Native Plants, Keystone Species, and More - Kathy Hutton

Kathy Hutton Plants of the Wild

Waterwise Wednesday Workshop

April 24, 2024

Plants of the Wild

Plants of the Wild

Native Landscaping

 Native landscaping refers to the design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes that use native (indigenous) plants.

Naturalized Landscaping

 Naturalized Landscaping refers to design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes that use native (indigenous) plants and non-native plants in a way that mimics nature with a goal of achieving sustainability.

WATER FOR ESTABLISHMENT

• Water only when your plants needs it

• Water deeply to encourage deep root growth

 Water for 15 minutes

 After 18-24 hours dig a small hole or use soil probe to determine how far the water soaked in

 Calculate amount of time needed to water to reach desired depth

• Use mulch to conserve water and help with weed control

THINGS TO REMEMBER!!

 Not low maintenance or sustainable if you put the wrong plant in the wrong place!

 Do your research on plant needs and micro-site conditions

Wildflowers and Grasses

Western Yarrow–

Achillea millefolium

Western Yarrow–

Achillea millefolium

 1-2’ tall with white blooms in spring

 Easily seeded

 Drought tolerant

 Attracts butterflies, bees and other insects

 Long bloom time

 Can be weedy, make sure to get native

Western Yarrow–

Achillea millefolium

Nodding Onion –Allium cernuum

 8-12” tall with pink to white flowers in summer

 Onion like leaves

 Drought tolerant

 Bulbs can be divided

Asclepias speciosa–Showy Milkweed

Asclepias speciosa–

Showy Milkweed

 2-3’ tall with cluster of dusty rose flowers in summer

 Full sun to partial shade

 Good for naturalizing and erosion control

 Not good for small or formal gardens

 Host plant of the Monarch butterflies and great nectar source for bees, hummingbirds and insects.

Western Aster –Aster occidentalis

Western Aster –Aster occidentalis

 1-2’ tall with purple blooms late in summer

 Spreads easily from seed

 Good choice for naturalizing

 Can be weedy in smaller, formal garden

 Fairly drought tolerant but needs late season moisture

 Good fall nectar source for butterflies, bees and birds

Arrowleaf Balsamroot –Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrowleaf Balsamroot –Balsamorhiza sagittata

 1-2’ yellow flowers very early in spring

 Drought tolerant, goes dormant during summer after flowering

 Needs full sun and good drainage

 Deep taproot so difficult to relocate

Common Camas –Camassia quamash

Common Camas –Camassia quamash

 1’ tall with purple blooms in early spring

 Easiest to plant bulbs in fall

 Likes spring moisture and then drought tolerant

Deerhorn Clarkia –Clarkia pulchella

 6-12” tall with pink flowers early to mid summer



Annual that reseeds easily, but doesn’t become weedy

 Drought tolerant

 Disease can be a problem with too much water

Deerhorn Clarkia –Clarkia pulchella

Campanula rotundifoliaBlue Bells

Campanula rotundifoliaBlue Bells

 6-18” tall

 Blue bell-shaped flowers

 Prefers moist

 Blooms throughout the summer

 Full to partial sun

Eriogonum HeracleiodesWyeth Buckwheat

Eriogonum HeracleiodesWyeth Buckwheat

 1-2’ tall with gray green foliage

 Creamy clusters of flowers in summer

 Excellent pollinator species

 Very hardy

Eriogonum niveumSnow Buckwheat

Eriogonum niveumSnow Buckwheat

 1-2’ tall with beautiful gray to white foliage

 White clusters of flower in summer

 “Dried” flowers in fall

Eriogonum niveumSnow Buckwheat

Oregon Sunshine –

Eriophyllum lanatum

 6-12” tall with yellow flowers in early summer

 Gray foliage

 Prefers dry and full sun

 Disease problems with too much water

 Great for butterfly gardens

Blanketflower –Gaillardia aristata

Blanketflower –

Gaillardia aristata

 1-2’ tall with yellow to orange flowers

 Flowers throughout the summer and into fall with moisture

 Easy to grow

 Short lived perennial, but reseeds

 Deer tolerant

Sticky Geranium –Geranium viscosissimum

 1-3’ tall with light to dark pink flowers

 Flower throughout summer with some moisture

 Drought tolerant, but will go dormant during summer heat and re-grow and flower with a moist fall

 Re-seeds itself with ejection of seed, so can spread throughout an area

Prairie SmokeGeum triflorum

 6-18” pink flowers early in spring

 Nice foliage

 Interesting seed heads

 Prefers full sun to partial shade and well drained soil

Little Sunflower

–

Helianthella uniflora

 2-4’ tall with yellow flowers late spring to early summer

 Very drought tolerant

 Likes full sun to partial shade

 Great pollinator species and birds like the seeds

Roundleaf AlumrootHeuchera cylindrica

Roundleaf AlumrootHeuchera cylindrica

 18-24” tall clumping perennial with pale yellow flowers in late spring

 Prefers full sun to partial shade

 Prefers moist well drained soils

 Attractive evergreen foliage

 Attracts bees, butterflies and birds

Roundleaf AlumrootHeuchera cylindrica

Missouri Iris –Iris missouriensis

Missouri Iris –Iris missouriensis

 1’ tall with purple blooms in late spring

 Needs a moist site

 Grows from short, thick rhizomes

Blue Flax –

Linum lewisii

 1-2’ tall with blue flowers in summer

 Easy to grow from seed

 Needs open area in full sun

 Flowers open in morning and drop in afternoon, new flowers open the next day

Silky Lupine –Lupinus sericeus

Silky Lupine –

Lupinus sericeus

 1-2’ tall with purple blooms mid-summer

 Short lived perennial, but reseeds

 Drought tolerant

Penstemon attenuatus –Taper-Leaf Penstemon

 1-2’ tall flowering in summer

 Found in both pale yellow and blue flowered forms

 Great plant for the butterfly garden

 Fairly drought tolerant

Penstemon eatonii –

Firecracker Penstemon

Penstemon eatonii –

Firecracker Penstemon

 2-3’ tall flowering in summer

 Bright red trumpet flower

 Great plant for the butterfly garden

 Very drought tolerant

Penstemon eatonii –

Firecracker Penstemon

Missouri Goldenrod –Solidago missouriensis

Missouri Goldenrod –Solidago missouriensis

 2-3’ tall with masses of bright yellow flowers in late summer

 Full sun to partial shade

 Drought tolerant

 Good for naturalizing and erosion control

 Not good for small or formal gardens

Blue Eyed Grass –

Sisyrinchium idahoense

 6-12” tall with blue/purple flower in late spring

 Grows in moist areas

 Easy to grow

 Nice semi-evergreen foliage

 Deer tolerant

Synthyris missurica –Mountain Kittentails

Synthyris missurica –Mountain Kittentails

 Flowers early in the spring

 Full sun to partial shade

 Leaves add interest into summer

 Deer tolerant

Idaho Fescue –Festuca idahoensis

Idaho Fescue –

Festuca idahoensis

 Short bunchgrass 8-12” tall

 Fine textured

 Usually slight blueish tint

 Dry, full sun

Bluebunch Wheatgrass –Pseudoroegneria spicata

Bluebunch Wheatgrass –Pseudoroegneria spicata

 Bunchgrass 18-24” tall

 Bluish tint

 Wider blade

 Drought tolerant

Tufted Hairgrass –Deschampsia caespitosa

 Bunchgrass 18-24” tall

 Course textured fine blade

 Feathery seed heads

 Grows in moist areas in full sun to partial shade

Basin Wildrye –Leymus cinerus

 Large bunchgrass 3-4’ tall

 Drought tolerant, prefers full sun

 Wide blade

Blue Wildrye –

Leymus glaucus

 Large bunchgrass 3-4’ tall

 Likes spring moisture, prefers full sun

 Wide blade with bluish hue

Achnatherum hymeniodes–Indian Ricegrass

 Cool season bunch grass 1-2.5’ tall

 Drought tolerant, prefers full sun

 Does not do well in moist areas

 Slender rolled leaf blades

 If seeded, seed likes to be buried deep

Groundcovers & Small Shrubs

KINNICKINNICK – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

KINNICKINNICK – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

 Evergreen groundcover forming a dense mat

 Leathery tear shaped leaves with pink flowers and red berries

 Needs well drained soil

 PROS

 very hardy and drought tolerant

 provides year round interest

 CONS

 susceptible to root rot

 can be slow to establish

WILD GINGER –Asarum caudatum

WILD GINGER –Asarum caudatum

 Ground cover with heart shaped leaves and purplishbrown flowers

 Likes moist acidic soils

 PROS

 nice texture in landscape

 foliage smells like ginger

CREEPING OREGON GRAPE –Mahonia repens

CREEPING OREGON GRAPE –Mahonia

repens

 Evergreen ground cover Oregon Grape to 1’ tall

 Yellow flowers and purple, edible berries

 PROS

 nice year round interest

 CONS  can winter burn in our area

 Fast growing shrub to 4-5’

 Pink raspberry-like fruit after 1” white flowers

 PROS

 good wildlife cover and food

 CONS

 problems with suckers, especially in wet areas

Ribes aureum

GOLDEN CURRANT –

Ribes aureum

 4-6’ shrub with yellow trumpet flowers and red berries

 PROS

 good for hummingbirds and wildlife food

 drought tolerant

 CONS

 some problems with suckers

RED FLOWERING CURRANTRibes sanguineum

 4-6’ shrub with bright pink flower clusters in early spring

 PROS

 great for hummingbirds and wildlife food

 somewhat drought tolerant

 CONS  make sure you have hardy seed source

RED FLOWERING CURRANTRibes sanguineum

OCEANSPRAY –Holodiscus discolor

OCEANSPRAY –

Holodiscus discolor

 6-8’ shrub with creamy white flower clusters

 tolerant of poor soils and drought

 PROS

 nice growth habit and flowering

 CONS

 some people do not like persistent seed heads

MOCKORANGE or SYRINGA –Philadelphus lewisii

MOCKORANGE or SYRINGA –Philadelphus lewisii

 6’ shrub with beautiful white fragrant flowers

 tolerant of poor soils and drought

 be careful of overwatering

 PROS

 flowering

 CONS

 not attractive when not in flower

REDOSIER DOGWOOD –Cornus sericea

 6-12’ shrub with white flower clusters and white berries

 bright red twigs are nice contrast in winter

 PROS

 can be pruned

 CONS  requires pruning to keep in small spaces

MALLOW NINEBARK –Physocarpus malvaceous

MALLOW NINEBARK –Physocarpus malvaceous

 6’ shrub with white pom-pom like flower clusters of flowers and peeling bark

 PROS – tolerates poor soils and partial shade of full sun

 CONS – needs moisture to look good in a landscape

SERVICBERRY –Amelanchier alnifolia

SERVICBERRY –

Amelanchier alnifolia

 6-12’ shrub with white flowers and blue berries

 PROS

 superb wildlife cover and food, very adaptable to wide range of conditions

 CONS

 Leaves are small and sparce

GOOD RESOURCES

SPOKANESCAPE GUIDEBOOK

https://issuu.com/waterwisespokane/docs/ 2024_spokanescape_guidebook_digital BACKYARD RESTORATION ON THE PALOUSE

https://www.palousecd.org/palouse-prairie