Eastern Oregon is home to fragrant floras like the lodgepole pine and western larch trees, shrubs with edible parts like the chokecherry shrub and western juniper tree, and drought-tolerant flowers like the California poppy and pearly everlasting.
Owing to its altitude, eastern Oregon is drier and colder than other parts of the state, making it ideal for only certain kinds of plants. In this guide, we’ll explore some of those plants that are native to eastern Oregon and, therefore, well-adapted to our climate.
Eastern Oregon native flowers
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)
A cluster of small, white flowers sit atop stems with thin, long, deep forest green-colored leaves. This wildflower has adapted so well to the drier eastern Oregon weather that it needs watering no more than twice a month in the summer. But it also does fine in the somewhat wetter west Cascades
Plant this drought-tolerant pearly flower in a rock garden, butterfly garden, or as a border.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full to partial sun
- Water Needs: Low to moderate
- Soil: Chalk, loam, or sand; well-drained but moist soil
- Mature Height: 2 to 3 feet
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California poppy fills home gardens with bright yellow and orange flowers from March through October. The petals respond to light, closing when it is cloudy and at night. This flower attracts several bees. It is deer-resistant, but small animals like rabbits are drawn to California poppy.
California poppy is great for homes without irrigation systems. This flower needs extra water only when the growing season is extremely dry.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 8 to 10
- Life cycle: Annual or perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Infertile, well-drained, sandy soils
- Mature height: Several inches to 2 feet
Common camas (Camassia quamash)
The purple-blue flowers of the common camas bloom from late spring to early summer. This perennial needs ample moisture in the winter and spring and requires full sun. Summer droughts help the bulbs to cure. Common camas attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Use this flower to brighten up beds and borders, and enjoy its spicy smell. This plant releases a molasses aroma when boiled.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun, very little shade
- Water needs: Average /(Natively found in moist, spring meadows that dry by late spring)
- Soil: High organic matter with good drainage; tolerates seasonally moist soil
- Mature height: Up to 30 inches
Eastern Oregon native trees
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
Lodgepole pine is also called the twisted pine and contorta pine. This tree has yellow-green needles and reddish-brown seed cones twisted at the bottom. The citrusy smell is inviting. The lodgepole pine tree requires well-drained soil and tolerates high winds. It has low water needs and prefers a sunny environment.
Plant this perennial where it has room to grow up to 20 to 35 feet. The needled leaves can persist for up to 8 years.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 6 to 8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Loam, sand
- Mature height: 20 to 35 feet
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
Western juniper determines its habitat based on location. In Oregon, it is naturally found at elevations between 500 to 5,000 ft. It can be found at different elevations in other areas of the country.
This tree has scaly green leaves and edible dark cones or fruit. The berry-like cones are high sources of Vitamin C and have been used to make tea.
Although this tree can reach up to 30 feet tall, it grows slowly and may take as many as 15 to 25 years before reaching full height. Plant western juniper in an area where deer have made it difficult to maintain a garden because this evergreen is deer-resistant.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 4
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full to partial sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Dry, rocky soil; medium to fine-textured soil
- Mature height: 30 feet tall
Western larch (Larix occidentalis)
Western larch are native to the eastern slopes of the Cascades and also central Oregon. Homeowners love that this tree is deer-resistant, wind-tolerant, and has a grapefruit smell. The fragrant green needles turn a beautiful yellow in the fall. Be mindful that this tree grows fast. It is best for very large landscapes.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 4 to 8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Calcium- and magnesium-rich soils
- Mature height: 100 to 180 feet
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
The ponderosa pine dominates the eastern region of Oregon. Ponderosa pine forests are found throughout the area at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 feet. These forests are the second driest in the state, so it’s no surprise that ponderosa pine thrives in the brief, arid summers and cold, snowy winters of the East Cascades and east Oregon region.
Plant this tree in an area with no power lines overhead and enjoy its long, medium-green leaves. Ponderosa pine is also a good native plant for sloped areas.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 7
- Duration: Evergreen
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Soil: Well-drained soil
- Mature Height: 60 to 100 feet
Eastern Oregon native shrubs
Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
The red-osier dogwood is also known as red twig dogwood because of its radiant red stems in the fall and winter. This shrub bursts with white blossoms in the spring. In the summer the flowers turn to berries and become a food source for birds. Red-osier dogwood also supports butterflies and other pollinators.
A fast grower, red-osier also adapts to a variety of soil types and grows well in full sun and partial shade. Use this shrub as a border and give your yard year-round color.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 2 to 7
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Water needs: Medium to high
- Soil: Chalk, clay, loam, sand, moist, adaptable to a wide range of soils.
- Mature height: 6 to 9 feet
Golden currant (Ribes aureum)
Yellow, clove-smelling flowers emerge from the golden currant in the spring. The black fruit that develops in the summer feeds birds and people alike. The berries are edible right off the tree but are also used in pies and juices. Plant this flowering shrub with its trump-shaped flowers in a wildlife garden or as shrub borders and enjoy the butterflies and birds golden currant attracts.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full to partial sun
- Water needs: Low; drought-tolerant
- Soil: Well-drained, organically rich
- Mature height: 3 to 10 feet
Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata)
Bitterbrush requires full sun and a dry environment. It has a long taproot system, which means it is drought-tolerant. This perennial works well in homes without irrigation. Biterbrush’s root system also prevents erosion. This bitter-fruit-producing shrub adapts to many soil types and pH levels.
Add bitterbrush to your landscape and marvel at the peculiar three-lobed foliage that shares stems with small yellow flowers.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 6
- Duration: Deciduous perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Loam, sand, acid, alkaline, neutral, well-drained
- Mature height: 2 to 6 feet
Rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Rubber rabbitbrush is an evergreen plant but in colder zones it sheds its leaves. A cluster of golden flowers sprouts spring through fall. Subspecies have different characteristics. Some varieties have branches and leaves that are gray to almost white, while others have stems and foliage that are more of a greenish color.
This plant is ideal for homeowners with little time to care for it. Rabbitbrush is drought-tolerant and needs little to no supplemental watering. Irrigation can cause it to become floppy. It grows best under neglect and only requires yearly shearing.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 4 to 9
- Duration: Deciduous
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Low
- Soil: Well-drained clay, sandy, or loam soil
- Mature Height: 4 to 7 feet
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Many of the creatures that call eastern Oregon home are drawn to the chokeberry, so if you like wildlife hanging around, this is a good one for you. The spring flowers attract honey bees and butterflies. Birds use the tree as a cover and food source, consuming ants and other insects that are drawn to chokecherry. Birds, bears, and hares eat the fruit. Deer use the perennial as a winter food source.
Chokecherry also feeds humans with edible berries, which have been used to make jelly. The tree’s root structure helps control erosion.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 to 7
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun to full shade
- Water needs: Medium, Drought tolerant
- Soil: Moist limestone-based, sand, loam, clay
- Mature height: 30 feet
Additional reading about eastern Oregon landscaping
Check out these guides for explanations, plant and grass suggestions, and other tips that are an integral part of creating a beautiful landscape:
- Growing Zones of Oregon
- Oregon Native Plants for Landscaping
- Complete Guide to Different Soil Types
- The Best Grass Seed for Oregon
- When to Plant Grass Seed in Oregon
Trust the pros
While educating yourself will help you select the proper plants and grass and maintain your landscape, Lawn Love has experts who already know everything it takes to choose, plant, and groom your garden and lawn so that they thrive. Contact a landscaping and lawn care professional today and spend your days enjoying your plants and grass, not maintaining them.
Main Photo Credit: Tom Nevesely | Adobe Stock Free | License
