Iris, Hedera, Jovibarba, Kniphofia - 1, Kniphofia - 2,
Large leaved perennials, Pelargonium x domesticum, Grasses, Primula, Seeds,
Sempervivum, Viola, Western Natives, Shrubs & Trees, Additional Plants
The plants on this short page are nursery propagated.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi(creeping manzanita) There are many manzanitas along the west coast of North America, and of them this is one of the most widespread, occuring naturally from California through Canada to Alaska. A nursery-grown mazanita can happily withstand dry summers after a couple of years of settling in. So it is important to water a new transplant deeply and regularly for the first couple years. Common names for this are bearberry and kinnikinnick. Its leaves are evergreen and glossy, about an inch long, and turning a bright red in winter. The prostrate stems can grow very long, to fifteen feet or more with time. It has white flowers that become red berries.
Aster subspicatus, Douglas' asterLight purple daisy-like flowers show in late summer on moist ground near the coast. It grows from one to two feet tall, and survives well in competition with meadow grasses.
Clematis ligusticifoliaFew gardeners know that there is a clematis vine that is native over much of the west. Dismissed by at least one garden writer as not worth having in a garden, the fact that this native clematis grows easily, and has mildly fragrant, small white flowers over a long season, from mid summer onwards, makes it worthwhile. It will grow to twenty feet in a short time, and will spread by seeding itself around. The seedlings and year-old plants are easy to find and weed out.
Heracleum lanatum(cow parsnip) Native to the Pacific coast of North America, this perennial has large, three fingered leaves, and large flat-topped clusters of white flowers in summer. In the wild its height can reach eight feet. It is commonly seen west of the Cascade Mountains from Washington to Alaska, in places with damp ground from sea level to subalpine elevations. It was used by the majority of indigenous people along the Norhtwest Coast as a green vegetable. We handle it all the time and it is not especially dangerous, however a word of caution is necessary to warn that rubbing against it can raise welts on the skin, especially to light sensitive individuals. It doesn't need lots of water to grow well in a garden, but to grow it as large as possible extra watering is needed. It would make a bold and dramatic statement in the right spot, possibly backing up other flowering plants such as daylilies and siberian irises.
Hierochloe odorata(holy grass or vanilla grass) This grass is not only native to parts of western North America, but also to northern Europe and Asia. Unremarkable in it looks, it is easily mistaken for lawn grass. Yet this has a hidden surprise that is often not clearly explained. The leaves have a wonderful smell, but they must be cut and dried for your nose to sense it. For many centuries this grass has been used in rituals, as one example, the dried leaves being strewn before church doors in Christian ceremonies in Europe. A different appreciation for it is Eastern Europeans using this as a flavoring for vodka, adding three leaves to a bottle changes it to zubrovka, and supposedly smoother.
Iris - Pacific CoastThe plants are offered in mixed colors. Being very drought tolerant they need no irrigation after their first season in your garden. They also grow well in average garden conditions. Give them lots of sun. They are very long lived and undemanding.
Iris douglasianaThe flowers are lavender purple and grow just under a foot tall. They appear in late spring. The crowns of the plants, where the leaves join the roots, have some rose coloring. When happy they grow slowly into wider and wider clumps that rarely need to be disturded. Growing them where they gets lots of light, keeping them weeded and occasionally feeding them is all they ask.
Iris douglasiana albaMostly white with some yellow, this form of the douglas iris is not seen often. The plant grows as strongly as the other irises, and its white flowers show up better at a distance.
Iris douglasiana 'Minima'The lowest of the dougalsianas, at about four inches. Flowers are lavender blue.
Iris douglasiana 'Amelia Bloomer'The blue of this flower is most attractive. We wish she flowered longer than the two to three weeks that we see her. The leaves are also attractive, with their shiny, dark color and low growth.
Lonicera ciliosaThe vine scrambles over and through brush and shrubs on the verges of forests. It flowers for a short time in early summer with very bright flowers. It is a favorite of hummingbirds. There are hybrid forms of other honeysuckles with similarly orange flowers that bloom longer. However, this is native and deserves more attention.
Ribes sanguineumPlants grown from seeds, as ours are, are a light or medium pink. Flower season is spring to early summer. The flowers become black berries that are good fodder for wildlife over winter. The leaves are deciduous. A plant can easlily grow to reach a height of eight feet or more, or can be lower with pruning.
Tellima 'Forest Frost'(fringe cups) Growing in the nearby forests, this plant is evergreen here although it is deciduous when growing in colder parts of the Northwest. The color of the leaves is brighter in winter. In the wild the plant's height can be up to thirty inches with leaves four inches across. For us, because we grow them most often in facy glazed pots with an assortment of other shade lovers such as ferns and vinca vines, they are smaller. The tall flower stems carry a row of urn-shaped flowers with tiny fringed petals that start out green and become deep red.
