Some of the best native plants for landscaping in Oregon include Pacific bleeding heart wildflowers that add stunning color to your garden and pollinator plants like common blanket flowers that attract butterflies and bees. There are also edible plants like the tall Oregon grape and red flowering currant.
While some floras are native to most or all of The Beaver State, your area may include these native plants and more.
1. Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan has a dark brown center and long yellow petals. It tolerates various soil types, thrives in ample sun and is drought-tolerant once established. You can grow black-eyed Susan in partially shaded areas. When this sweet-smelling flower is young, it handles the cold winters in Oregon well; Susan is frost tolerant.
This flower does not tolerate excessive nitrogen, so avoid planting it where it may be exposed to a lot of fertilizer. Bed and borders are ideal for showcasing black-eyed Susan.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
- Duration: Can be perennial, biennial, or annual depending on growing conditions
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium. Has moderate drought tolerance
- Soil: Clay, sandy, loam, acidic, moist, well-drained
- Mature height: 1-3 feet
2. Blueblossom
When this pollinator blossoms from March to June, its glossy green leaves burst with clusters of small blue-petaled flowers. Petal colors include rich blues, purplish-blue, lavender, and white.
Plant this eye-catching shrub as a screen or in a large backyard space. It works especially well on slopes.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 8-10
- Duration: Evergreen perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Dry, well-drained soil
- Mature height: 6-20 feet
3. Common blanket flower
Common blanket flowers resemble black-eyed Susans but have two-toned colored petals. The yellow and red flowers stretch from a variegated, circular center. Pollinators like bees and butterflies are attracted to the flower’s nectar. Birds feast on the seed heads.
This pollinator plant’s natural habitat is grassy areas with arid soil. It is drought-tolerant and thrives in our hot summers. However, it may need supplemental watering during extended dry spells. Be sure to plant it in well-drained soil or it may develop root rot.
Common blanket flowers are great additions to rock gardens, borders, butterfly gardens, and as container plants. People with sensitivities should know that this perennial can irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3-10
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
- Soil: Loam; well-drained
- Mature height: 1-3 feet
4. Tall Oregon grape
Tall Oregon grapes boast vivid yellow flowers that bloom in the spring, followed by berries that develop in the summer. Pollinating insects are attracted to the flowers, which emit an enchanting honey aroma. Birds consume the berries, which are edible for humans.
The berries are edible raw. They have been used to make jellies, and the plant has been used medicinally for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
This edible shrub makes a delicious hedge and addition to a shade garden.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 5-8
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Partial shade to full shade
- Water needs: Medium
- Soil: Loam, acidic, well-drained
- Mature height: 6-8 feet
5. Pacific bleeding heart
The showy pink flowers bloom from mid-spring to mid-summer. They’re bell-shaped, at the right angle, they look like ear lobes. Or when two petals are near each other, they form a heart.
This wildflower is low-maintenance. It attracts pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. Bleeding heart flowers can irritate skin if touched, so handle it with gloves if necessary. If you have children or pets, plant this flower in an area inaccessible to toddlers and fur babies.
People who are single like me, on the other hand, can allow these floral-smelling flowers to freely color their flower beds, add them to a pollinator garden, or place pacific bleeding hearts in containers and display them near windows, doors, or patios.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Partial sun
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Soil: Clay, loam, or chalk. Acidic or neutral pH; well-drained but moist soil
- Mature Height: 1-2 feet
6. Camas
This plant brings outer space to your front yard with star-shaped white and blue flowers. The blue blooms mature into a rich, deep hue. The golden pollen in the center is a great visual contrast to the petals.
Keep this perennial moist during the spring, although camas flowers tolerate drought. When its seed pods age and the leaves dry out, it is ready to tackle the seasonal dry periods.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun to partial shade
- Water needs: Moderate
- Soil: Sandy, loamy, and clay soils
- Mature height: 1-3 feet
7. Red alder
Red alder’s spreading branches have a light gray, smooth bark, although the lichens make it appear white. This tree has dark green leaves and reaches a towering 80 feet. Birds rely on red alder as food, and the perennial is a host for tent caterpillars. Red alder tolerates infertile soil; the tree’s root nodules fix nitrogen
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 7a-9b
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun, partial shade
- Water needs: High
- Soil: Prefers moist, mineral soil
- Mature height: 40-80 feet
8. Rocky Mountain juniper
The Rocky Mountain juniper produces cones that feed birds and small mammals, and its leaves are green and scale-like. This evergreen is drought-tolerant and handles salt spray well, so it is great for homes without irrigation systems.
The juniper tree does not thrive in high humidity or wet soil. Humid environments make it susceptible to Botryospaeria stevensii canker.
Rocky Mountain is erosion tolerant. It is also pollution tolerant, making it ideal for a city garden.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
- Duration: Evergreen
- Sun: Full sun.
- Water needs: This tree only needs water from rainfall
- Soil: Prefers well-drained, neutral soils
- Mature height: 30-40 feet tall
9. Red flowering currant
This flowering shrub produces edible berries for you to share with local wildlife. The currant’s leaves are matte green with pink, white, and red flowers, and it produces dark berries that attract birds, while pollinators enjoy the small blossoms. This spicy-smelling plant is low-maintenance and adapts to several soil types.
Plant red flowering currant as a privacy screen, edging plant, in a wildlife or pollinator garden, or to fill in spaces between hedge borders.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 6-8
- Duration: Deciduous
- Sun: Full to partial sun
- Water Needs: Moderate
- Soil: All; well-drained but moist soil
- Mature Height: 5-12 feet
10. Bitter cherry
Small white flowers bloom from April to July and have a refreshing almond fragrance. This drought-tolerant perennial can be grown as a shrub or tree. It reaches up to 50 feet tall.
Plant bitter cherry on your landscape and watch as wildlife flock to the tree for its red fruits. The creatures may not leave you any treats. But no worries; the fruit is not edible for humans anyway.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
- Duration: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun to shade
- Water needs: Moderate
- Soil: Prefers moist soils with good drainage
- Mature height: Up to 50 feet
11. Western blue-eyed grass
Western blue-eyed grass has striking green foliage and tiny, purplish-blue petals that bloom from January to July. The plant goes dormant in the summer and dies back to the ground. Watering it will help it survive the summer drought.
This ornamental grass supports many creatures in the Oregon ecosystem, including native bees, adult butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects. Western blue-eyed grass is low maintenance. If watered too much, it can become weedy.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Full sun, partial shade
- Water needs: Average
- Soil preferences: Moist loam soils
- Mature size: 1-2 feet tall
12. Western sword fern
Western sword fern has glossy long leaves that stretch 3 to 6 feet. The dark green foliage grows up and outward. This perennial is mildly drought tolerant but needs sufficient moisture to thrive. It provides a habitat for small wildlife.
Homeowners can control how the leaves grow. Place the plant in shady areas for more horizontal fronds. Western sword fern grows more vertically when given more sunlight. However, full sun will burn the leaves.
Since western sword fern enjoys shade, locate it in a shade garden. A shaded rock garden is also a good home for this deer-resistant flora. Some homeowners use sword fern as a tall ground cover.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-8
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Sun: Partial shade to full shade
- Water needs: Medium to high
- Soil: Chalk, loam, clay, sand, moist, well-drained
- Mature height: 3-6 feet
13. Big sagebrush
Big sagebrush has three-pronged, silvery-green leaves. Late summer brings small, yellow flowers. This plant has been described as having a bitter or spicy smell. The shrub produces small fruit and provides food for wildlife in the winter. This low-maintenance plant needs no watering once established and is vulnerable to root rot in soil that is too damp.
Sagebrush helps control erosion, so it’s a functional plant for slopes. It can be ground cover, shrubs, or a tree. Big sagebrush can grow from 3 to 15 feet tall, so what may start as a ground cover or short privacy hedges may become a tree.
Plant details and ideal growing conditions:
- USDA hardiness zone: 4 – 9
- Duration: Evergreen
- Sun: Full sun
- Water Needs: Low
- Soil: Loam, sandy; well-drained
- Mature Height: 3-15 feet
For more on Oregon native plants
These guides will point you to plants that are native to your specific area.
- Central Oregon Native Plants for Landscaping
- Oregon Coast Native Plants for Landscaping
- Southern Oregon Native Plants for Landscaping
- Eastern Oregon Native Plants for Landscaping
- Willamette Valley Native Plants for Landscaping
FAQ
Where can I purchase native plants?
Your local nursery or home improvement stores carry native plants. Online stores like Amazon and Home Depot let you order seeds or young plants and have them delivered to your home. The Oregon Association of Nurseries provides the website, Nurseryguide.com, which has thousands of plants you can choose from.
What is the best grass for Oregon lawns?
The best grass seed for Oregon includes cool-season varieties. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue are some of the best grass types for the state. Lawn Love’s guide, The Best Grass Seed for Oregon Lawns, will help you choose a grass type that thrives in your yard and looks good with your native plants.
Need help with your Oregon landscaping?
Native plants require less maintenance than non-native plants. We’ve provided a few to get you started and resources to purchase them. Lawn Love has experts to help with the rest. Call a landscaping pro today.
Main Photo Credit: Nicholas Steven | Adobe Stock Free | License
