Congested grass like lily turf that rises to less than 3″ high and forms dense colonies to mimic a lawn. Deep green foliage is handsome year round. Best in rich, moisture retentive soil with regular summer irrigation. Tolerates full sun with regular summer water otherwise takes shade, even dense shade. Inconspicuous flowers morph into turquoise blue berries in late summer/fall. Excellent in heavy soils with irrigation. Mulch annually with compost to increase luster and vigor. Foliage not blemished by the coldest winters. Good container plant.
Biome: Mesic
A mesic biome is one that enjoys a fairly constant supply of moisture. Some natural examples include riparian areas or streamsides, the edges of lakes or ponds, and springs and seeps. Irrigation, of course, can turn an otherwise summer-dry area into an effectively mesic biome. A true mesic plant does not handle drought stress at all, instead of wilting they often go straight to crispy. Simply lacking the mechanisms that conserve moisture for xeric plants. Liberal mulch and deep, rich, moisture retentive soil amended with compost all combine to make life easier for the gardener as well as plants. Group water loving mesic plants together to more efficiently irrigate. You’ll save time and water.
Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW
Ophiopogon umbraticola
Probably the best looking and easiest to grow lily turf species for our climate. Tightly clumping deep green grasslike mounds of foliage are good looking YEAR ROUND- no scorching or freeze burn. To 8″ tall x 10″ wide eventually it thrives in quite a bit of shade to even sun if irrigation is consistent. Loves heavy clay soils and will happily live in standing water for part of the year. Established plants (1-2 years) are much more drought resistant even in full sun. The glossy leaves are just 3mm wide and 10cm long. In summer masses of white flowers appear within the foliage. These turn into masses of large, vivid sky blue berries which are showy well into winter. Excellent for massing (plant on 8″ centers) for a small scale ground cover. For this application it plays to amend the soil with compost and all organic fertilizer to speed growth and establishment. Excellent as a marginal plant near natural ponds and creeks. Very deer resistant. Native to eastern China.
Oxalis magellanica ‘Nelson’
Adorable, tiny scaled dense growing ground cover from Chile. The most amazing component is the little pure white fully double flowers that appear all summer. They kind of hide in the foliage and its fun to search for them and pull them up above the leaves. Perfect little rosebuds. Slow spreading ground cover for part shade to full shade and rich, moisture retentive soil. Its not durable enough for life between pavers or hellstrips rather you plant it in a woodland under a shrub and notice how dainty and beautiful it is. Spreads out to about 1′ wide in 2 years. Deciduous in most winters- but it returns from the ground quickly in early spring. Protect from hot sun- it does not like. Lovely.
Oxalis oregana ‘Klamath Ruby’
Far and away our most vigorous clone of our native Oregon Sorrel. So named for the bright red underside of the leaves. In spring and sporadically into summer pure white flowers peek over the foliage. This is a fast colonizing plant that goes by underground stolons and it can cover several feet in a year. In time it will cover anything in part shade to shade in rich, hummus laden, moisture retentive soil. Piles up to about 6″ deep in no time. This form is decidedly evergreen. Use for wild areas to obstruct smaller weed growth- under decks, shady glens, other areas too dark for plants to grow. Oregon native plant.
Oxalis oregana ‘Wintergreen’
A GREAT PLANT PICK. This staunchly evergreen form of our native sorrel has deep green leaves marked with a silver chevron on each leaflet and large pink flowers in spring. Creeps to form an inpenetrable ground cover. To just 4″ tall but spreading to several feet wide within several years. Spreads underground by traveling stolons. A great native small scale ground cover for part shade to even dense shade. Regular summer water is beneficial but not necessary once the plant is up and going. Very easy to grow climate adapted evergreen perennial ground cover. Oregon native plant.
Papaver pilosum ssp. spicatum
One of our very favorite perennials and not often seen in these parts. Turkish Spike poppy bucks the rest of the genus by bearing flowers along a tall spike much like a hollyhock. The furry gray spikes and buds erupt to reveeal HUGE 4″ ruffly glowing pastel apricot orange flowers. They start at the top of the spike and move down. To 2′ tall and forming multiple spikes from a basal rosette of handsome, furry scalloped leaves. Everything about this perennials is regal. Full sun and RICH, well drained soil that retains moisture. Regular summer irrigation. Clumps expand with time Flowers appear in late spring to mid summer. Strong deer resistance. Winter deciduous. Borders- the lush life.
Pellaea rotundifolia
Button fern from New Zealand is a very pretty, symmetrical evergreen fern for the most protected sites. Forms an arching rosette of round leaves lining wiry stems. New growth is ochre changing to dark green. To 9″ tall and about 1′ wide in time. Part shade to shade in rich well drained soil with regular summer moisture. Protect from subfreezing wind by placing it under the branches of taller shrubs or near a north facing wall. Excellent houseplant. Slow to increase in size- be patient. Cover with remay or leaves if temperatures threaten to drop below 20ºF. Great performance at the Oregon Coast. Moderately deer resistant.
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Golden Arrow’
Fantastic new selection of this easy to grow bold perennial. Large foliage is gold/chartreuse and effective from blocks away. In mid-summer to autumn rose red clusters of flowers form congested spikes from the top of the plant. Really really pretty. Vigorous and adaptable to full sun to part shade in rich soil with regular summer moisture. Apply a yearly layer of compost to maintain vigor. To 28′ tall and as wide in a season. Completely winter deciduous. Not prone to seeding like other members of the genus. Tolerates heavy clay soil with regular irrigation. Brilliant perennial.
Phacelia bolanderi
Native perennial with a comfy sophisticated look. In the wild it occupies the land just up the flood plain from rivers in part shade and rich moist soil. Its also found just up on the first bench of land past the beach where it grows among native Cow Parsley and Salal. Under dry conditions it simply goes summer dormant. Large felted leaves form a dome from the top of which pale blue outward facing flowers appear in late spring to summer. To 16″ tall and as wide in part shade and well drained soil. This plant improves under cultivation. Light summer moisture or none when established. Native in the central and southern Oregon coast range with a disjunct population in Grays County, Washington. One of our showiest Phacelias and most garden worthy. Winter deciduous. Oregon native plant.
Western Mock Orange is a locally native deciduous shrub with masses of showy white flowers in June to July. These are seedlings of a shrub native to our wholesale nursery site. A certain percentage of the seedlings will be fragrant to a varying extent. The fragrance is most conspicuous after several seasons in the ground. Full sun to part shade in rich to rocky soils with regular water to establish and then set it free. Moderately fast growing to 8′ tall by 4′ in several years and then larger. Tough shrub that accepts a lot of soil types, in habitat it is most often seen on hillsides and even appears in riparian situations. Its most typical on the edges of forests. Associated plants in the wild are Western Hazel, Corylus cornuta californica and Oso Berry Oemleria cerasiformis, and Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discolor.Fall color is most often yellow and not spectacular. The pretty mid green foliage blends in to the landscape before and after its profuse period of bloom. Accepts summer drought when established to regular irrigation . Climate adapted shrub for wild areas to shrub borders. Blooms on OLD wood, prune after blooming if necessary. Oregon native plant.
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