Spiraea douglasii

Also known as hardhack or steeplebush, Douglas spirea (Spiraea douglasii) is best known for its large, pink, pointy clusters of small flowers that bloom from May – July. The flower clusters turn dark in late summer and linger on the plant for months, adding visual interest.

A fast grower that can reach 10-12 feet tall in just a few years, Douglas spirea favors open sunny areas and can tolerate seasonal flooding. It can spread aggressively in moist environments, but is better behaved in drier areas.

Many butterflies visit this plant for nectar and lay their eggs on it, including pale swallowtail, Lorquin’s admiral, spring azure, and mourning cloak.

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.

Vaccinium ovatum

Evergreen Huckleberry is a small to medium sized evergreen shrub native to the Pacific Northwest regions of the United States and British Columbia. In the Willamette Valley, it prefers full to partial shade, but will tolerate full sun in coastal areas. It grows slowly and prefers acidic soils.

The shiny, alternately arranged leaves are 2-3.0cm long and 1-1.5cm wide with finely serrated edges. In mid-summer, the plant produces round, edible black berries about 0.5 – 1.0cm in diameter. The berries are a valuable traditional food for many Native American cultures in the Pacific Northwest.

Lonicera involucrata

Black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) is also known as “twinberry honeysuckle”. Named for its pairs of flowers and fruits, this attractive shrub grows up to 10 feet tall. Tube-shaped yellow to orange flowers bloom April – July, followed by dark purple berries surrounded by showy red bracts. Young branches have yellow bark which age to yellow-brown.

The flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and bumblebees, and the berries are eaten by numerous birds. Twinberry is also a food plant for the young of Gillette’s Checkerspot butterfly. This wetland plant grows best in sun or partial shade and moist soil.

Gaultheria shallon

Salal is a low-growing, leathery-leaved evergreen shrub that tolerates a wide variety of conditions. Its dark blue “berries” (actually swollen sepals) are edible raw and can be made into jams, preserves, and pies. Salal berries are mildly sweet, and are often used in combination with the more tart Oregon grape.

In the Willamette Valley, salal prefers full to partial shade. In coastal areas it can form deep, nearly impenetrable thickets, and easily tolerates full sun. It grows as far north as Baranof Island, Alaska.

Salal leaves are also harvested and sold to florists worldwide for use in floral arrangements.

Holodiscus discolor

Oceanspray is native to western North America, most commonly found in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. This fast-growing deciduous shrub gets 8-10′ tall and 3-7′ wide. Its small toothed leaves are 2-4 inches long. Cascading clusters of white flowers drooping from the branches give the plant two of its common names, oceanspray and creambush. The flowers have a faint sugary scent, and each one bears a small, hairy fruit containing one seed which is light enough to be dispersed by wind.

Oceanspray is found in a variety of habitats, from wet coastal forests to drier, cooler mountain peaks further inland. It often grows in areas dominated by Douglas-fir. The plant is found in areas prone to wildfire, such as chaparral communities. It is often the first green shoot to spring up in an area recovering from a burn or logging.

Many small solitary bees, bumblebees, and native butterflies visit this plant for nectar. It can also be considered a pollinator “nursery”, as pale swallowtail, spring azure, Lorquin’s admiral, and brown elfin butterflies all lay their eggs on it.

These attractive shrubs thrive on dry slopes in sun to part-sun, and spread well in favorable conditions. Long-leaf Oregon grape and salal do well in their shade, and they pair well with hazelnut to make a woodland border. Combine with red-flowering currant or vine maple for a deciduous screen.

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.

Philadelphus lewisii

Mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii) is an elegant native shrub which grows 3-9 feet tall and has a rounded form. The long stems are red when new and fade to gray with age, the older bark shredding in small flakes. Leaves are usually oval, 1-2 inches long, and a medium green.

White flowers start appearing in clusters at the ends of stems after the plant is 3-4 years old. At the height of bloom, older plants are covered in masses of sweet-smelling flowers, which have a scent similar to orange blossoms with a hint of pineapple.

This plant is as popular with wildlife as it is with people. The indra and pale swallowtail butterflies visit it for nectar, as do hummingbirds and many other pollinators. Tiger swallowtails lay their eggs on it. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds and shelter in the foliage.

Mock-orange’s green leaves turn soft yellow in autumn, contrasting beautifully with the dark green of of evergreen huckleberry and red fall foliage of Western viburnum. Add an understory of sword fern for year-round beauty and wildlife value!