Native Plants for Steep Slopes & Soil Erosion Control
It's all about planting in layers.
The best strategy for stabilizing a slope with plants is to establish vegetation at multiple levels — plant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
This article highlights plants that can help prevent erosion. It is part of our Species Selection Guide where we share select collections of plants based on their ecosystem services, site condition needs, or material type.
Which Plants are Best for Slopes?
Slopes are stabilized from above and below. A multi-level canopy will do the best job of intercepting and slowing precipitation before it hits the ground, thus reducing surface erosion. Multiple vegetation types also provide both deep and spreading roots which stabilize the entire soil profile.
If maintaining a view is important, plant trees at the edges of the view, space them widely and prune selectively, but don’t leave them out — you can’t beat a mature tree for its root system.
Most slopes shouldn’t be irrigated, since irrigation can exacerbate soil erosion. These plants are also relatively rapid growers that stabilize soil quickly. The plants recommended here are drought tolerant, except for those with “wet soil” noted in the comments.
Unless otherwise stated, all plant information comes from our Species Descriptions, where we invite you to read about more plants native to our Pacific Northwest.
Slope-Stabilizing Plant List
Plant lists are organized by layer. It is important to consider all layers in any project.
Tree Layer
Abies grandis
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Coniferous evergreen to 260 feet; deep, extensive root system
You can deep dive into grand fir in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Acer macrophyllum
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous large tree to 110 feet; deep, wide spreading roots
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Frangula purshiana
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous tree to 30 feet; fibrous, moderately deep root system with taproot
Comments: Small tree
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Pinus contorta v. contorta
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: None
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Coniferous evergreen tree to 60 feet; tap root
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Pseudotsuga menziesii v. menziesii
Exposure: Full sun to light shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Evergreen tree to 200 or 300 feet; tap or modified taproot, shallow or deep, widespread root system
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Salix lasiandra
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Multi-stemmed deciduous tree to 60 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread root system
Comments: Needs wet soils. Good rooter, common in wetlands and riparian zones, somewhat brittle and thus more difficult to pound
Salix scouleriana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moderately dry to moist
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Deciduous tree or shrub to 40 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread roots
Comments: Small tree. Drier sites and marine shores, roots slowly, often lower success rate than other willows, a shrub-tree that can grow <60' tall
Shrub Layer
Acer circinatum
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade, full sun if ample soil moisture
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Deciduous small tree or large shrub to 20 ft; moderately deep root system
Comments: Slower growing, a survivor
You can deep dive into vine maple on our blog post, Vine Maples as Foliage Trees for Rubies and Bees!
Cornus sericea
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High for container-grown, low or medium for live stakes
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous large shrub or small tree, 5-20 feet depending on site conditions; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads by layering and suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Needs wet soils. Highly variable success rate as a live stake, put in the shade for highest success
You can deep dive into red-twig dogwood in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Holodiscus discolor
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous large shrub to 12 feet; branching, fibrous, moderately deep root system, sometimes spreads by root suckers
You can deep dive into oceanspray in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Deciduous small tree to 15 feet; branching, fibrous, shallow root system
Comments: Needs shade
You can deep dive into osoberry in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Rubus parviflorus
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub 3-8 feet; spreads vigorously by suckers
Comments: Versatile along the moisture spectrum
Rubus spectabilis
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Medium to high
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 12 feet; fibrous shallow roots, spreads by suckers
Comments: Needs wet soils and likes shade. Stems are thin, pithy, and spiky, making live stakes difficult to install. Be gentle!
You can deep dive into salmonberry in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Salix hookeriana
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous tree or shrub to 20 feet; fibrous, moderately deep root system
Comments: Needs wet soils. Occurs mainly within 5 miles of salt water, good rooter, long stakes can be more wiggly than other species
Salix sitchensis
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Saturated to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High (both container-grown & live stakes)
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 25 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread roots
Comments: Needs wet soils. Good rooter, common on streams
Symphoricarpos albus
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Very moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Deciduous shrub to 2-6 feet; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads vigorously by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Floor Layer
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry, well-drained
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Slow until established
Form: Evergreen shrub or groundcover to 8 inches, mat forming with stolons
Bloom color: Pinky-white
Comments: Slow to establish
You can deep dive into kinnikinnik and other groundcovers on our blog post, Groundcovers: the Quick, the Evergreen, the Sunny & the Shady!
Fragaria chiloensis
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Leathery, somewhat evergreen perennial to 10 inches, spreads by runners
Bloom color: White
Comments: Great for sandy soils!
You can deep dive into coastal strawberry on TWO of our blog posts, Groundcovers: the Quick, the Evergreen, the Sunny & the Shady and Strawberries for Groundcover & Snacks! (We don't pick favorites)....
Fragaria vesca
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 12 inches, spreads by runners
Bloom color: White
You can deep dive into woodland strawberry on our blog post, Strawberries for Groundcover & Snacks!
Polystichum munitum
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Evergreen fern with fronds to 5 feet, woody rhizomes
Comments: Needs shade