Using Native Plants in Ecological Landscapes in the Northwest

March 25, 12:05 PMSeattle Garden & Kitchen ExaminerJerry & Kristy

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The Pacific Rhododendron is the Washington State Flower

Ecological Landscapes, not only help the environment but ensure a healthy living situation for generations to come. There are many steps we can take to turn our landscaping “greener” starting with creating low-maintenance yard using native plants. By using native plants we can be assured they will grow in our local climate and also help the nurseries in our area. Local growers are fountains of information and are normally more than happy to point you toward plants that will fit your requirements from shade to low water to full sun. Getting the information upfront will save you a lot of frustration down the road.

After a lot of trial and error we have come up with some favorite native plants that are both easy to find and grow are:

Trees
Vine Maple (Acer criminate) grows to 25 feet shade in partial shade
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menisci) grows to 250 feet in sun -part shade

Shrubs
Tall Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) grows to 8 feet in sun - shade)
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) grows to 10 feet in sun-shade
Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) grows to 25 feet in part to all shade

Groundcover
Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) grows to 1 foot in full sun - part shade
Nifty thrifty (Armeria maritime) grows to 1 foot in full sun
Bleeding Heart  (Dicentra Formosa) grows to 1.5 feet in part shade - full sun  Note: This sweet plant grows well under Salmonberry or out on it’s own.

Cut Flowers
Irises (Iris douglasiana), (Iris tenax) (Iris missouriensis)
Lilies (Lilium columbianum)
Western pusy(filter takes out correct spelling) willow (Salix scouleriana) Kristy says this qualifies as cut flowers

Although they may not have started out native, you can get wonderful tulip, daffodils and other bulbs from local nurseries. We grow a lot of irises, lilies and other bulbs that bring beautiful color year after year.

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