NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE

The following list of Northwest native plants is intended as an introduction for those individuals interested in including native plants as a part of their landscapes. The plants listed are all readily available from commercial nurseries, through specialty catalogs and at plant sales. The general requirements for each plant are given but they can be used in other situations, depending exposures, drainage, water and soils. Detailed information on these and many more native plants and their cultural requirements can be found in the list of references which includes a list of plant sources.

TALL EVERGREEN SHRUBS:

Pacific rhododendron   Rhododendron macrophylum

            Prefers semi-shaded situations, woodland edges

Silk-tassel bush   Garrya elliptica

            Sun or part shade   long male tassels (catkins) in February

            ‘James Roof’ catkins to 1 foot, ‘Issaquahensis’

California wax myrtle   Myrica californica

            Full sun, excellent screen or hedge as it can be pruned.

Evergreen huckleberry   Vaccinium ovatum

            Sun, slow growing

TALL DECIDUOUS SHRUBS:

Vine maple   Acer circinatum

            Woodland setting, semi-shade

            ‘Little Gem’ a low growing shrub; ‘Monroe’ a cut-leaf form

Red-flowering currant   Ribes sanguineum

            Sun, blooms in March, hummingbird plant, many color variations

            ‘King Edward VII’ red selection; ‘White Icicle’, a white

 Serviceberry   Amelanchier alnifolia

            Sun, part shade, a good plant for bluffs and shore

            ‘Autumn Brilliance’ a hybrid trained as a single trunked small tree

Mock-orange   Philadelphus lewisii

            Sun, use as part of a border, gets quite tall

            Many cultivars available that are hybrids

Red-osier dogwood; Red-twig dogwood    Cornus stolonifera

            Semi sun, loves damp areas, edges of streams

            C.s. ‘Kelsii’ a dwarf, twiggy shrub,

            ‘Flaviramea’ a yellow-twig form

            ‘Insanti’

Oceanspray   Holodiscus discolor

            Full sun, border plant, bluffs and shorelines

Pacific ninebark   Physocarpus capitatus

            Tolerates wet ground, likes sun

MEDIUM TO LOW EVERGREEN SHRUBS:

Tall Oregon grape   Mahonia  aquifolium (Berberis aquifolium)

            Sun, tolerates dry areas, can be used as an informal hedge

Dull Oregon grape   Mahonia nervosa

            Sun or shade, good under fir and cedar trees with ferns

Creeping Oregon grape   Mahonia repens

            From east of the Cascades, low growing, nice plant

Hairy Manzanita   Arctostaphylos columbiana

            Requires sharp drainage and sun

            X ‘Howard McMinn’  and others

Salal   Gaultheria shallon

            Use under firs and open woodland settings

Bog-rosemary   Andromeda polifolia

            Bog garden plant but will also grow in the open

            There are various selections available

MEDIUM TO LOW DECIDUOUS SHRUBS:

Common snowberry   Symphoricarpus alba

            Sun to shade

            There are pink berried forms available

Shrubby cinquefoil   Potentilla fruticosa

            Sunny open locations, yellow native

            Many shades of yellow through peach and apricot are Asiatic hybrids

PERENNIALS:

False Solomon’s seal   Smilacina racemosa

Star-flowered Solomon’s seal   Smilacina stellata

            Woodland plants of semi shade

Goat’s beard   Aruncus dioicus

            Will tolerate damp areas in sun or shade

Western trillium   Trillium ovatum

            Woodland settings

Leopard lily    Lilium pardalinum

            Woodland and border settings

Small-flowered Tiger lily   Lilium columbianum

            Woodland and border

Common camas   Camassia quamash

            Meadow and garden settings, nice in sweeps of color

Great camas   Camassia leichtlinii

            Can be 2 feet tall

            Both camas need a dormant, dry summer  

Pink Fawn lily    Erythronium revolutum

            Can be used as a ground cover with care

SPECIAL PLANTS:

Lewisias   Lewisia cotyledon

            Several species and hybrids requiring very sharp drainage and sun

Pacific Coast iris species and hybrids

            Iris douglasiana crossed with other Pacific Coast iris species

            Requires very sharp drainage and sun

GROUNDCOVERS:

Kinnikinnick   Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 

Evergreen; dry, sunny areas, slopes with good drainage

Coastal strawberry   Fragaria chiloensis

Evergreen; sun, sandy, good drainage

Sea Thrift    Armeria maritima

            Evergreen; sandy soils, borders will tolerate coastal conditions  

Inside-out flower   Vancouveria hexandra

Evergreen; open shade, along paths

Broad-leaved stonecrop    Sedum spathulifolium

            Evergreen; rocky and sandy soils, borders

            ‘Cape Blanco’ grey leaved; also purple and dwarf forms

Bleeding heart   Dicentra formosa

Deciduous; open shade

            White, dark rose and everblooming forms available

Oregon oxalis   Oxalis oregana

Deciduous; open shade and shade

 False lily-of-the-valley   Maianthemum dilitatum

Deciduous; open woods, under rhodies and other shrubs

FERNS:  -  primarily shade and part-shade plants

Sword fern    Polistichum munitum

            Evergreen; common woodland fern

Deer fern   Blechnum spicant

            Evergreen  

Fertile fronds are upright and annual; non-fertile fronds are evergreen

Giant Chain fern   Woodwardia fimbriata

            Evergreen;

Fronds to 4 feet are possible!

Maidenhair fern   Adiantum pedatum

            Deciduous

Information prepared by:

Fay Linger, Kitsap County Master Gardener

February 2007 

c2007 Kingston Garden Club