Quercus garryana
The iconic Quercus garryana, also known as Garry oak and Oregon white oak, is a drought tolerant tree that can also tolerate prolonged seasonal flooding. It can often grow on sites that are too dry for other tree species. These slow-growing trees are smaller at maturity than many Pacific Northwest trees, growing eventually to a maximum size of 65-80 ft tall and wide. They have deep tap roots and widely spreading roots, making them resistant to wind-throw. Mature trees growing in open areas develop broad oval crowns, making them excellent shade trees.
The leaves are deciduous, 3-6″ long and 2-5″ broad, with 7-9 deep lobes on each side. The flowers are catkins, and the fruits are small acorns about 1″ long with shallow, scaly cups.
Over 200 species of wildlife benefit from Oregon white oaks, including pollinators such as Fender’s blue, Taylor’s checkerspot, Mardon skipper, Islad marble, and the Oregon silverspot. The Oregon white oak is also the only known food for the caterpillars of Propertius duskywing butterflies and a leaf-mining moth. Deer, bear, raccoons, squirrels, and many small mammals eat the acorns, as do wild turkeys, band-tailed pigeons, woodpeckers, jays, and others.
Oregon white oaks also have significant cultural value for many Native tribes. For all these reasons, Oregon white oaks and their associated prairie habitats are the focus of many regional conservation efforts.
-
- Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) has thick, fire-resistant bark. Younger trees are more vulnerable.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growth Rate: Slow
- Spreads: No
- Wildlife Support: Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible: No
- Mature Height: 25-70ft
- Mature Width:30-60ft
Blue Elderberry
Sambucus cerulea
Blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) is a large, fast-growing deciduous shrub or small tree featuring showy clusters of creamy-white flowers that mature into large clusters of blue-black berries.
This shrub is a great addition to your wildlife garden. Many birds eat the berries, and butterflies visit the flowers for nectar. The plant provides food for the young of spring azure butterflies and various moths. Native solitary bees shelter and lay their eggs in the hollow twigs. Dead elder wood is also the preferred habitat of the mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae, also known as Judas’ ear fungus or wood ear fungus.
Blue elderberry can get quite tall, reaching up to 15 feet in height. Plant it in sun to part shade in well drained soils.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Spreads: No
- Wildlife Support: Pollinators, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible: Yes, but parts of the plant toxic
- Mature Height: 10-25ft
- Mature Width:18ft
False lily-of-the-valley
Maianthemum dilatatum
The plant produces an erect, unbranched stem up to about 40 centimeters tall. A non-flowering shoot bears one smooth, waxy, shiny leaf up to 10 centimeters long and 5 to 8 broad, hence its scientific name (dilatatum means ‘broad’). On plants that are flowering, 2 or 3 leaves are produced oppositely on the stems. The leaf is oval in shape with a heart-shaped base. This attractive groundcover can spread vigorously when in planted in favorable conditions.
The inflorescence is an erect raceme with star-shaped white flowers. They each have four petals and four stamens. After fertilization the fruit produced is a berry 6 millimeters in diameter. The berry is speckled red when immature and solid red when ripe. Each has 1 to 4 seeds.
- Light Requirements: Part Shade, Full Shade
- Water Requirements: Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Spreads: Yes
- Wildlife Support: Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible:
- Mature Height: 1ft
- Mature Width:2-3ft
Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorusis) is a dense, spreading deciduous shrub that grows 4-6 feet tall and wide. It is a friendly plant with large, soft, fuzzy leaves and no thorns or prickles. The white flowers have five petals and a pale yellow center. The delicious fruits are like large, soft, velvety raspberries.
Thimbleberries are used by many kinds of wildlife year round. They are important sources of nectar, nest material, and winter shelter for native bees. Yellow-banded sphinx moths eat the leaves when young, and the berries are eaten by dozens of species.
These thicket-forming plants typically grow along roadsides, railroad tracks, and in forest clearings, commonly appearing soon after clear cuts and forest fire areas. In urban areas, thimbleberries can form a natural hedge at the back of the garden or provide cover on sunny, dry hillsides.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Spreads: Yes
- Wildlife Support: Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: No
- Edible: Yes
- Mature Height: 4-6ft
- Mature Width:3-6ft
Kinnikinnick
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Kinnikinnick is a species of Arctostaphylos, one of several related species referred to as bearberry or kinnikinnick. The distribution is circumpolar, widespread in northern latitudes, confined to high altitudes further south. In North America, it ranges from arctic Alaska, Canada and Greenland south to California.
It is a small, spreading procumbent woody shrub 5-30 cm high. The leaves are evergreen, remaining green for 1-3 years before falling. The fruit is a red berry. The leaves are shiny, small, and feel thick and stiff. In spring, kinnikinnick produces white or pink flowers. They are a common plant on Jack pine sites. They grow well in dry, sunny gardens.
Uses
Kinnikinnick has historically been used for medicinal purposes. It contains the glycoside arbutin, which has antimicrobial properties and acts as a mild diuretic. It has been used for urinary tract complaints, including cystitis and urolithiasis.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Spreads: Yes
- Wildlife Support: Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible: No
- Mature Height: 5-8in.
- Mature Width:2-15ft
Tall Oregon Grape
Mahonia aquifolium (Berberis aquifolium)
Tall Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is the state flower of Oregon. The plant is not related to grapes, but gets the name from the purple clusters of berries it produces every fall. Its sharply pointed leaves resemble holly. The bright yellow clusters of flowers in April and May are both a lovely sign of spring, and a welcome sources of nectar for early pollinators including mason bees and bumblebees.
Painted lady butterflies, half-white carpet moths, mining bees, and other insects also use the flowers for food. The berries are eaten by many wildlife, including robins, waxwings, juncos, sparrows, and towhees, as well as foxes, coyotes, and raccoons.
Tall Oregon grape is well suited for low-maintenance plantings or loose evergreen hedges. It grows 5-8 feet tall depending on conditions, so in the garden it serves as a good evergreen backdrop, especially when combined with salal, sword fern, and evergreen hucklebery. Tall Oregon grape tolerates poor soils and summer drought, especially if it has some shade.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Spreads: Yes
- Wildlife Support: Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible: Yes
- Mature Height: 5-8ft
- Mature Width:2-8ft
Oregon iris
Iris tenax
Iris tenax is a species of Iris native to southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon. It is known as the tough-leaved iris or Oregon iris. It occurs along roadsides and in grasslands and forest openings at low to middle elevations. One subspecies is also known from northern California.
Like most irises, it has large and showy flowers. The flowers bloom in mid to late spring and are usually lavender-blue to purple, but blooms in white, yellow, pink, and orchid shades are known to sometimes occur.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Spreads:
- Wildlife Support: Hummingbirds, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible:
- Mature Height: 1-2ft
- Mature Width:1-2ft
Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
Few plants are as aptly named as snowberry. Small bell-like pink flowers give way to scattered clusters of white berries in late summer, which stay on the delicate, arching branches through the fall and much of winter. The small, pale green oval leaves turn a soft yellow in the fall.
Snowberries are at their best in the landscape when combined with other plants. They bring an airy lightness to the understory that contrasts well with the thick evergreen leaves of salal and low Oregon grape, the red stems of red osier dogwoods, and the feathery green foliage of Western hemlock and Western redcedar.
The berries are eaten late in winter by thrushes, towhees, robins, waxwings, and grosbeaks. Anna’s and rufous hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers, as are many species of native bees. Snowberry also provides food for the young of vashti sphinx moths and is generally good cover for wildlife.
Snowberry is tolerant of a wide variety of growing conditions, spreads easily, and makes an excellent addition to any garden.
- Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade
- Water Requirements: Dry, Moist
- Ease of Growing: Easy to grow
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Spreads: Yes
- Wildlife Support: Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Pest-eating Insects, Birds or Mammals
- Fire-resistant: Yes
- Edible: No
- Mature Height: 3-6ft
- Mature Width:2-4ft