Native in the Pacific Northwest Adding Diversity to Your Gardens Benefits of Native Plants

Native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions where they naturally occur. These important species provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. Unlike natives, common horticultural plants do not provide energetic rewards for their visitors and often require insect pest control to survive. What makes a plant “native”?

• Plants which are endemic to an area are considered native. These species were here prior to European colonization, and adapted to local conditions, such as available water, resources, temperature, herbivory and pests/disease. What then is “non-native”? • As humans colonized the globe, they brought plants with them, both intentionally and unintentionally. • Many of these species are beautiful garden plants which we cultivate and protect. • Many others are prone to escaping cultivation, and invade native habitats or colonize the disturbed areas we create. What are Invasive Weeds? • These species can become invasive weeds, or become designated as “noxious” species – those that cause significant ecological and economic harm in our state. Others become common “weeds.” These can still degrade the quality of natural habitats, and reduce the value to wildlife. • Your responsibility as a gardener is to be aware of these invasive species, and watch out for plants in your garden which appear to be escaping.

Photo Linda Cartwright What are Invasive Weeds?

• State Law, Noxious Weeds 603-052-1200

• All plants covered in section 3 of this rule are prohibited entry into the State of Oregon. • All plants listed in section 3 of this rule are prohibited from transport, purchase, sale or offering for sale in the State of Oregon. • All plants listed in section 3 of this rule are prohibited from being propagated in the State of Oregon. • All plants listed in section 3 may be collected from the wild in areas that are already infested with the specific species that is collected, provided that the plants, plant parts, or seed are not used for propagation or sale within the State of Oregon. What are Invasive Weeds? • Example: Scotch broom was introduced from Europe, where it is used as a garden plant, and as a natural barrier for grazing fields. It has now invaded most of the PNW.

Photo Eric Coombs, ODA Benefits of Native Plants

• Native plants do not require fertilizers and require fewer pesticides than lawns. • Native plants require less water than lawns and help prevent erosion. • The deep root systems of many native Pacific Northwest plants increase the soil's capacity to store water. Native plants can significantly reduce water runoff and, consequently, flooding.

Native plant garden, dry site without irrigation. Benefits of Native Plants

• Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife. • Native plants promote biodiversity and stewardship of our natural heritage. • Native plants are beautiful and increase scenic values.

Native digger bee, visiting a broadleaf lupine Identifying Native Plants

• As with all plants, there are key ways to identify native plants. • There is an entirely separate language dealing with botanical terminology. As gardeners, you have seen many of these terms before. Identifying Native Plants

• To give you a solid foundation, we will go through several of the most common plant families in the Pacific Northwest, and discuss characteristics of each, as well as examples. • At the end of the lecture, we will provide photos or dried specimens that illustrate certain characteristics. • If you are interested, you can participate in a scavenger hunt to locate certain features and identify families. We will be available for questions, discussions and more information. Basic Plant ID

• Growth form/Life cycle • Inflorescence • Leaf arrangement • Hairs • Type of fruit or seed

http://www.saps.org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/707-parts-of-a-plant-and-a-flower Basic Plant ID

http://www.saps.org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/707-parts-of-a-plant-and-a-flower Plant Families

• Plants and animals are all organized in a taxonomical system to help us understand how they evolved and how they are related. • The narrowest classification is the Genus and Species. These together are the Scientific Name. • Example: human = Homo sapiens • Example: sunflower = annuus • The next broadest grouping is the family. Families share distinctive traits, and are a good place to begin learning plants. The Plant Families POLYGONACEAE – The Buckwheat Family

• Small flowers, sometimes without petals

• Simple leaves

Mor Learn copyright. to subject be may 600Images ×

• Swollen nodes 1024 • Common weeds: sheep sorrel, dock • Noxious weeds: Knotweed species

Japanese knotweed. By Ancatdubh43 at English Wikipedia POLYGONACEAE – The Buckwheat Family

Eriogonum compositum and E. douglasii, heartleaf Eriogonum strictum, strict buckwheat and Douglas buckwheat buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum, sulfur buckwheat PORTULACACEAE: The Purslane Family

• Plants more or less fleshy, succulent • usually with 2 sepals • petals free from each other • stamens usually opposite the petals

Miner's lettuce (Montia perfoliata), Oregon State University PORTULACACEAE: The Purslane Family • Weeds: common purslane

https://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/weedspeciespage/common_purslane/Common_purslane_Portulaca_oleraceae.html PORTULACACEAE: The Purslane Family

• Native examples: • Claytonia lanceolata, spring beauty PORTULACACEAE: The Purslane Family

• Native examples: • Lewissia redivida, bitter root CARYOPHYLLACEAE: The Pink Family • Opposite and entire leaves with swollen nodes; petals free, often lobed • Garden examples: Carnations, pinks • Weed: white cockle CARYOPHYLLACEAE: The Pink Family

• Native examples • Silene oregana

https://www.pbase.com/diana_bradshaw/image/100541195 CARYOPHYLLACEAE: The Pink Family • Native examples • Moehringia macrophylla (formerly Arenaria), bigleaf sandwort

© 2018 Matt Berger © 2011 Jean Pawek RANUNCULACEAE: The Buttercup Family

• Petals free (or absent) • Many stamens • Flowers regular or irregular • Fruit is a cluster of many achenes • Leaves entire or deeply lobed

Buttercup (Ranunculus) species RANUNCULACEAE: The Buttercup Family

• Garden examples: clematis, columbine • Noxious Weeds: lesser celandine, old man’s beard

Cathy McQueeny, Clackamas SWCD RANUNCULACEAE: The Buttercup Family • Native examples • Anemone deltoidea, Columbia wind flower • Anemone oregana, Oregon anemone RANUNCULACEAE: The Buttercup Family

• Native examples • Aquilegia formosa, western columbine RANUNCULACEAE: The Buttercup Family

• Native examples • Delphinium nuttallianum, upland larkspur BRASSICACEAE: The Mustard Family

• 4 sepals • 4 free petals • Usually 6 stamens, 4 long and 2 short • Often with forked or branched hairs • Fruits a distinctive pod – siliques or silicles

Sickle-pod rockcress, Boechera atrorubens BRASSICACEAE: The Mustard Family

• Mustard fruits are explosive – as they dry they will suddenly split and fling their seeds violently. • Siliques are sleek • Silicles are circular

Rockcress Fringe-pod, Thysanocarpos curvipes BRASSICACEAE: The Mustard Family

• Garden examples: cauliflower, broccoli • Weeds: garlic mustard, tumble mustard, moneyplant (honesty) BRASSICACEAE: The Mustard Family

• Native examples: • Cardamine pulcherrima, oaks toothwort BRASSICACEAE: The Mustard Family

• Native examples: • Draba verna, spring Whitlow-grass SAXIFRAGACEAE: • Petals free • Hypanthium present • A structure formed when the stamens, petals and sepals are all joined at the base to create a cup. • Stamens 10 or less • Often with basal leaves SAXIFRAGACEAE:

• Native examples: • Lithophragma spp, prairie star SAXIFRAGACEAE: • Native examples: • Mitella spp, miterwort

iNaturalist ©Robert L. Carr ROSACEAE: The Rose Family

• Petals free • Hypanthium present • Stamens 10 or more • Leaves usually stipulate

http://www.gardenatoz.com/what%27s-up!/scrabbling-in-the-garden/steeped-in-stipules/ ROSACEAE: The Rose Family

• Garden examples: roses, cherry, apples • Noxious weeds: sulfur cinquefoil, Himalayan blackberry

http://stanleyparkproject.com/blog/2013/8/13/plant-id-himalayan-blackberry-vs- https://weedwise.conservationdistrict.org/weeds/himalayan-blackberry-rubus-armeniacus salmonberry-shrubs ROSACEAE: The Rose Family

• Native examples: • Amelanchier alnifolia, serviceberry ROSACEAE: The Rose Family

• Native examples: • Purshia tridentata, bitterbrush ROSACEAE: The Rose Family

• Native examples: • Spiraea betulifolia, white spiraea • Spiraea douglassii, western spiraea FABACEAE: The Pea Family • Flowers irregular (regular in some non-native species) • Petals free at base; leaves mostly alternate and compound. • Fruit is a pod • Leaves often compound

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8b.htm FABACEAE: The Pea Family • Garden examples: peas, clover • Noxious Weeds: sweet pea (everlasting pea), indigo, Scotch broom, gorse FABACEAE: The Pea Family

• Natives: • Astragalus spp, milk-vetch • Astragalus purshii, wooly pod milk-vetch FABACEAE: The Pea Family

• Natives: • Lupinus spp, lupines • Lupinus latifolius, broad-leaf lupine FABACEAE: The Pea Family • Natives: • Trifolium spp, native clovers. • Trifolium macrocephalum, ______clover : The Parsley Family

• Inflorescence an umbel • Petioles sheathing • Petals free • Leaves often compound, pinnate

Lomatium columbianum, Columbia desert-parsley APIACEAE: The Parsley Family

• Garden: carrots, parsley • Weeds: wild carrot, Queen Anne’s lace, burr chervil • Noxious Weeds: poison hemlock, hogweed APIACEAE: The Parsley Family

• Natives: • spp, desert-parsley

Lomatium grayii, pungent desert-parsley

Lomatium macrocarpum, gray leaf desert- Lomatium nudicaule, naked stem desert- parsley parsley ERICACEAE: The Heath Family

• Petals free or more often united in a bell-like corolla • Anthers opening by pores and often awned • Leaves often evergreen, or hardy • Garden examples: heath, blueberry, rhododendron, azalea ERICACEAE: The Heath Family

• Natives: • Arctostaphylos spp, manzanita (Columbia, green leaf) • Arctostaphylos nevadensis, pine-mat manzanita ERICACEAE: The Heath Family

Pterospora andromedea, Monotropa uniflora, Indian pipe Pyrola aphylla, leafless pyrola pinedrops BORAGINACEAE: The Borage Family

• Petals united into a corolla, flowers regular • Inflorescence usually a scorpioid cyme • Often hairy • Hispid = course and firm, sometimes pungent • Sericeous = silky • Garden examples: bluebells, forget-me-nots • Noxious Weeds: houndstongue BORAGINACEAE: The Borage Family

• Natives: • Cynoglossum grande, giant houndstongue BORAGINACEAE: The Borage Family

• Natives: • Lithospermum ruderale, puckoon HYDROPHYLLACEAE: The Waterleaf Family • Petals united forming a corolla, flower regular • Many, long stamens • Inflorescence a helicoid cyme.

Hydrophyllum capitatum, ballhead waterleaf LAMIACEAE: The Mint Family • Petals fused into a corolla; flowers irregular • Labiate = lipped • Stems square in cross-section, unless plants are woody • Leaves opposite • Often odiferous (good or bad)

http://www.backyardnature.net/n/13/130804.htm LAMIACEAE: The Mint Family • Garden: spearmint, lemon balm, bee balm, lavender, rosemary • Noxious Weeds: yellow archangel • Common Weeds: dead-nettle, catnip LAMIACEAE: The Mint Family

• Natives: • Agastache urticifolia, horsemint LAMIACEAE: The Mint Family

• Natives: • Prunella vulgaris, self- heal SCROPHULARIACEAE:

• Petals fused into a corolla; flowers irregular • Catch-all family • This family has recently been broken into a few other families • Garden: snapdragon, foxglove • Noxious Weeds: Dalmatian toadflax, butter and eggs

www.kingcounty.gov SCROPHULARIACEAE:

• Natives: • Castilleja hispida, rough paintbrush SCROPHULARIACEAE:

• Natives: • Pedicularis groenlandica, elephant’s head lousewort Penstemon euglaucus, SCROPHULARIACEAE: glaucous beardtongue • Natives: • Penstemon species (so many!)

Penstemon barrettae, Penstemon rupicola, rock Barrett’s beardtongue beardtongue CAPRIFOLIACEAE: The Honeysuckle Family

• Woody • Petals fused into corolla • Leaves opposite, sometimes perfoliate • Garden: honeysuckle • Native example: • Lonicera ciliosa, orange honeysuckle CAPRIFOLIACEAE: The Honeysuckle Family

• Natives: • Linnaea borealis, twinflower : The Aster Family

• Flowers in involucrate heads • Bracts surround the actual flowers. These are called involucre bracts. • Bract = a specialized, modified leaf • Petals united; anthers united • Aster flowers are radically different than simple flowers. • An inflorescence of aster flowers is made up of 10s-100s of individual flowers. • Ray flowers = a flower with a long, tongue-like extension. This is the petal of an aster. • Disc flowers = a simple corolla centered on the face of an aster inflorescence. • Garden: sunflowers, daisies, cosmos ASTERACEAE: The Aster Family Balsamorhiza sagittata, arrowleaf balsamroot ASTERACEAE: The Aster Family

• Noxious Weeds: orange and meadow hawkweed, knapweeds, yellow starthistle, skeletonweed, Canada thistle and other thistles, tansy ragwort • Common weeds: chicory, bachelor’s buttons, dandelion, salsify, burdock, chamomile, oxe-eye daisy

Meadow hawkweed infestation ASTERACEAE: The Aster Family • Natives: • Achillea millefolium, yarrow • Agoseris, Microseris, Hieracium – dandelion look alikes • Native thistles, wavy leaf thistle, mountain thistle • Anaphalis margaritacea, pearly everlasting • Antennaria spp, pussy toes • Arnica cordifolia, heartleaf arnica • Artemisia, sagebrush, white sage, wormwood • Aster and Eucephalus, (eg Eucephalus ledophyllus, Cascades aster) • Balsamorhiza sagittata, arrowleaf balsamroot • Crocidium multicaule, goldstars • Coreopsis atkinsoniana, Columbia tickseed • Chrysothamnus spp, rabbitbrush • Erigeron, daisies • Eriophyllum lanatum, wooly sunflower • Gaillardia aristata, blanketflower • uniflora, little sunflower • Solidago spp., goldenrod ASTERACEAE: The Aster Family

Gaillardia aristata, blanket flower Eriophyllum lanatum, wooly sunshine or Oregon sunshine

Crocidium multicaule, gold stars ASTERACEAE: The Aster Family

Solidago canadensis, goldenrod Antennaria microphylla, rosy Artemisia ludoviciana, white sage pussytoes Happy Botanizing!

• This presentation only brushes the surface of the wildflower and plant diversity in our area. • Unless otherwise cited, all the pictures in this slideshow were taken by Sarah Hall or Christina Mead. • Please contact us for more information about plants in this area: • Sarah Callaghan, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Botanist • [email protected], 541-308-1717 • Sarah Hall, Eastzone Botanist Mt. Hood National Forest (Parkdale office) • [email protected], 541-352-1219 • Christina Mead, Eastzone Botanist Mt. Hood National Forest (Dufur office) • [email protected], 541-467-5132