The northwestern United States is extremely diverse, encompassing majestic temperate rainforests and high-elevation dry deserts, tall mountaintops, coastal areas, and everything in between. Familiarize yourself with the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to learn which zone you live in; this will be a very helpful first step as you start choosing the best Northwest native plants for your garden.
Native plants have evolved naturally within a region and are well adapted to the local growing conditions. Some benefits of gardening with native plants are that they use less water and fewer chemicals than non-native species. Native plants also grow well together, enhance the natural environment, and provide valuable sources of food and shelter for native wildlife.
You can grow a large native or very small native garden or mix both native and non-native species. Just avoid growing invasive species in your garden.
Keep reading for more details about 31 native plants, from tall trees to ground covers, that you can grow in a Northwestern garden.
Trees
If your yard is large enough, consider a native tree. Trees greatly enhance your landscape. They provide shade and shelter, offer food for wildlife, and add structure to your garden. Best of all, however, is that trees are beautiful and you can enjoy them all year!
Bitter Cherry
This tree, native to western North America, can be easily grown in differing conditions.
 | botanical name Prunus emarginata |
|---|---|
 | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
 | height 25 – 30 feet |
 | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
Bitter cherry, sometimes called wild cherry or quinine cherry, is a small deciduous tree native to western North America. Bitter cherry spreads by root suckers and forms dense thickets. Allow these trees to naturalize as a hedge or prune them to isolate and grow individual trees.
In spring, bitter cherry blooms with clusters of showy white flowers that attract hummingbirds and insect pollinators. By mid-summer, the small red fruits make a good snack for hungry birds and other wildlife. The fruits are small and bitter but showy and attractive on the tree.
Oregon Crabapple
This tree blooms with white flowers in spring, followed by small fruits for birds and mammals in summer.
| | botanical name Malus fusca |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 25 – 30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
The Oregon crabapple, also called the western crabapple, is a deciduous tree native to western North America. This thicket-forming small tree can be allowed to naturalize and form a natural hedge, or you can prune extras to isolate individual stems. Grow Oregon crabapple in a location with moist soil, such as alongside a stream or wetland.
In the spring, Oregon crabapple blooms with clusters of showy, white, fragrant flowers. The flowers attract hummingbirds and insect pollinators. In the summer, small, oval-shaped reddish-orange fruits make a good food source for birds and small mammals. In the fall, you can enjoy the attractive orange foliage.
Pacific Dogwood
This native tree boasts attractive spring flowers that attract pollinators.
| | botanical name Cornus nuttallii |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 20 – 40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 7 – 9 |
The Pacific dogwood is a deciduous tree native to western North America. It grows naturally in moist woodlands. Grow it in full sun to partial shade with medium moisture and well-drained soil. This is a good tree to grow along a woodland edge or as a central accent plant.
Pacific dogwood blooms in the spring with showy white flowers that attract pollinators. In the late summer into fall, you will see small, round red fruits that are a favorite of foraging birds. This tree is great for a wildlife-friendly garden and a larval host plant for several moth species.
Shore Pine
This adaptable evergreen tree thrives in varied soil conditions.
| | botanical name Pinus contorta var. contorta |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 20 – 50 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6 – 8 |
Shore pine, also known as beach pine, is an easy-to-grow evergreen tree native to western North America. It grows best in full sun but is not too picky about soil conditions. This tree is very adaptable.
Shore pine has short needles and produces pine cones. It provides good habitat and foraging opportunities for birds. It also supports beneficial insects and is a larval host plant for several species of butterflies and moths. This tree makes a good addition to a bird-friendly garden. Shore pine develops an attractive, slightly curved trunk, making a good shade tree.
Vine Maple
This versatile small tree showcases attractive red and white spring flowers and vibrant fall foliage that draws in birds and pollinators.
| | botanical name Acer circinatum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
| | height 20-25 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
Vine maple is a small tree or large shrub native to western North America. It is easy to grow and tolerates various environmental conditions, from full sun to full shade. It prefers a shaded location with moist, well-drained soil.
The growth habitat of vine maple varies depending on where it’s grown. It will develop a more shrub-like form in a sunny location, whereas in a shaded area, it will sprawl more. In the springtime, vine maple blooms with loose, dangling clusters of pretty red and white flowers. In the fall, the leaves put on a showy display of yellow, orange, and red.
Shrubs
Shrubs can be beautiful and useful additions to your landscape. If you have room for a single shrub or a grouping of shrubs, you can add structure, height, and year-round interest to your yard. Many shrubs have beautiful flowers and interesting foliage, making them very appealing in the landscape. Shrubs are also wonderful plants for attracting birds and pollinators.
Evergreen Huckleberry
This native shrub of western North America thrives in full sun or partial shade with moderate moisture.
| | botanical name Vaccinium ovatum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4 – 8 feet |
| | hardiness zones 7 – 9 |
Evergreen huckleberry, also known as California huckleberry, is a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to western North America. It grows best in full sun or partial shade with medium moisture and well-drained soil. Huckleberry is relatively slow-growing and makes a very attractive foliage plant.
This easy-to-grow shrub blooms from late spring into summer. The showy flowers are white to pink and bell-like. The flowers attract hummingbirds and insect pollinators. In late summer, these plants bear an abundance of small red fruits that birds adore. The fruits are quite tart but make good jams, jellies, and pies.
Pacific Ninebark
It blooms with small white flowers in late spring, attracts pollinators, and bears reddish fruiting clusters.
| | botanical name Physocarpus capitatus |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 8 – 12 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 10 |
The Pacific ninebark is a large deciduous shrub native to western North America, where it grows along streams and in moist woodlands. This attractive shrub is easy to grow in full sun to partial shade with consistently moist soil. This would be a good plant for rain gardens or other slow-draining areas.
Pacific ninebark blooms in late spring. Rounded clusters of small white flowers attract pollinators. Its showy reddish fruits provide food for foraging birds and small mammals. By late summer and into fall, as the foliage turns brown, the seed heads remain on the plant in interesting brown masses, providing continued interest in the garden.
Red Elderberry
It produces fragrant white spring flowers that attract butterflies, followed by red fruits loved by birds.
| | botanical name Sambucus racemosa |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 8 – 20 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 7 |
Red elderberry is a large deciduous shrub native throughout much of North America. It is easy to grow and especially likes a partially shaded location with moist soil. Red elderberry spreads readily by root suckers and will form a dense colony in ideal conditions. While you can allow it to spread and naturalize, you can also prune any unwanted suckers to help it maintain a more controlled growth pattern.
Red elderberry is an attractive landscape plant. In the spring, it blooms with large clusters of fragrant white flowers that attract butterflies. After flowering, bunches of small red fruits make a showy display and are much loved by birds. The fruits must be cooked before human consumption but can be used to make delicious jams and preserves.
Red-Flowering Currant
The red-flowering currant thrives in full sun with well-drained soil, though it can tolerate partial shade and occasional dry conditions.
| | botanical name Ribes sanguineum var. sanguineum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4 – 10 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6 – 8 |
Looking for a beautiful pollinator-friendly shrub for your landscape? The red-flowering currant is a medium to large-sized deciduous shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. It grows best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in partial shade but may not flower or fruit as abundantly as plants grown in full sun. Once established, it is tolerant of occasional dry soil conditions.
Red currant is easy to grow and a welcome addition to the landscape. In the early spring, it blooms with drooping clusters of beautiful pink flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators. After flowering, from late summer into fall, clusters of dark bluish-purple fruits form, attracting birds and small mammals. In the fall, the leaves turn a muted yellow-bronze color.
Salmonberry
This native shrub thrives in moist, shaded areas, making it a unique choice for hedges or woodland edges.
| | botanical name Rubus spectabilis |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4 – 10 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
Salmonberry is a deciduous shrub native to western North America, where it is found growing in moist forests with dappled shade. It makes an interesting plant for a hedge or understory woodland edge in the home landscape, as long as it can enjoy a location with moist soil.
In the late spring or early summer, salmonberry blooms with beautiful dark pink flowers. The flowers attract hummingbirds, pollinators, and numerous other beneficial insects.
By early to mid-summer, salmonberry bears edible fruits that birds love to eat. The fruits ripen to a very showy, bright yellow-orange color. These thorny plants will form thickets but still make an interesting landscaping plant.
Tall Oregon Grape
This Oregon grape variety features glossy leaves and bright yellow spring flowers.
| | botanical name Mahonia aquifolium |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 5 – 8 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
The tall Oregon grape is a medium-sized evergreen shrub. This easy-to-grow plant is native to the Pacific Northwest and thrives in partial shade and moist soil. This is a great plant for a shaded woodland garden or in a shaded hedge planting. Plants will spread by rhizomes, creating a year-round wall of greenery.
Oregon grape has thickened, glossy leaves. In the early spring, tall Oregon grape blooms with bright yellow flower clusters that attract hummingbirds and beneficial insects.
After flowering, Oregon grape develops its namesake clusters of grape-like dark bluish-purple berries. These fruits have a thin, dusty-white coating and hang from attractive reddish stems. Birds will come to feed on the berries.
Wildflowers
Some of the easiest native plants to grow are wildflowers and grasses. Many of these plants are easy to start from seed and can provide you with years of colorful beauty. Flowers come in all shapes and sizes, and you will find flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season. You can help your landscape come alive and flourish by selecting a variety of native wildflowers.
Beargrass
This native herbaceous perennial thrives in full sun or partial shade, making it suitable for shade gardens or woodland edges.
| | botanical name Xerophyllum tenax |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
Beargrass, or Indian basket grass, is an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to western North America. Beargrass likes full sun or partial shade and makes a good plant for a shade garden or woodland edge. It loves dry to medium-moisture soil and will spread over time to form colonies.
Beargrass is not actually a grass, although it develops tall stems lined with thin, grass-like leaves. At the top of the stem, in early to mid-summer, dense flower spikes burst into bloom, looking like white bottle brushes. The flowers are fragrant and very showy, especially in large clusters. This plant looks spectacular during peak bloom, especially when allowed to grow in dense colonies.
Cascade Beardtongue
This beautiful, rounded shrub blooms with purple-blue trumpet-shaped flowers in spring.
| | botanical name Penstemon serrulatus |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1 – 2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 9 |
The cascade beardtongue, or cascade penstemon, is an herbaceous perennial native to the Pacific Northwest. This plant grows best with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Grow it in your pollinator garden, cottage garden, or along the edge of a wetland where it can enjoy the moist soil conditions.
Cascade beardtongue is a beautiful plant that can grow into a rounded, shrubby form. It blooms in the spring with spectacular purple-blue trumpet-shaped flowers. Hummingbirds and native bees love the flowers and will spend a lot of time checking them out and gathering nectar and pollen. The leaves are attractive and lance-like and will stay semi-evergreen in warmer regions.
False Solomon’s Seal
It blooms with fragrant white flowers in late spring on arched stems, followed by clusters of red fruits.
| | botanical name Maianthemum racemosum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 1 – 3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 8 |
False Solomon’s seal is an herbaceous perennial wildflower native to moist woodlands throughout North America. This plant is easy to grow and tolerant of many varied growing conditions. It favors a shade garden location with medium-moisture soil.
False Solomon’s seal blooms in the late spring with tiny, fragrant white flowers appearing at the end of the gracefully arched leafy stems. Clusters of small, round, bright red fruits follow the flowers. These plants spread readily by rhizomes, developing into attractive colonies. Allow your false Solomon’s seal to naturalize and spread for the most spectacular visual appeal.
Fringe Cup
This native wildflower thrives in moist, slightly acidic soil in shade gardens, boasting unique, cup-like white or pink flowers.
| | botanical name Tellima grandiflora |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 1 – 2.5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
Fringe cup, also known as bigflower tellima, is an herbaceous perennial wildflower native to western North America. This plant grows in moist woodlands, particularly in evergreen forests. It is easy to grow and appreciates a shade garden location with moist, slightly acidic soil.
Fringe cup has unusual flowers that develop on tall, loose spikes. The flowers are white or pink and cup-like with thin, filament-like extensions from the ends of the petals. The flowers attract pollinators and hummingbirds.
These plants are easy to start from seed and will spread readily by self-seeding, forming attractive colonies. If you find yourself with too many fringe cup plants, they are easy to control by removing any excess seedlings each spring.
Globe Gilia
It quickly grows and blooms with purple-blue flower clusters in spring, attracting bees and butterflies for pollinator-friendly gardens.
| | botanical name Gilia capitata |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1 – 3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 2 – 11 |
The globe gilia, also known as blue field gilia, is an annual wildflower native to western North America. It is easy to grow from seed and will self-seed itself readily in ideal conditions, spreading to form dense colonies. Grow it in full sun with medium-moisture, well-drained soil.
Globe gilia grows quickly and blooms in the springtime. The spherical purple-blue flower clusters attract an abundance of bees and butterflies, making this a wonderful addition to your pollinator-friendly garden.
Deadhead spent flowers to reduce self-seeding or be prepared to pull some of the extra seedlings that sprout each spring. You don’t need to do anything special to the seeds; just sow them in your garden in late winter or very early spring, and they will naturally germinate and grow.
Large Camas
An early-season bloomer, camas thrives in sunny, moist soil.
| | botanical name Camassia leichtlinii |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1 – 3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 7 |
Large camas is a Northwest native bulb. In its natural habitat, it grows in meadows, prairies, and moist hillsides. You can grow camas in a sunny location with moist soil in the home landscape. These are good flowers for a bit of showy, early-season interest.
These plants have beautiful spring blooms, but the leaves die back by mid to late summer, so you will probably want to grow them with some other plants to help fill in the space later in the growing season. The showy star-shaped flowers grow on loose spikes above grass-like leaves. While not in bloom, camas can be easily mistaken for small clumps of grass.
Lewis’ Monkeyflower
It blooms with bright pink flowers in summer, easily naturalizes and spreads.
| | botanical name Mimulus lewisii |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 0.75 – 2.5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
Lewis’ monkeyflower, also known as the great purple monkeyflower, is an herbaceous perennial native to western North America. Grow it in a sunny landscape with constantly moist soil.
This plant likes higher elevations with cool temperatures and plenty of water. If you happen to live in a high-elevation area, grow Lewis’ monkeyflower in your pollinator garden or hummingbird-friendly garden. If you live someplace hot and dry, you will have better luck growing something else.
Lewis’ monkeyflower blooms in the summertime. The flowers are bright pink and extremely showy. Plants will naturalize and spread in ideal conditions to form beautiful colonies. Plants are easily started from seed and will readily self-seed. If you find yourself with too many monkeyflowers, they are easy to control by annual thinning.
Nodding Onion
This widespread perennial thrives in full sun with well-drained soil, and it’s easy to grow.
| | botanical name Allium cernuum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 0.5 – 2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
The nodding onion grows from a small bulb. It generally grows in open woodlands and grasslands in its native Northwest habitat.
In the home landscape, place it in full sun with dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soil. Nodding onion is easy to grow. Ensure it does not sit in boggy soil, or the bulb will rot.
Grow your nodding onion in a pocket prairie or moist rock garden setting. It grows thin, grass-like leaves with a distinctive onion scent when crushed. The leaves are fresh in the spring but generally die back by mid to late summer. In the springtime, nodding onion blooms by sending up a long, gracefully nodding flower stalk. The loose clusters of pale pink flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
Rose Checker Mallow
It’s easy to start from seed, self-seeds readily, attracts pollinators with pink blooms in spring and summer, and serves as a host plant for butterflies.
| | botanical name Sidalcea malviflora |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1.5 – 2.5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
Rose checker mallow, also known as checker bloom, is an herbaceous perennial native to Oregon and California. It grows naturally in sunny, dry conditions on grassy slopes or in dry open woodlands. In the home garden, grow it in full sun to partial shade with medium-moisture soil.
Rose checker mallow is easy to start from seed and will self-seed in ideal conditions. It blooms in the spring and summer with pretty pink flowers that attract pollinators and beneficial insects.
The rose checker mallow is also a larval host plant for several species of butterflies. The leaves form attractive low-growing rosettes, and when several plants are grown together, they form a good ground cover.
Sea Thrift
This evergreen perennial produces dense clumps of grass-like leaves and bright pink flowers from spring to early summer.
| | botanical name Armeria maritima |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 0.5 – 1 foot |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
Sea thrift, or sea pink, is a Northwest native flower that typically grows along coastal habitats. In the right conditions, sea thrift can be an easy-to-grow perennial. In the home garden, it would be a welcome addition to a xeriscape or rock garden with full sun and very well-drained soil.
Sea thrift is evergreen, providing year-round interest to the garden. The short, grass-like leaves form a dense, rounded clump. From spring into early summer, flower stalks reach above the leaves and bloom with clusters of bright pink flowers. The flowers attract an assortment of pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Showy Milkweed
This milkweed species is perfect for butterfly and pollinator gardens.
| | botanical name Asclepias speciosa |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 4 – 6 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 9 |
Showy milkweed is a great plant for your butterfly and pollinator-friendly garden. It is the larval host plant for the monarch butterfly, and the flowers attract numerous other pollinators and beneficial insects to your garden. Flowers bloom throughout the summer months and are large clusters of pale pink blossoms. While all milkweed species are beneficial, it’s important to grow a variety like showy milkweed, which is native to the Northwest.
Milkweed plants are easy to grow from seed and will self-seed in ideal conditions. Grow these plants in full sun with dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soil.
Milkweeds develop long taproots to help them withstand drought conditions, but they are difficult to transplant once established. Showy milkweed is a good plant for a container garden.
Tufted Hairgrass
This native perennial thrives in cooler climates, prefers full sun and moist soil, and is useful for erosion control.
| | botanical name Deschampsia cespitosa |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 2 – 3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 9 |
Tufted hairgrass, also sometimes called tussock grass, is a Northwest native, perennial, clump-forming grass. This plant prefers cooler climates with full sun and moist soil. It tolerates wet soil and would be a good plant to grow near a wetland or stream edge.
Dense clumps of thin leaves make this plant a good ornamental in the landscape. Grow it in a naturalized area and allow it to spread freely for fabulous erosion control.
The blooming panicles display a combination of green, white, and red flowers and seeds, making a subtle but attractive fall display. Hungry birds will come to forage on the seeds.
Western Columbine
It easily starts from seed and attracts hummingbirds with its unique red and yellow flowers that dangle from tall stems.
| | botanical name Aquilegia formosa |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2 – 3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 7 |
Western columbine is a very showy perennial wildflower native to a widespread region of the American Northwest. This plant grows in open woodlands and shaded grasslands with moist soil. As a landscaping plant, western columbine is easy to grow in any location with partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.
Western columbine starts readily from seed and will self-seed in the garden. The red and yellow flowers have an unusual shape and grow dangling from tall upright stems.
The flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds. The leaves are attractive and will continue to provide their visual appeal to your shade garden through the summer. In sunnier and hotter locations, leaves will die back prematurely but should regrow the following spring.
Yarrow
This versatile perennial wildflower offers various cultivars with colorful flowers.
| | botanical name Achillea millefolium |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 1 – 2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3 – 9 |
Yarrow is a common and widespread perennial plant also native to the Northwest. There are numerous cultivars with more colorful flowers in red, pink, yellow, and orange, but the native wild yarrow has white flowers. The flowers bloom in the spring and summer months and are a great addition to your pollinator garden because they will attract plenty of butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
Yarrow has low-growing, fern-like foliage. This plant can be used as a ground cover and will spread to fill in smaller areas. Any unwanted spread can be easily trimmed and removed. Yarrow is also a good candidate for container gardening and xeriscaping. Grow your yarrow in full sun to partial shade with dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soil.
Ground Covers
Ground covers are very useful in the home landscape. Any place with bare ground, particularly around borders, edges, and walkways, can benefit from a low-growing ground cover plant. Some ground covers stay very small and compact, while others spread freely, so you can choose the type of plants that work best for your specific gardening needs. Many Northwest native ground covers offer beauty and function.
Bearberry
This widespread evergreen shrub makes an excellent, low-to-the-ground ground cover that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
| | botanical name Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 0.5 – 0.75 foot |
| | hardiness zones 4 – 8 |
Bearberry, also called kinnickinnick, is a small evergreen Northwest native shrub that is widespread throughout the cooler regions of North America. It is easy to grow and stays very low to the ground, making it an excellent ground cover. Grow it in full sun with dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soil.
Bearberry blooms in the springtime with cheerful pink flower clusters. The flowers attract hummingbirds, pollinators, and other beneficial insects. By summer, the fertilized flowers develop into bright red berries that attract birds and other wildlife. Because this plant has evergreen foliage, you can enjoy it all year long, so be sure to plant it in a spot where it can be most appreciated.
Coastal Strawberry
It blooms in spring with white, five-petaled flowers attracting pollinators, followed by sweet, red fruits in summer.
| | botanical name Fragaria chiloensis |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4 – 9 |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
The coastal strawberry, or beach strawberry, is an evergreen Northwest native ground cover. This plant thrives in full sun to light shade with consistently moist, well-drained soil. In its natural habitat, it often grows in the sand, hence its common name.
Coastal strawberry blooms in the spring. The simple, white, five-petaled flowers will attract many pollinators. By summer, plants produce delicious, sweet, red fruits. Birds and people enjoy eating the fruits. You can eat them raw or use them for pies and preserves. Coastal strawberry plants spread freely by long runners, allowing them to become an effective ground cover.
Inside-out Flower
This deer-resistant perennial thrives in shaded forest environments and is ideal as a ground cover.
| | botanical name Vancouveria hexandra |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 0.5 – 1.5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 8 |
Inside-out flower is a Northwest native perennial wildflower. This plant grows naturally in shaded forests. In the home landscape, it makes a good ground cover for a woodland shade garden with dry to medium-moisture, well-drained soil.
Inside-out flower is easy to grow and not bothered by browsing deer. The small white flowers are loosely spaced on tall, thin flowering stalks and attract beneficial insects. Since the flowers are fairly inconspicuous, the inside-out flower is best used as a foliage plant. The foliage is appealing and grows in low rosettes. Grow several together for the best effect.
Maidenhair Spleenwort
This fern is relatively easy to grow and forms small colonies through rhizome spreading, boasting thin fronds.
| | botanical name Asplenium trichomanes |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 0.5 – 1 foot |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
Maidenhair spleenwort is an evergreen fern that is widespread throughout North America. It is typically found growing in shaded forests with rocky outcroppings. In the home garden, it makes a good addition to a shade garden or shaded corner of your rock garden.
Maidenhair spleenwort is fairly easy to grow and will spread by rhizomes, developing small colonies in ideal habitats. The thin fronds look great throughout the year and provide year-round interest. Ferns do not produce flowers but make very valuable and attractive foliage plants.
Oregon Stonecrop
This evergreen perennial serves as a low ground cover for xeriscapes and rock gardens.
| | botanical name Sedum oreganum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 0.25 – 0.5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5 – 9 |
This Northwest native typically grows in rocky habitats, such as along bluffs and rocky outcroppings. In the home garden, use it in a xeriscape or rock garden in a sunny location with dry, well-drained soil.
Oregon stonecrop is an easy-to-grow ground cover. It stays very low to the ground and creeps along, spreading by vegetative rooting along its sprawling stems. The small, rounded, succulent leaves are evergreen. Masses of very showy, bright yellow flowers bloom in the summer and attract pollinators.
Wild Ginger
Wild ginger is an excellent ground cover for shaded gardens with ample moisture.
| | botanical name Asarum caudatum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial to full shade |
| | height 0.5 foot |
| | hardiness zones 6 – 10 |
This somewhat unusual plant makes a good ground cover. This species of wild ginger is native to the Pacific coast of North America. It grows naturally in moist, shaded forests. Wild ginger is easy to grow in the home garden. This is a fabulous plant for a shade garden with regular soil moisture.
Wild ginger spreads freely by thick rhizomes, from which the leaves emerge. Flowers bloom at the base of the leaves, at ground level. The flowers are maroon-red with three elongated petals. They attract beneficial insects but are difficult to see unless you intentionally look for them. The leaves are attractive and heart-shaped.
Final Thoughts
Gardening with Northwest native plants is enjoyable. Their beauty and diversity bring many benefits to the garden. By adding native plants to the garden, you improve the habitat for wildlife and contribute to the natural ecosystem. You will enjoy the benefits of growing native plants because they generally require less work than non-native species to manage and maintain.
Include a variety of plants that bloom at different times and provide different structures for your landscape. You will have plenty of worthwhile options to choose from, and you will be well on your way to growing a fabulous native plant garden.
