Pine Sedum is common in the rocky outcrops of foothills and mid-elevation mountains throughout the state. You’ll find it clustered around crevices and on scree at the base of cliffs. Fine stems support clusters of deep green pine needle-like foliage. In summer its crowned by clusters of deep yellow flowers. Not as showy as other native Stone crops but pretty none-the-less. To just 3″ tall and forming clumps to 1′ wide. In the garden give it enriched, fast draining soil with light, consistent summer water- this improves the overall appearance. An interesting native Sedum for containers, rock gardens, borders, dry gardens. Evergreen. Very cold hardy. 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
Selaginella braunii
Arborvitae fern, but it isn’t a fern at all! Actually its a really big spike moss! A moss with stems and arrow shaped fronds like a fern. To 10″ tall and forming a mounding colony in time. Bright green summer color is replaced by russet red and light brown with winter cold. Spreads slowly underground and new “fronds” unfurl out and up. With great age you’ll get a decent patch. So damn pretty for woodlands in the shade in rich, well drained soil that retains moisture- perpetually moist is what it wants. Its best home is in containers where it adds both a touch of doily green but 3D tiered layers as well. Regular summer moisture. Slow and easy does it. Its a moss! Can you dig it? Evergreen.
Selaginella krusseana ‘Aurea’
Shocking bright chartreuse moss that we love for containers and for sheltered moist shady spots in the garden. Easier to grow in containers where it makes a fantastic understory to containerized shrubs or trees. Part shade to shade in rich, moisture retentive soil that is never compacted. Regular summer water in a humid environment. Excellent next to shady ponds. To 3″ deep and spreading as far as it feels like it. Protect from rapid swings in temperature- put containerized plants under an eave or out of the wildest weather, under a shrub works too, Don’t forget to water in the winter.
Selaginella moelendorfii
Funny little spike moss that forms an upright clump of acid green to ochre foliage that turns bright russet red and pink in cooler weather. This moss is actually easy to grow in rich soil in a woodland with regular moisture. Forms little new platelets at the leaf tips and they drop off an wah lah new plants. Thrives in containers. Protect from blasting sun and avoid total drought. They thrive in the most humid atmosphere you can find. Near a pond margin or in the spray zone of a waterfall. I even mist mine mine in the ground when it gets over 90ºF for an extended time. Mosses are cool. To 6″ x 6″.
Sempervivum ‘Koko Flanel’
There are so many good Sempervivums (Hens and Chicks) but it seems that you only see the same 3 kinds over and over. We dug a little deeper and found a collection of exceptional cultivars. This girl/guy forms a very dense rosette with closely spaced leaves in a spiral arrangement. The older the leaves the more red as an under color with soft white hairs all throughout. New leaves have an aquamarine glow. Nice little symmetrical multicolor effect. Things go more towards green in the heat of summer. Pink flowers rise up on 6″ spikes spring to autumn- whenever it feels like it. Great container plant or small scale ground cover- this one multiplies very fast by offsets. Baby you’ve come a long way. Rich, well drained soil with light but consistent summer moisture. Rock walls, troughs, winter containers.
Sempervivum ‘Lotus’
OOOMMMMM. Large growing Hens and Chicks with pale lavender gray rosettes to 5″ across. Very showy and multiplies moderately fast. Full sun to part shade in rich, well drained soil. Regular water speeds growth and size of the plants. Otherwise extremely drought tolerant..in really dry conditions the rosette will shrink and go to sleep- awakened by autumn rains. Nice small scale, dense ground cover. Striking in living walls and a natural for containers. 5″ spikes send up pink flowers spring – autumn. Good looking year round. This one is the size of a small Echeveria and would make a good replacement that is actually permanent. Easy.
Sempervivum ‘Maria Laach’
Pretty Maria. Bloody Maria. We have no idea why they named this stunning blood red Semp after her but I’ll bet its quite a story. As this is quite an extraordinary Hens and Chicks. Blood red tipped leaves often fade to green near the center of the rosette. Redder in summer in full sun in average, well drained soil. Each 3″ wide plant is in a continuous color change so its a varied pattern. Forms expanding colonies quickly. Full sun to part shade. Light summer water. Very good for contrast in rock gardens, rock walls, crevice gardens. In summer 4″ stems display red flowers. Easy to detach and move babies. Tolerates drought by shrinking, puffs back up with the first rains.
Sempervivum ‘Pacific Zofic’
Fast multiplying Hens and Chicks that is covered in white fur. The silvery white fur covers new foliage in the center that is aqua changing to pink on the external rosette. In spring to autumn it can produce 5″ spikes of pink flowers. The rosette where the flower spike originates then dies but there are so many offsets you barely notice. Excellent in containers, rock walls, as a small scale ground cover. Good appearance in winter. Rich to average soil with regular summer irrigation to speed growth. Otherwise very tolerant of dry conditions – the rosettes shrink a bit in this phase. Sempervivums LOVE fertilizer. Enrich the soil with all purpose organic fertilizer before you plant and enjoy much LARGER plants. Rosettes to 3″ across.
Sempervivum ‘Reinhard’
A really fun and rightfully famous cultivar. Celery green leaves are tipped in black. Very dramatic and the kind of contrast that makes a plant stand out. Rosettes are 4″ across and offsets are produced constantly. Very pretty dense small scale ground cover. Rich, well drained soil with regular summer irrigation. Deals with drought by shrinking. They rehydrate with the first rains. They look better and grow faster with water. Excellent in containers, crevice gardens, rock gardens, rock walls, troughs. I’ve never seen this variety bloom but I assume the flowers would be red or white…doesn’t matter thats not the point. Detach babies and give to neighbors with the official name. Increases its specialness, impresses the neighbor. This would be a good variety for a living wall.
Sempervivum ‘Saturn’
Probably the best standard red Sempervivum. Its been around forever and its a good cultivar. Given rich soil that drains well but is enriched with fertilizer a single rosette can swell to 6″ wide. its impressive. So fertilize your Hens and Chicks and turn up the scale. Forms prodigious offsets quickly. These can be stuck in the soil wherever you can’t get enough of Sempervivum ‘Saturn’. Full sun give the best color red as well as a bit of stress. Red persists through winter which is useful for winter containers. Makes a good small scale ground cover that is dense enough to suppress weeds. Don’t try to cover an area more than a few square feet. This plant doesn’t do that. Living walls, crevice gardens, rock gardens, rock walls. Hot slopes. Drought stressed plants don’t die they shrink and plump back up quickly with irrigation. Pink flowers in summer.
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