyouseeds.com/product/iris-chrysophylla-yellowleaf-iris/

Western Pasque Flower

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Plant Name:  Anemone occidentalis
Common name:  Western Pasque Flower
Plant type: Perennial Herb
Height:  4” – 2.5’
Bloom Time: May to August
Flower Color:  White with Purplish Tinge; Silky Plumed Seed head Follows.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements:  Well-Drained Scree (loose rocky debris)
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Long Lasting Unique Seed Head. Firewise: Good Fire Resistances
Note:  Poisonous Parts
Uses: Rock Garden; Moist Meadow. Alpine Plantings,
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8

Seed Heads

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

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

Seed Heads Photo (Mt. Rainer, WA) by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Oregon Native Wildflower: Anemone drammondii

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Plant Name:  Anemone drammondii
Common name:  Drummond’s Anemone
Plant type:  Perennial Wildflower
Height:  9.5”
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color:  White tinged with Blue
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Rocky, Scree Soil; Well-drained.
Water Needs: Low
Attributes:  Attracts Insect Pollinators
Note: Plant at Deciduous Stage; Tap Root
Uses:  Wildflower Gardens; Rock Gardens.
Native to:  Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2a-8b

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member and Master Gardener

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

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

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Plant Name:  Sanguinaria canadensis
Common name: Bloodroot
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 6” – 9”
Plant Width:  3” – 6”
Bloom Time:  March to April
Flower Color:  White Flower with Yellow Stamens.
Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Humusy, Well-Drained.
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Showy Flower, but Short Lived, & Close at Night; Tolerates Drought & Dry Soil; Early Spring Bee & Fly Pollinator.
Note: Goes Dormant in Mid to Late Summer; All Parts of Plant Exude Orange-Red Sap when Cut; Poisonous Characteristics.
Uses: Naturalize; Rock & Wildflower Gardens.
Native to:  Eastern & Central North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford AGC Member, Master Gardener

Photo from: UpstateNYer / 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