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Gardening with Native

Plants in Oregon

Linda R. McMahan

Oregon State University Extension Service

Yamhill County

[email protected]

Trillium ovatum

Sedum spathulifolium, stonecrop

Darlingtonia california at Darlington Botanical Wayside

Darmera (Peltophyllum) peltatum leaves

Darmera flowers

Actaea rubra, baneberry

Oregon oak, Quercus garryana

Sword Fern, Polystichum munitum

Spiraea douglasii

Physocarpus capitatus and Rosa nootkana

Rubus parviflorus, salmonberry

Sidalcea sp.

Viola glabella, stream violet

Vaccinium parviflorum, red huckleberry

Maianthemum dilitatum, false lily-of-the-valley at the coast

Olsynium douglasii Grass widow in Columbia River Gorge

Ribes aureum, golden currant

Rhododendron occidentale, Western azalea

Mimulus cardinalis and Achillea millefolium (yarrow)

Camassia leichtlinii, Camas

Acer circinatum, vine maple

Trillium ovatum, an uncommon form

Polystichum munitum, sword fern

Calochortus sp., cat’s ear

Sara Orange-Tip Butterfly on a native flower

Castilleja sp., paintbrush

Lilium columbianum, Westen tiger lily,

Leaves of evergreen huckleberry, Vaccinium ovatum

Gilia capitata

Lichen with fallen oak leaves, Quercus garryana

Aquilegia formosa, Western columbine

Symphoricarpos alba, snowberry

Scoliopis bigilovii, slinkpod

Rhododendron macrophyllum, Western rhododendron

Petasites frigidus, Coltsfoot

Ready to Learn More?

• Beyond sheer beauty: choosing native plants for your garden– Geographic regions and gardening with native

plants– Understanding wild habitats

• Care of native plants• Back to the plants -- My 10 all time favorite

native plants for gardens• Plants in actual gardens

Choosing Native Plants for Your Garden

Look for:

• Ornamental Value

• Sentimental Value

• Plants from Close By

• If you want show, go for it

Oregon is All About Rain

• The western 1/3 has lots of it, except for the summer months

• The coast and coast range have even more, sometimes arriving as seasonal storms

• Central and Eastern Oregon have limited precipitation, falling mostly as winter snow or in storm events, and often drains away quickly

Understand Wild Habitats

• Coastal habitats are often extremely wet and plants need extra water to survive

• An exception are those of sand dunes which can be very hardy

Understanding Wild Habitats

• Western mountain forests are wet and shady

• Plants from these habitats sometimes need extra water and shade – Oxalis, bleeding heart, Piggy-back plant, and more


• Willamette Value Prairie habitats and other prairie sites in Oregon have some good garden plants that are often drought tolerant and colorful, Examples are lupine, Oregon sunshine, Penstemon serrulatus, Sidalcea’s, and yarrow


• As we go east, the land becomes dryer, as in the Columbia River Gorge – Catherine Creek here

• Plants require good drainage and the more delicate ones sometimes do not do well in gardens, sedums, the Oregon form of California poppy


• Central Oregon conifer forests are also dry, plants require good drainage, but can often withstand both heat and cold, many penstemons, desert parsley, eriogonum


• The Eastern Oregon is wildly beauty with drought tolerant desert natives, some of which are extremely adaptable to the rest of Oregon like the golden currant.

Oregon Flora Project

• http://www.oregonflora.org/

http://www.oregonflora.org/

http://www.oregonflora.org/

Care of Native Plants Really there is no mystery!

• Appropriate Water Use

• Soils and Fertilizers

• Pruning

Appropriate Water Use

• Oregon natives are adapted to periods of summer dry, and some require this to survive

• You may need to adjust irrigation if natives are planted with other more water-needy plants

• In some cases, the plants will look better in a cultivated setting if they receive more water than falls in your area, especially if the plants are away from their natural habitat.

Soils and Fertilizer

• Use the native soil if possible

• Increase of decrease drainage as appropriate for the plants you are using

• Use minimal if any fertilizer--the plants may actually grow too tall!

Pruning

• The style is up to you:

• Can be dramatic

• Can be subtle

• Can be non-existent

• In all cases, prune appropriately for the plant’s structure

My 10 All-Time Favorites

Some of these are common in the trade, some rare. You may have to look really hard—check with your local native plant nurseries for more information

This selection will reveal not only my personal tastes, but also my more expansive preferences for native plants—not all are local or even wild-some people would disagree with this approach

Leucothoe davisii – Sierra laurel, southern Oregon

Ribes aureum, golden currant, Central and Eastern OR

Ribes sanguineum, red-flowering currant, King Edward the VII

• To England and back

Penstemon serrulatus, coast penstemon

• Coastal Oregon and Willamette valley

• Great for sunny borders

Iris tenax, Oregon iris

• Native to mountains and valleys in western Oregon

Philadephus lewisii, Western mock orange

• Most fragrant of them all

• Native to many regions of the state

• Carefree and prolific

• From the rivers and streams of SW Oregon

• Dramatic in flower and form

Peltophyllum (Darmera) peltatum, Indian rhubarb

Vancouveria hexandra, Inside-out-Flower

• Deciduous groundcover from Cascades and Coast Range

• Quite the rage in New York!

Mimulus cardinalis, scarlet monkeyflower

• Southern Oregon native

• Moist soil, nearly full sun

Camassia quamash/ C. leichtlinii, Camas

• Native bulb, needs summer dry

• Beautiful shade of blue to blend with the daffodils

Pulling it All Together in a Garden

Plant photos taken in landscapes featuring native plants

Bee on Ceanothus thyrsiflorum

Fall color Cornus sericea, OSU campus

Philadelphus lewisii, Western mock orange

Oxalis, ferns, and Ribes, Private garden

Sword Fern and old log, Private garden

Salal and sword fern, Berry Botanic Garden, Portland

Oregon iris, Waterfront Park, Corvallis

Native and other sedums, Private garden

Eriophyllum lanatum, Oregon sunshine

Emerging dragonfly, bog habitat, Berry Botanic Garden

Red elderberry, Sambucus mexicana

Wild dunes strawberry, Oregon State University campus

Plantings around Engineering Building, OSU

Sword fern with non-native azalea flowers, Berry Botanic Garden,

Portland

Go native - It’s good for you!All photographs © Linda R McMahan, [email protected]