the art of gardening with native plants

Linda R McMahanOregon State University

Extension Service

Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus) in a native plant garden

Salal (Gaulthera shallon) and fern

Cup fungus on a small decaying branch

Snowberry (Symphoricarpus albus) and bumble bee

Large leaves of Darmera peltata

Trillium ovatum

Asarum –wild ginger

Inside-out-flower (Vancouveria hexandra)

Western spirea, Spiraea douglasii

Water and chemical savings

Plants are adapted to climate and soils

Fewer pests and diseases

Observe and feed pollinators and other

wildlife

Native plants are not invasive in their

native area

What do you

notice?

What do you like?

How would you

use this idea?

Oxalis oregana (wood sorrel) and

Tolmiea menziesii (piggy-back plant)

notice?

like?

use ?

Veratrum – false hellebore

Darmera peltatum

Public Library - McMinnville

Ribes sanguineum, Red

Flowering Currant

Roadside – Cathlamet, WA

California poppy

Sedum spathulifolium (center)

Lewisia cotyledon (bottom left)

Sword fern (Polystichum munitum)

Wild camas often grows in prairie-like settings amongst other plants

Note

contrasting

colors

Erythronium, trout lily, in a wild setting growing in drifts among mosses

Wild bleeding heart,

Dicentra formosa,

grows well in

masses as a

groundcover. Start

with plants spaced

about a foot apart

and let them fill in.

Early spring bloomers seem to ―glow‖ in a forest understory, but by summer,

they go dormant.

Contrasting colors

of native

penstemons and

daisies are also set

off by a nearby

stream. Let plants

intermingle, falling

into each other, to

get this effect.

Contrasting

colors can help

highlight each

individual plant

in a group

Indian paintbrush, a delphinium and cat’s ear

share the same small space

Lupines in masses in full sunlight show

off well

Masses of plants are

often spectacular, just

make sure that there is

other interest, such as

nice foliage, to add to

the garden setting, or

plant something else

that blooms in a

different season nearby

to shift interest there.

Right Plant-Right Place

Use complimentary or contrasting colors and textures

Go for Four Season color & interest

Use garden art, paths, or areas of ground cover, to suit your taste

Deer fern and moss

Our native camas in

nature is a seasonal

wetland species

In the garden, it

require sun or part-

shade and dry

summers

Camassia sp.

A good plant in the wrong

location will not thrive

This Pacific

Northwest species is

a great groundcover

To do best, however,

it requires ample

moisture, such as on

a wet bank

False lily of the valley, Maianthemum

dilitatum.

Oregon oaks are

beautiful but have

special requirements

Irrigation makes then

extremely susceptible

to root rot so dry

summers are a must

Oregon white oak, Quercus garryana

The native red twig

dogwood has many

features—flowers,

fruits, red bark, and

fall color

It can grow in many

garden locations and

exhibits drought

tolerance

Cornus sericea – red twig dogwood,

showing colorful leaves

The Western

serviceberry is a

large shrub

Attractive spring

flowers are followed

by bird-favored

berries

Western serviceberry,

Amelanchier alnifolia

Oregon iris (Iris tenax), Western columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), stream

violet (Viola glabella), and Western mockorange (Philodelphus lewesii)

Summer – An annual ―blue thimble flower‖ (Gilia capitata), Oregon sunshine

(Eriophyllum lanatum), Douglas aster (Aster subspicatus or Symphyotrichum

subspicatus ), and Columbia lily (Lilium columbianum)

Berries of salal (Gaulthera shallon) and blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana).

Fall foliage of golden currant (Ribes aureum).

Berries of snowberry (Symphoricarpus albus) often last through the winter. Red

stems of Cornus sericea and evergreen foliage of sword fern (Polystichum

munitum) provide color interest

Contrast brings out

details

If you use blooms to

contrast, make sure

they bloom at the

same time

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and red

monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis)

White flowers

seem to

complement

those of other

colors

Make sure their

growing

conditions match

Nutka rose (Rosa nutkana) and Pacific

ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus)

An adaptable native

succulent is Sedum

spathulifolium

Offset it with rocks

or other materials

Spoon-leaf stonecrop, Sedum spathulifolium

Groundcovers

add interest

and often

intermingle well

with other

plants

Dunes strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis

Here a ground

cover, fern and tree

trunk add garden

interest

Look for opportunities

to use naturalistic

combinations

Groundcover is Pacific waterleaf,

Hydrophyllum tenuipes

Tree trunks

provide a

pleasing

backdrop for

many plants

March flowers of red flowering currant, Ribes

sanguineum, also attract hummingbirds

In this city park

planting, individual

plants are set in

spacing, with bark

mulch, all adding

visual appeal

Oregon iris (Iris tenax) and blue fescue

Osoberry, Oemleria

cerasiformis, is one

of the earliest shrubs

to bloom. Summer

berries add more

appeal.

Don’t overwater but supply what is needed for the plant to be successful in your garden

Establish carefully—trees and shrubs need extra water to establish

Let plants take their natural formLittle if any fertilizer to maintain natural

shape and sizeAmend soil only with organic matter—no

sand!

Photographs are those of the author © Linda R McMahan, Oregon State

University Extension Service. This presentation may be used for

educational purposes without express permission. For other uses of

photographs or material, please contact the author at

linda.mcmahan@oregonstate.edu

Linda R McMahan

OSU Extension Service

Yamhill County

For more information, visit us on

the web at:

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/y

amhill/eco-gardening