native plants for wet and dry places (workshop handout)

Drought-tolerant plants for dry, sunny, rocky or sandy sites

Lewisia spp. (L. redidiva, L. cotyledon, L. tweedyi, etc.)- showy, with succulent leaves, some species evergreen. Require very sharp drainage, prefer somewhat alkaline soil.

Sedum spp. (S. spathulifolium, S. oreganum)

Artemisia spp. (A. suksdorfii etc.)- aromatic plants with grayish foliage, small yellow flowers

Abronia latifolia- Yellow Sand-Verbena- succulent creeper of sandy beaches

Purshia tridentata- Antelope Brush- deciduous shrub of high desert, yellow flowers

Eriophyllum lanatum- deciduous perennial, attractive grayish foliage, small bright yellow daisylike flowers- loves gravelly slopes

Eriogonum umbellatum- rock garden plant, many spp in high desert

Balsamorhiza hookeri, B. sagittata, etc.- Balsamroot

Wyethia angustifolia, Mule’s ears- showy, large yellow flowers, fuzzy leaves

Grasses- Festuca roemeri, Danthonia californica, Elymus spp

Achillea millefolium- yarrow

Allium spp.- e.g. A. acuminatum

Calochortus spp.- Mariposa Lily, Cat’s Ears- stunning lily relative likes very well-drained soils.

Brodiaea spp- lily relative, graceful dry meadow plants

Dichelostemma spp.- closely related to and botanically shifting boundaries with Brodiaea.

Asclepias spp.- Butterfly weed- A. speciosa

Mentzelia laevicaulus – Blazing Star (not to be confused with the entirely different and unrelated Liatris, also known as Blazing Star.)- large, showy, high desert perennial in Aster family

 Plants for moist or boggy sites

Spiraea douglassi, Hardhack- very tall, rampant deciduous shrub for moist, sunny sites; long clusters of small pink flowers in early to mid summer

Salix spp- willows- many NW native spp

Lysichitum americanum, Skunk cabbage- deciduous perennial, large yellow spathes in spring

Juncaceae, Cyperaceae- rushes and sedges- many spp

Mimulus guttatus- yellow monkey flower, deciduous perennial

Cornus sericea (syn. stolonifera), Red-osier dogwood- to 12 ft tall, clump spreading by stolons to at least 12 ft across, deciduous, clusters of small white flowers followed by white berries, attractive red twigs

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum glandulosum), Trapper’s tea, Labrador tea- 3-5 ft evergreen shrub, white flowers

Lonicera involucrata, Twinberry (shrub honeysuckle, deciduous, yellow flowers)

Myrica gale, Sweet gale- deciduous shrub

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, water cress- deciduous semi-aquatic perennial

Ribes lacustre, Swamp gooseberry

Stachys cooleyae, Pink hedge-nettle- rampant mint relative, spreads via runners and seed, horehound scented leaves, deep pink flowers a hummingbird hit; likes moist, well-drained, full sun locations

Deschampsia cespitosa, Tufted hair-grass- tall, moisture-loving grass with graceful inflorescences

Heracleum lanatum, Cow parsnip- closely related to the noxious weed Hogweed and also very similar in appearance to the noxious weed Poison Hemlock
Sidalcea hendersonii, Henderson's Checker Mallow- to 3 ft +, very showy, long-blooming