Natives - Pacific Northwest

Family: Pineaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average
Light: Sun
Height: 30' - 50'
Bloom Time:  NA
Attributes: Evergreen.  Pyramidal crown when young, broadening with age.
Notes: Native to the Cascade Range and Coast Range mountains of northwest California and western Oregon and Washington.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family:  Sapindaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 4'
Attributes: Deciduous.  Pendulous mounding habit with no upright branches.
Notes:  New Gary Handy introduction.

Pot size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Sapindaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: part shade, sun
Height: 12'
Attributes: Deciduous.  Creamy yellow and bright red stems in winter.  Deep green leaves that turn yellow in fall.
Notes:  Great winter bark color.

Great Plant Picks

Pot size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Sapindaceae
Zone:  4 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average to dry, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  15’ - 30'
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous, small tree or shrub.  Pink new growth.  Red stems.
Notes:  This form was collected from the San Juan Islands.

Pot Size: Medium Band Pot

Family: Sapindaceae
Zone:  4 - 9
Natural Range: Utah
Soil:  Average to dry, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  10'
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous, small tree or shrub.  Pink new growth.  Red stems.
Notes:  This distinctly three lobbed form was collected in the Wasatch Mountains.

Pot Size: Medium Band Pot

Family: Sapindaceae
Zone:  4 - 9
Natural Range: Western US
Soil:  Average to dry, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  15’ - 30'
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous, small tree with broad, spreading canopy, often grows into a multi-stemmed tree.  Dark green lobed leaves with brilliant fall foliage in tones of red, orange, and yellow
Notes:  Very popular and adaptable to difficult conditions.  From our collections in the mountains above Salt Lake City.

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family: Sapindaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range:PNW
Soil:  Humus rich, well drained
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 25'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attributes: Deciduous.  Columnar growth with gold fall foliage.
Notes: A great selection for small gardens.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot 3' -4'

Family:  Pteridaceae
Zone: 7 - 9
Natural Range: California
Soil: Average, humus rich
Light: Part shade-shade
Height: 12" - 24"
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Bright green, fronds.  Short creeping rhizome.  Clumping. 
Notes: Rare newly described species endemic to parts of Northern California.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Sapindaceae
Zone:7 - 10
Natural Range:California
Soil:  Humus rich, well drained
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 15' -  20'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Attributes: Deciduous, spreading canopy.  Palmate leaves. Silvery-gray bark, pink to white fragrant flowers in upright clusters to 12" long.
Notes:  Slow growing, attractive shrub or tree.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot

Family: Betulaceae
Zone: 2 - 9
Natural Range: Alaska to N. California & Rockies to WY
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Sun, part shade
Height: 10'
Attributes: Deciduous.  Thicket forming shrub with horizontal branching.  Reddish-brown bark turning gray.  Oval, toothed leaves.  Long creamy yellow catkins.
Notes:  A smaller growing native Alnus that is good for wildlife.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family:Ranunculaceae
Zone:6 - 10
Natural Range: Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California Alberta and Wyoming
Soil: Average to moist well drained
Light: part shade, Sun
Height: 2' - 4'
Attributes: Deciduous. Basal leaves with orange-red and yellow flowers.
Notes: Great for hummingbirds and pollinators.

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average to dry, well drained
Light: Part shade-sun
Height: 15'- 30'
Attributes:  Evergreen, Bright red - orange bark, peels to reveal a green new layer.  White flowers in hanging cluster, orange - red fruit.
Notes:  Once established they resent root disturbance and do not take to transplantation.  Use as a specimen tree to show off its ornamental bark.

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot  12" - 18"

Family:Aristolochiaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range: California
Soil:Average to moist, humus rich, becomes fairly drought tolerant
Light: Part shade
Height: 50'
Bloom Time: February to May (re-blooms sporadically all summer)
Attracts: Butterflies
Pest Resistance: Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:Deciduous.  One inch pipe shaped flowers.  Heart shaped fuzzy leaves.
Notes:In the Sierras A. californica often is found growing in shady woodlands scrambling among shrubs in damper areas.  Can take a few seasons before it realy takes off.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: hybrid
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade, shade
Height: 16"
Attributes:  Deciduous. Tight foliage with short flower spikes of creamy white flowers.  Orange-red fall foliage.
Notes:  A low maintenance plant that works well with other lower growing shade perennials.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pots 

Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade, sun
Height: 4' - 6'
Attributes:  Deciduous, male flowers and female flowers on separate plants.  Tall plumes of white flowers.  Ferny foliage.
Notes:  A low maintenance plant that looks nice as a backdrop in a perennial garden, or shady edge.  These seedlings are from a Silver Creek seed collection.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pots 

Family:  Aristolochiaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range:  Western North America
Soil:  Average to moist humus rich
Light:  Shade, part shade
Height:  6"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, heart shaped leaves, 2" wide greenish white flowers.
Notes:  Great foliage!  Smells like ginger when crushed.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Betulaceae
Zone:  2 - 9
Natural Range:  North America; Western Washington Source
Soil:  Average, moist, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  20' - 40'
Bloom Time:  March to April
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  White bark, exfoliating in papery strips with orange-brown inner bark.  Yellow fall foliage.
Notes: Best in northern and western climates.

Pot size: Medium Band Pot

Family:  Saxifragaceae
Zone: 7 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part sun
Height: 12" to 36"
Bloom Time: May to July
Attributes: Deciduous.  Leaves with petioles up to 12" tall.  Toothed leaves to 8" across.  Many white flowers on tall, dense spikes.  Short spreading rhizomes.  Subtle earthy sweet fragrance.
Notes: Grows in shady forests and wet mountain meadows often with Lilium pardalinum, Aconitum occidentale, Thelyepteris nevadensis, and even swamp Allium.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Cupressaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range:  Western North America
Soil:  Average, drought tolerant, well drained
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  30' - 50'
Bloom Time:  NA
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes: Evergreen.  Flat needles.  Orange-brown bark. 
Notes:  Noted to be tolerant of summer heat and humidity. 
 
Pot size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Calycanthaceae
Zone:6 - 9
Natural Range:   Central and Northern California
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 5' - 10'
Bloom Time:  April to September
Attributes: Deciduous, Red fragrant flowers spring and summer.  Yellow fall color.
Notes:  Likes plenty of light but protect from the hottest part of the day.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Northern California
Soil:  Average to dry, humus rich, well drained
Light:  Part shade, sun
Attributes: Deciduous.  8' - 15' tall.  Large shrub or small tree with multi - stemmed trunks.  Blue - green heart shaped leaves that turn yellow and red in the fall.  Small pea like flowers are purple - pink in spring followed by brown - red pea pods.
Notes: A great drought tolerant species for the native garden.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot 

Family: Fagaceae
Zone:6 - 9
Natural Range: Washington, Oregon, California
Soil:  Average drought tolerant
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 15' - 30'
Bloom Time:  February to July
Attributes: Slow growing evergreen tree with rich green leaves and yellow scales on the underside of its leaves.  White flowers late winter to late spring.  Seeds are in-cased in a spiny burr like cover.
Notes:  Male and female flowers on same tree.  Slow growing tree that in the wild is reported to grow over 100 feet tall.

Pot Size:  Small band pot 8"-12" tall

Family:  Ranunculaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range:  Washington, Idaho
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 8"
Attributes:  Evergreen, glossy green foliage often turning purplish in the winter.  Unusual greenish yellow flowers in spring.  Slowly spreading rhizome.
Notes:  Some patience is needed however for these to fully settle in and show off there nature. Since they are slow to propagate they are only sporadically available.  We have found that a good hummus rich soil with lots of loose compost helps get these indispensable evergreen ground-covers off and growing.  Related to Beesia and Cimicifuga.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot 18" - 24"

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family:  Primulaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil: moist, well drained
Light: part shade-sun
Height: 6 - 16 inches
Attributes: Blooms: Spring-summer, pink-purple/ deciduous, oval leaves

Family:  Primulaceae
Zone: 3 - 8
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil: Moist humus rich
Light: Part shade-sun
Height: 8" - 12
Bloom Time:  May to July
Attributes: Deciduous, clumping.  Dark stems, magenta flowers with white ring around the base of the flower.
Notes: Stunning flowers that looks especially showy when planted in mass.

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot

Family: Orchidaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Sun, part sun
Height: 18" tall
Bloom Time:  June to July
Attributes: Deciduous. Clumping.  Blooms in spring and summer.  Tall flower spikes of numerous Yellow-green, purple-red lip and petals.
Notes: This orchid gets it's fun common name from the way the lower lip moves up and down in the wind.  Multiplies when happy and should be given at least a 3 x 3 growing space.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Liliaceae
Zone: 3 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil: Average, humus rich
Light: Part sun
Height: 12"
Bloom Time:  March to May
Attributes: Deciduous. Bright lemon yellow flowers often with up to three blooms per stalk.  Solid green leaf.  Does not offset but will re-seed near the base to form a clump.
Notes:  Can tolerate shade but performs better with a bit more sun.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot (2 large bulbs)

Family:  Liliaceae
Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; BC, Washington, Oregon, California
Family:  Liliaceae
Soil: moist, humus rich, summer dry, well drained
Light: part shade
Height: 6"- 12" tall
Attributes: Deciduous. Blooms spring.  Each stem holds up to 2 pink flowers with yellow and orange - red marking in the center.  Purple - brown mottled foliage.  Bulb goes dormant in the summer.
Notes:  In the wild E. revolutum grows in open woodlands.  Will not need supplemental water and should be allowed to go mostly dry in summer.  Plant in a rock garden,in a sunny perennial garden or woodland border. 

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot

Family:  Liliacea
Zone: 7 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Washington, Oregon, California
Soil: moist, summer dry, well drained
Light: part shade, Sun
Height: 12" - 24" tall
Attributes: Deciduous. Blooms spring to early summer.  Dark brown - red and yellow, bell shaped blooms.  Whorled foliage that resembles Lilium.
Notes:  Not to be confused with the chocolate lily ( F. camschatcensis) or the European Checker Lily (F. meleagris).  Fritillaria affinis is sometimes listed as F. lanceolata. In the wild Fritillaria affinis grows in meadows and open woodlands.  Will not need supplemental water and should be allowed to go mostly dry in sumer. Plant in a rock garden,in a sunny perennial garden or woodland border.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone:  6 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  4' - 10'
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen leaves.  White urn-shaped to pinkish flowers.  Black fruit.
Notes:  Spreading shrub forming dense thickets.
 
Pot size:  4" Pot

Family:  Geraniaceae
Zone: 3 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Central - southern Washington, Oregon, California
Soil:  Average to moist humus rich
Light: Sun, part shade
Height: 18" - 30"
Attributes:  Deciduous, Purple - pink flowers in spring - summer.  Upright stems with deeply divided leaves.
Notes:  Grows in open prairies, and moist woodlands west of the Cascade Mountains.  A great Geranium that merits wider use in the garden.

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Pteridaceae
Zone: 2 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil: Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade-shade
Height: 4" - 10"
Attributes:  Deciduous, Triangular fronds, spreading rhizome.
Notes: Apple green new growth.  Spreading ground-cover fern.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Iridaceae
Zone:7 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Sun, part shade
Height: 12" - 18"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes: Evergreen, fans of foliage.  Blue-purple flowers.
Notes: Easy and drought tolerant species.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot Very Full!

Family: Liliaceae
Zone: 7 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Washington, Oregon, California
Soil: moist, summer dry, well drained
Light: part shade, Sun
Height: 12" - 36" tall
Attributes: Deciduous. Blooms early summer.  Yellow blooms spotted dark purple.  Bulb goes summer dormant.
Notes:  A great plant for a hummingbird and butterfly garden.  Will not need supplemental water and should be allowed to go mostly dry in summer.  Plant in a rock garden or wildflower meadow, or along a shady border.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Caprifoliaceae
Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade-sun
Height: 18'
Attracts:  Hummingbirds
Attributes:  Deciduous, woody twining vine.  Opposite elliptic leaves to four inches long. Orange - yellow to orange - red flowers in clusters from late spring to mid summer.  Orange fruit in fall.
Notes:  Let this climber grow up a tall tree, trellis or fence.  Hummingbirds go mad for the flowers.

Pot Size:  Small Band Pot

Great Plant Picks

Family:  Caprifoliaceae
Zone: 4 - 10
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light: Part shade-sun
Height: 10'
Attracts:  Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and birds.
Attributes:  Deciduous shrub.  Yellow flowers with red flower bracts.  Black fruit.
Notes:  Versatile shrub that is great for wildlife.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family:  Araceae
Zone:  3 - 9
Natural Range:  Alaska south into Northern California
Soil:  Moist, wet
Light:  sun, part sun, shade
Height:  2' - 6'
Bloom Time:  February to May
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  Deer
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Bright yellow flowers late winter into spring.  Huge fleshy green leaves that add a tropical look to the garden.
Notes: Works well with Primula, Rodgersia, Petasites.  In the garden we have them planted in heavy soil that is seasonally saturated.  Cooler climates can get away with growing them in full sun but they look the best with some shade in summer.
 
Pot size:  Deep 2" Pot