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Growing Native Plants

By Kimberly Christensen

Mar 14, 2002 -- Although I have a love of exotic flowers and plant them at every opportunity, I have recently begun landscaping with native plants, including many native flowers. In order to make room for native plants in my garden, I had to eradicate several non-native species from my front yard. My neighbor inquired as to whether the plants in my yard weren't "native" as they had lived on our land longer than I had!

Native plants are plants that were indigenous to the Pacific Northwest prior to the arrival of the European settlers. Our society's current forest-destroying ways have caused many of these plants to become threatened or endangered, which makes growing them in your front yard all the more enjoyable. For the busy gardener who often lacks time to get away from the city, native plants bring a bit of the woods to your front door. They also require less maintenance, especially watering and pruning, as they were designed to thrive in this climate. Native plants are naturally drought resistant!

People who plant those scourges ivy, Himalayan blackberry and holly may be unaware that non-native species lack predators in a new environment. Remember those pictures of kudzu vines devouring the old farmhouses of the South? That sort of behavior occurs because the native plants can't compete with faster-growing non-native species. The invasive species will grow right over the top of the native species and suffocate them. Take a walk in any of our local parks, and you'll see ivy growing over our native pine and cedar trees. Native plants, having evolved as a part of our Pacific Northwest ecosystem, have natural predators. For example, wild animals eat their leaves and prevent them from growing out of control. But who wants a mouthful of ivy?

Landscaping with native plants can be a way of reducing your watering needs and costs, inviting wildlife into your yard, and protecting trees in your neighboring parks and open spaces. It's also incredibly low maintenance. Once native plants settle into your yard, you can put your feet up and watch them grow.

Experience has taught me, however, that as with any other plants, you must place native plants in the proper location in your yard. I planted trillium, with its lovely white flowers, along the walk up to my front door. I expected it to get enough shade from a nearby tree. Sadly, the poor thing died a horrible scorched death before I realized that it didn't want more water, it wanted more shade.

When you are selecting native plants for your garden, consider where the plants would grow if they were in the wild. Would they grow under the canopy of a large tree and never see direct sun? Would they grow in an open field? Do they grow along streams or in rocky crevices?

The abundance of plants indigenous to the Pacific Northwest makes it easy to select varieties that will meet your garden's needs. Native plants like kinnikinnik, false lily of the valley, wood sorrel and beach strawberry make great groundcovers. Oregon grape, mock orange and salal are native shrubs. Many berries are native to this region, including salmon berries, twin berries, bunch berries, native blackberries, lingonberries and red huckleberries. Native trees include red osier dogwood, madrona and vine maple. Native flowers including pacific bleeding heart, trillium, western columbine, and yellow monkey flowers deck my garden-walk. Ferns often grow spontaneously in Northwest gardens. Sword ferns, maidenhair ferns and oak ferns are some of our natives.

Native plants can be purchased at many local nurseries. Relying on the staff for help in selecting natives is not always the best choice. Shop with a copy of a native plant book, or at least a list of the Latin names of the plants you want. You can also start many plants from seed. Digging up plants from open public spaces is highly discouraged! You will disturb the ecosystem and often kill the plant. The only time I would consider this method is if a site is about to be bulldozed and there are native plants that you hope to salvage.

Purchasing plants from a nursery that propagates them is your best choice.

The Washington Native Plants Society offers a native plant sale each year, along with many resources for people who want to landscape with native plants. Its Web site is www.wnps.org/gardening.html and it can be reached at (206) 527-3210. Washington State University's Web site, gardening.wsu.edu/nwnatives/, has gardening tips and color pictures of native plants. The Master Gardener program offers many native plants at their annual sale. Call (206) 296-3790 for more information.

Kimberly Christensen lives and gardens in Wallingford.

Reader Comments

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Matt	Oct 18, 2002	Albany, OR 97321 nw winn. Dr.	garden and lawn care/student
I think that you need pictures of trees (especaily the madrona). Please post them on you online page ASAP That is all Matt


Jerry McGuire	Jun 29, 2003	Chico, CA	retired
I am very interested in trying to grow salmon berries. I know that Chico may be to hot and dry... but I have a greenhouse in which I could control the climate... Do you have any information about growing them... and where could I get starts..?? Thanks