A tough and useful evergreen groundcover that thrives on shade and neglect. Native to the forest understory throughout the western Cascade Mountains, Creeping Oregon Grape forms a low sprawling shrub that stays about 2 feet tall or lower and produces an abundance of bright yellow flowers in spring followed by deep purple Mahonia berries or Oregon grapes as they’re sometimes called in late summer into fall. A great low maintenance ground cover for shade and a good plant to support wildlife.

Latin Name: Mahonia repens
Site and Soil: This Plant likes 1/2 day to full sun (partial shade in hot climates) and well drained soil. It is quite drought tolerant.
Pollination Requirements: Oregon Grape is self-fertile.
Hardiness: This Plant is hardy to minus 20° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 1-2 ft. in height.
Bloom Time: Early spring
Ripening Time: Late summer
Yield: 1 quart
Pests & Diseases: This Plant is not bothered by pests or diseases
USDA Zone: 5
Sunset Western Zone: 2-12, 14-24
Sunset Northeast Zone: 31, 32, 34-41

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An incredible new selection of evergreen huckleberry that will be sure to light up understory plantings everywhere and add a burst of that beloved Cascade sunshine to the garden all year round. As versatile a shrub as the evergreen huckleberry is, it’s with great jubilation that we can now grow a variegated selection. The bright coral pink new growth on Cascade Sunburst Evergreen Huckleberry contrasts beautifully with the variegation of older foliage, and the dark berries add even more interest and deliciousness in the fall.

Additional Information:

Latin Name: Vaccinium ovatum
Site and Soil: Can grow in sun or shade and likes moist, well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Evergreen Huckleberry is self-fertile.
Hardiness: Hardy to minus 10° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 3-4 ft. in height in full sun, 6-8 ft. in shade
Taste: Sweet, juicy
Fruit Skin: Dark blue
Bloom Time: May
Ripening Time: September
Yield: 2-3 pints
Pests & Diseases: Evergreen Huck is not bothered by pests or diseases
USDA Zone: 6-9

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Found all along the West Coast of both North and South America, the Beach Strawberry is a mighty versatile and useful native groundcover that can handle just about any sunlight or soil conditions you throw it in, creating a nice weed suppressing mat. And of course, there’s the little strawberry gems that are produced in summer that really pack a flavorful punch! It’d take a lot of picking to make a strawberry short cake but they’re fantastic for foraging on and kids adore them.

Sweet and flavorful, Strawberries are the most popular small fruit in home gardens. Grow them in small places like flower borders or even in attractive containers on your patio, deck or balcony.

Latin Name: Fragaria chiloensis
Site and Soil: Strawberries like 1/2 day to full sun and well drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Strawberries are self-fertile.
Hardiness: Hardy to -30° F
Bearing Age: 1st year after planting.
Size at Maturity: 6-8″ in height.
Bloom Time: March – April
Ripening Time: June
Yield: 1 pint
Pests & Diseases: Strawberries are highly resistant to pests and viruses. Use straw mulch to keep berries off of soil and to deter slugs.
USDA Zone: 4-8

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The classic evergreen fern found growing in the understory all up and down the West Coast, the Western Sword Fern is an easy to grow perennial that can withstand a variety of soils and sunlight conditions. It gets its name from the long, sword-like fronds that many of us grew up having botanical sword fights with at summer camp. Deer resistant and rather drought resistant once established. A perfect understory plant.

Latin Name: Polystichum munitum
Site and Soil: Full to 1/2 day sun to almost full shade and well-drained soil. Plants are very drought resistant once they are established.
Pollination Requirements:  Self-fertile.
Hardiness: Hardy to minus 30° F.
Size at Maturity: 12-24 inches in height
Pests & Diseases: We have not seen this plant be bothered by pests or diseases.
USDA Zone: 4-8

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Latin Name: Myrtus communis ‘Compacta variegata’
Site and Soil: Full sun in a protected location with well-draining soil.
Hardiness: Hardy to 5° F.
Size at Maturity: 3-5 ft. tall and wide.
Bloom Time: Spring
Pests & Diseases: Not bothered by pests or diseases
USDA Zone: 8a

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The iconic oak of the Willamette Valley, the Oregon White Oak was a key part of the oak savannah that dominated the Willamette Valley prior to European invasion. Trees can eventually reach a stately 100 feet or so and their gorgeous spreading form is quite the sight to behold on older specimens. Some trees of great age can still be seen in pockets of the valley. Excellent wildlife tree and a gift to future generations wherever they are planted.

Latin Name: Quercus garryana
Site and Soil: Oaks like 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile. Will freely hybridize with other Quercus species planted nearby
Hardiness: Oak Tree is hardy to -20º F.
Bearing Age: 4-5 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 70-100 ft.
Bloom Time: June
Ripening Time: October
Yield: 100+ lbs.
Pests & Diseases: Sudden Oak Death can be an issue for Quercus species in Southwest Oregon and California but so far we have not seen it affecting the cork oak or oaks in the Portland Metro area
USDA Zone: 5

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The deer fern is one of our favorite Pacific Northwest Natives. With is beautiful elegant evergreen foliage and strikingly textured fertile fronds it is an easy, low maintenance fern to throw in the shade garden for added texture. Deer Ferns grow all along the west coast from Alaska down to Northern California and prefer some shade, acidic soil and soils high in organic matter though they are adaptable to many different soils types and solar aspects to an extent. Deer fern deserves to be more widely planted in our cultivated landscapes!

Latin Name: Blechnum spicant
Site and Soil: Full to 1/2 day sun to almost full shade and well-drained soil. Plants are very drought resistant once they are established.
Pollination Requirements:  Self-fertile.
Hardiness: Deer is hardy to minus 30° F.
Size at Maturity: 12-24 inches in height
Pests & Diseases: We have not seen this plant be bothered by pests or diseases.
USDA Zone: 4-8

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The Dawn Redwood is one of North America’s oldest native trees, dating all the way back to the Mesozoic Era! Up until the 1940’s it was thought to be extinct and was only known through the fossil record until it was “rediscovered” in rural China in the 1940’s when a forestry official named Zhan Wang collected samples from a tree in the wild. He connected the dots between that living tree and what was seen in the fossil record. In 1948 the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University sent a team of botanists to collect seed and bring it back to the United States. Seedlings were then distributed to different universities and the dawn redwood has since been somewhat widely planted, though it deserves much wider distribution, hence why we are now carrying Dawn Redwoods!

This tree has a very special place in our hearts and we would love to see it planted more in the landscape. Plants are very adaptable and even make great street trees. Dawn Redwood can tolerate wet soils better than most conifers, though it would still prefer to have somewhat well draining soils, and the growth rate is very fast on these, growing to 30 feet very quickly and to at least 150 ft. in time.  What’s even more unique is the Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer! So it actually drops its needles in fall after turning a beautiful golden yellow and then puts out new needles in the spring that are lime green, delicate and incredibly beautiful. On top of all that it makes one of the best climbing trees with its wide buttressed trunk and smooth arching limbs. Take a climb into the dawn redwood and let it take you back to the days when giant lizards roamed North America.

Latin Name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Site and Soil: Dawn Redwood prefers half to full sun and can tolerate a wide variety of soils.
Hardiness: Dawn Redwood is hardy to minus 20 or below.
Size at Maturity: 150-175 feet high.
Pests & Diseases: N/A
USDA Zone: 5-9

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Cherry Berries Wintergreen Shrub, a beautiful evergreen groundcover, is native to the East Coast and produces profuse, small white flowers followed by sweet and flavorful, bright red berries, which taste just like Wintergreen candy. Growing to about 6″ tall, it will spread slowly to a foot or more in diameter.

Latin Name: Gaultheria procumbens
Site and Soil: This Shrub likes filtered shade and moist, well-drained, acidic soil.
Pollination Requirements: Wintergreen is self-fertile.
Hardiness: This shrub is hardy to minus 30° F
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 6 in.
Bloom Time: Spring
Ripening Time: Late summer
Yield: 1 pint
Pests & Diseases: This Shrub is not bothered by pests or diseases
USDA Zone: 4
Sunset Western Zone: 1-7, 14-17
Sunset Northeast Zone: 32, 34-45

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King Edward VII Flowering Currant produces large, vivid, bright red flowers in spring on stiff, upright stems. It is drought tolerant once established and grows well in full sun or partial shade. The fruit are blue-black and produced in July. Currants are a wonderful native plant that has been used for years as a food source for Native Americans for many years. Red flowering currants provide nectar and habitat for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

Latin Name: Ribes sanguineum
Site and Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil with full to partial sun.
Bearing Age: 2-3 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 3-6 ft. in height and width
Fruit Color: Blue-Black
Flower Color: Bright Red
Bloom Time: March-June
Ripening Time: July
Pests & Diseases: King Edward is fairly resistant to most insect and fungal pests of the genus Ribes.
USDA Zone: 6-8

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