Winter Update:

Our shop is currently closed for winter, however, we can schedule order pickups on the following days:

Saturday Dec. 5. 10am-2pm

Saturday Dec. 12. 10am-2pm

Saturday Dec. 19. 10 am-2pm

Orders may be emailed at any time to xeraplants@gmail.com and our website availability list (above) will be updated weekly through winter.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

We think gift certificates are a great gift for gardeners. You can email your order to xeraplants@gmail.com or you can visit our shop for the above open times.

Have a wonderful holiday season,

xo Xera Team

We will be allowing access to the shop with the following restrictions:
– Check-in with staff required before entry. We are limiting access to 4 customers at a time to assure adequate distancing.
– Face covering required at all times in the shop space.
– Maintain 6′ or greater distance between yourself and others in the shop.
– Please be respectful of others who may be waiting for entry by keeping your visit relatively concise.
– No public restroom – plan in advance before you visit!
Thank you very much for your patronage and support and we look forward to seeing you soon!
-Xera
503.236.8563
xeraplants@gmail.com

We could have a real winter- La Nina 2020

 

Click here for written directions

 

Climate adapted plants for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest

Welcome!

Xera Plants is a retail plant nursery and grower based in Portland, Oregon. Our goal is to inspire gardeners to create diverse, ecologically sound landscapes suited to our climate.

We emphasize the use of low water plants, west coast native plants and plants native to a similar winter wet/summer dry climate as our own.  Our staff of horticultural experts is committed to providing friendly, detailed, solution-based customer service.  If you have a question we have the answer. After all, we grow every one of our plants and know each one intimately.

All of our plants are grown by us at our facility near Sherwood, OR using sustainable growing practices. We do not use neonicotinoid pesticides. We firmly believe in the health and well being of not only our pollinators but gardeners and gardens as well. We are stewards of the environment and we take that very seriously.

We strive to maintain a large and diverse supply of plants and we emphasize those that are adapted to certain biomes. That means we search for and grow plants for such difficult situations as dry shade, blasting hellstrips and many other categories. Remember that not all of our plants are available at the same time. Crops have their own timelines and we do our best to finish them in an efficient and timely manner. A large amount of new plants arrives at the shop each week. Feel free to give us a call and to inquire about any plant that we grow or even plants that you think we should grow.  At our shop you will find the best quality, fresh nursery stock that is immediately ready for installation.

Welcome to our brand new website. It is a much different format and we hope that you will find the way that we have organized the information useful. Try out the new search parameters located on the right side of each screen. And you can sort the selections by simply clicking on green script on each plant description (example: foliage color Chartreuse/Gold) to form a list. We hope that it will be a helpful tool for not just plant experts but novices as well. Check back often for updates.

We do NOT do mail order. We are just not set up for that kind of business. We may be able to source our plants at other nurseries who do.

We hope you have a wonderful garden season and we cannot wait to see you at the shop!

 

 

low water plants

Low water plants

This stunning rockery is home to the cold hardy, non-spiny, easy to grow Agave bracteosa. Cactus (Opuntia sp.) make a snug home absorbing the radiated heat of the basalt boulders. In the back the grass Schizachyrium scopulorum ‘The Blues’ mimics the upswept theme before it turns to crimson and pink in fall. This landscape is a no water landscape which means that after the first year its left to fend for moisture on its own. A great western look that is repeated throughout the garden.  Browse low-water plants →

Deer-resistant plants

There is nothing more frustrating than deer devouring your garden. Deer are a lot like people, they will try anything, especially if its new. So, while there are no plants that are 100% deer-proof here are some selections from our plant list that have proven to be less often on the menu.  Of course a fence is always the best defense. Tip: pay attention not just to the species but the genus as well. Though not 100% impervious, some are much less prone to consumption than others.  Find all deer-resistant plants 

Unpalatable to deer and gorgeous in bloom: Lagerstroemia indica ‘PDX-Red’ (tree); lower shrub is ‘Victor’ Crape Myrtle.

Gardening in the Pacific Northwest

Paul Bonine, co-owner of Xera and Amy Campion have teamed up to produce this comprehensive guide to gardening in the PNW. For beginners to experienced gardens with a discussion of climate, style tips and profiles of the best adapted plants for our unique climate. Published by Timber Press 2017.

Pick up a copy at our retail shop!

Or, you can buy the book from these online retailers:

“A handy primer to anyone new to Northwest gardening.”

—Sunset

“Useful for … the massive region of the U.S. that extends from the Pacific Northwest coast all the way east to the Rockies.”

—Booklist

“A game changer for so many gardeners in our region, both beginning and experienced.”

—Danger Garden

A collection of images from the garden of Greg Shepherd (co-owner of Xera):