This delightful onion has a wide range in our state. Primarily you see it in dry, exposed sites a little way up from the bottom of the Willamette Valley. Mid green slightly fragrant grassy leaves give way to an 8″ stems in May-June with a chalice of multiple pink/lavender pink upward facing flowers. Full sun to part shade and adaptable to many soils as long as there is a dry rest in summer. This onion quickly goes summer dormant directly after seed set and disappears entirely by mid summer. Great pollinator bulb for Willamette Valley meadows. Its nearly always on a slope where it is found. Replicate this and give it only the rain that falls from the sky in subsequent years. In time the bulb multiplies and it can also self sow. Leave a disturbed area around the plant and keep it free of weeds and they can mature and bloom in several years. Light deer resistance. aka Slender leaved onion. Very attractive food source for butterflies. Oregon native plant.
Biome: Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a great place to garden but it has distinct differences from our inland gardens. More than 70″ of rain a year, the modifying influence of the water with less arctic cold and almost no true heat. Most of the coast is Zn8b-Zn9b- we’ve amassed a large collection of plants that thrive on the mild and wild Oregon coast. Lack of summer heat means that some plants are not as hardy to cold- Camellias and Loropetalum are examples. Locate these plants in the warmest possible locations. Wind is a perennial issue too Remember that exposed gardens will be impacted by N/NW winds in spring and summer but the biggest windstorms arrive from the SW.
Salt spray and sandy soils
Salt spray is an issue very close to the strand. Salt tolerance is part of the perameters when we list a plant for the Oregon Coast. One of the boundaries to gardening close to the beach is soil. Sandy soils that drain instantly, lack nutrients are are almost always acidic. Its best to stick with plants that are adapted to these challenging substrates. I list individual plants that are recommended for sand. Two groups of plants that deserve greater recognition on the coast are Callistemons (Bottlebrushes) and Grevilleas. Both are adapted to very poor soils but don’t flinch in more well developed soils. They also sport considerable deer resistance and that includes elk.
Hard freezes are rare but cold near the coast range
Beach side communities hardly ever see a very hard freeze and highs below freezing are very rare. Just inland it gets colder quite quickly. Remember this when planting closer to the coast range. Often it can be one zone colder as well as lack heat for plants to harden for winter. On the ocean most gardens are zone 9a or warmer within 2 miles of the beach.
Less drought, more cool and wet
The season of real summer drought is somewhat muted on the coast. The rainy season begins earlier and ends later. Consistent low temperatures and high humidities mitigate the lack of rain. Also, the coast can be slow to heat in spring time, often lagging behind hotter inland gardens. Heat waves on the coast can be intense but they seldom last more than a day and often only several hours of one day if offshore flow is brief. Somewhat backwards cool air advects north during and after a heat low moves inland. That is the coastal fog moves from south to north at the end of a coast heatwave. These brief soaring temps and low humidity are seldom harmful to plants and cause more worry for the gardener than plants.
Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW
Allium caeruleum ‘Heacock Form’
Probably one of our very favorite bulbs and a gift from a friend w/ VERY good taste and I’m happy to say we are going to have a steady supply in the future. For the moment quantities are limited. Why so special? This is the enormously huge version of that precious blue allium caeruleum. Flower size on the species which is very available are comparable to a nickel to a quarter size. This form cranks it up w/ flowerheads the size of golf balls and larger. Spectacular. This very rare form is so superior and still charming that I’ve put it all over my garden. It needs full sun and rich soil that drains. Not difficult by any stretch- though full sun is required. and I suspect more water than I give mine. I put one in then 3, then like 9 and I had to stop myself. Sky blue orbs. This plant needs to build up some bulk to bloom, which means you need a certain amount of leaves and bulb heft for them to bloom. I say this because its possible to sell them out of bloom because they are that freaking cool. <pant, pant> Semi evergreen leaves are low, thin and pungent. Possibly deer resistant- I don’t know yet. And bunnies. Well, Bunnies suck.
Allium schoenoprasm
Chives! Everyone needs these easy to grow, long-blooming, edible perennials in their garden. Late spring brings stems clad in rich lavender/purple flowers that are spicy and wonderful in salads. Cut back at any time and a new crop of tasty leaves will appear. To 18″ tall and forming clumps. Full sun and virtually any soil with consistent summer water. Moderate deer resistance. Often seeds around. These are easy to identify and dispatch or share with friends. A first-rate flowering border perennial as well. Winter deciduous.
Allium sikkimense
Blue is an elusive color in Alliums but there are several that achieve that hue. This small bunch forming onion is a delight with clusters of nodding blue flower in mid-late summer. To 10″ tall a multiplying clump will spread to 1′ wide over time. Rich, well drained soil with regular summer water. Excellent in rock gardens, the front of borders and even hellstrips. Very easy to grow herbaceous perennial that blooms for 4-6 weeks. Cute little cutflower and loved by pollinators. Winter decidiuous for full sun- no fudging here. Long lived and hardy in containers. Moderate deer resistance.
Aloiampelos (Aloe) striatula
We’ve grown a lot of Aloes with purported cold and wet hardiness and this is the one that has been the most successful. A large succulent shrubby plant with rosettes of deep green succulent foliage. In late summer to autumn a showy display of large yellow flower spikes can occur. Very pretty and loved by all nectar seeking folks. Give this South African perennial VERY GOOD DRAINAGE in full sun and a warm position. A slope is always helpful. Amend the soil with plenty of gravel and sand as well as compost- these guys do need to eat- so a little handful of organic fertilizer is recommended. Capable of freezing to the ground (below 15ºF) and resprouting from the base when truly warm weather arrives. Plant on a south or west facing slope preferably against a warm wall or boulder for added reflected heat. Easy, if large, container plant that you should protect from temperatures in the teens. To 3′ x 3′ on average in our climate. Mostly evergreen here. Combine with Agave, Cactus which will also increase their growth rate if you provide light, consistent water during hot weather.
Alstroemeria ‘The Third Harmonic’
A good Alstro is hard to find. The dwarf varieties are ever plagued by snails/slugs, Many of the most exquisite varieties (patented) are poor garden performers, lacking vigor or something. Enter this most fave cultivar. First of all its orange and many will confuse it with the more diminutively flowering A. aurantiacus which can become an ineradicable weed. THIS IS NOT THAT. Its a polite clumper with enough vigor to send up fully 30″ flowering stems repeatedly for up to 6 weeks in summer. Speaking of which the individual flower will last up to two weeks in a vase. Do not cut them (which injures the plant – it bleeds out) rather gently rock the base of the stem back and forth to detach. This will help and not hurt it. Regular summer irrigation in rich, moisture retentive soil. Winter deciduous. To 2′ wide..
Alstroemeria psittacina ‘Variegata’
A really multidimensional perennial for part shade, rich soil and light summer water. The sage green, almost rubbery textured leaves are emargined in creamy white. In summer, 2′ spikes support groups of tubular red and green flowers. The interior of the flower is decorated with black hatch marks on a white backdrop. Fantastic long lasting cut flower that should be pulled gently from the base to detach and never cut with a pruner. Spreads somewhat thinly to cover some ground. Posses the ability to compete with other plants and can happily coexist with shorter ground cover- flower spikes coming up right through. Completely winter deciduous. Bait for slugs when it first re-emerges in spring. Once its up a bit you are safe. Long lived cold hardy perennial that is pretty permanent. Hummingbirds love the flowers as much as stylish gardeners.
Amomyrtus meli
Unusual Myrtle from Chile that I’ve grown for many years and though it is difficult to root from cuttings we still offer it. Glossy small leaves have the distinct fragrance of citrus when bruised. A tall rainforest tree in its home, in my garden it is a columnar evergreen shrub to 8′ x 2′ in 7 years. In early summer it produces clusters of pretty off-white flowers that are lightly fragrant too. They often turn into clusters of black berries by autumn. Slow growing in youth it picks up a little with age. Full sun to part shade in a protected location. Mine is against an east facing wall and it’s never been damaged by cold – save for a few burned tips below 10ºF. Surprising. If you are a collector and you’d like something different give this handsome shrub/tree a try. It will thrive at the Oregon Coast and likely grow much, much bigger. A water loving tree that requires regular irrigation during summer- this encourages growth and lustrous foliage. Chile.
Anchusa azurea ‘Dropmore’
Alkanet, Italian Bugloss- neither name is very appealing but I’m here to testify that if you are a connoisseur of the color blue this big showy perennial is for you. To 4′ tall multiple spikes bear rich, deep, true blue flowers in one bodacious cloud. This form is not only a superior blue, but its a more reliable perennial. Most live 2-3 years but this often persists for longer. This borage forms a basal rosette of rough leaves- this is important to identify the inevitable seedlings- they are dark, dark green and spiny. Blooms first year from seed. A Spectacular plant for a young garden, a dry garden, wild border or in its most classic home the cottage garden. Full sun and average to enriched soil that drains quickly. Light consistent water to establish then drought adapted. Long, long blooming plant that often has bumble bees fast asleep in the cup shaped flowers. Very cool. Obvious pollinator gem. Very climate adapted plant.
Anemanthele lessoniana
Pheasant Tail Grass is a clumping large arching grass with colorful surprises throughout the year. To 30″ tall and a little wider the army green arching foliage takes on dramatic orange and red tints if given just a little stress. In summer fine tawny orange/brown glossy seedheads arch gracefully within the foliage. Full sun to very light shade in rich, well drained soil with consistent summer moisture- a little dryness and wham! You get those fiery tints. Requires a protected location in gardens, avoid full on exposure and cold winds. Its best application though is as a large graceful container subject. And the drainage adds to cold hardiness. Remove seedheads before they mature as it does like to seed around. Mulch for arctic weather. Moderate deer resistance. New Zealand.
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