Wyethia mollis, or mountain mules ears, is a bold short stature member of the Aster family. Also known as wolly mules ears, this impressive plant can best be imagined as a 1 foot tall sunflower. Mountain mules ears grows, as the name suggests, at high elevations in the Sierra Nevada range of Northern California into […]
California rock parsnip, Lomatium californicum, is a perennial herb of California and Oregon which grows in partial shade on low elevation mountains and hillsides. Drought tolerant once established, California rock parsnip grows roughly 1 foot tall and has a unique blue-green foliage with broad umbels of yellow flowers which rise above the foliage 6 to 8 […]
Quercus vaccinifolia, or Huckleberry oak, is an important oak species of high mountain forests in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges from California north into southern Oregon. This impressive evergreen, or live oak, grows slowly as a prostrate shrub attaining typical dimensions of 1 foot high by 4 foot wide, and more with age. The leaves of the huckleberry […]
Wyethia angustifolia, a member of Aster family, is a versatile and tough tap-rooted perennial which grows in grasslands and meadows primarily below 6500 feet. Known by the common name narrow leaved mules ears, Wyethia angustifolia grows from Washington south through Oregon and into Northern California. The lanceolate leaves are arranged in a basal rosette and […]
Western mountain ash, Sorbus scopulina, is a medium sized erect shrub attaining hights not usually above 12 feet. Its new growth emerges sticky, with whitish stemmed glands. The attractive foliage is a deep green color, leaves are alternate with between 9 and 13 narrow, fine-toothed, sharply acuminate leaflets 1 to 3 inches long. The large inflorescence consists of […]
California fescue, Festuca californica, is a showy clump forming bunchgrass. Its dull green to silvery blue foliage persists throughout the year, making it an excellent choice for any native garden. California fescue grows quickly to a large graceful clump roughly 2 feet in diameter, and because it does not form rhizomes, remains fairly contained. However, in the […]
Of the 50 plus species that exist throughout the northern hemisphere, Fritillaria pudica is one of only eight which are found in the Pacific Northwest. Also known as yellowbells, this small member of the lily family grows in arid sage-brush steppe habitat, east of the Cascade range from British Columbia south into northern California and in the inter-mountain […]
Linum lewisii, commonly known as blue flax, is a useful restoration perennial, with superb garden qualities. The multitude of blue blossoms lasts up to 6 weeks, and adds lovely mid-height color. The foliage stays close to the ground growing under two feet tall, while the flowers reach above about a foot. It spreads at a moderate rate, […]
