Perennials, Ferns & Groundcovers
Successful ecological restoration projects have layers.
The plants that create the base level or carpet of your project are imperative to revegetation prosperity. The carpet layer helps reduce weeds and erosion while bolstering soil health. Ferns, perennials, and groundcovers are home to insects, ground-nesting birds, and small mammals.
Species Descriptions: Perennials, Ferns & GC
Categories
We discuss three types of plants that create the floor level of a project: ferns, groundcovers, and perennials.
In this list, groundcovers may be perennial or evergreen, but all are short (<3') and fill space by spreading with rhizomes, stolons, or segmented corms. Some groundcovers are more fragile than others and should not necessarily be tread upon.
For our gardeners and others who pay special attention to bloom color, groundcovers and perennials have been also organized by color in our Species Selection Guide.
Explore some of these superstars that call the Pacific Northwest home.
Additional Considerations
These species lists are not comprehensive of the incredible native diversity of our Pacific Northwest region. Instead, they detail the plants that we have found to have great value in restoration for their hardy characteristics and ecosystem services. For more complete databases, we recommend visiting our friends at the University of Washington Burke Herbarium or Washington Native Plant Society.
Ferns
Maidenhair fern
Adiantum aleuticum (A. pedantum)
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to slow
Form: Perennial herb to 2 feet, rhizomatous
One of our most delicate fern species, this species has striking black petioles. Maidenhair fern prefers sites high in organic matter. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Lady fern
Athyrium filix-femina
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to high
Form: Deciduous fern with fronds to 6 feet, from stout rhizomes
With ample moisture, lady fern is a vigorous grower; it is common on mucky streamside terraces. With very moist soil and fall installation, it may tolerate full sun. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Spiny wood fern
Dryopteris expansa
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to wet
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Deciduous fern with fronds to 3 feet, from stout rhizomes
This species spreads both vegetatively and by spore. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Sword fern
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
We often see sword fern planted in full sun, but transplants usually don’t survive in the open unless there is ample soil moisture. However, with suitable conditions this plant will thrive with little or no care after planting; it is highly successful when planted in partial or full shade and mulched. Sword fern is also tough and competitive against invasive species once established. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Deer fern
Struthiopteris spicant
Exposure: Shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Evergreen fern with fronds to 2 feet
Common throughout moist, conifer forests in western Washington. One of the few species of fern native to our area to have dimorphic fertile and sterile fronds. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Groundcovers
Vanilla leaf
Achlys triphylla
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist, dry soil in shade okay
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Perennial herb to 12 inches with rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Vanilla leaf spreads by rhizomes to fill in spaces. Flowers are a delicate but showy white spike. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Kinnikinnik
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
Once established, kinnikinnik withstands drought and full sun exposure and does best in coarse, low-nutrient soils. It is not competitive on richer sites. It is slow to start growing, so plant densely or intermix with a fast grower if quick coverage is important. After a year or two, kinnikinnik will spread more rapidly to form mats. We often recommend this species for erosion control projects in full sun. An important food plant for wildlife. "Kinnikinnik" is the longest palindrome (a word spelled the same forwards or backwards) in the English language. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Wild ginger
Asarum caudatum
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Form: Evergreen perennial, mat forming, to 10 inches, from thick rhizomes and woody stem
Bloom color: Burgundy, purplish red
Wild ginger requires shade and soil rich in organic matter. It may not grow noticeably for a year or so following transplanting, but once established it begins to spread moderately by rhizomes and can put on several new leaves a year. It is common under western red cedar. We consider this a species for enhancement projects, not for revegetating open sites. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Coastal miterwort
Brewerimitella ovalis (Mitella ovalis)
Exposure: Shade
Soil moisture: Moist to wet
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial up to 30 inches, rhizomatous
Bloom color: Greenish white
This species occurs along stream banks and in moist forests. Flowers are tiny, delicate and white and typically occur in spring. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Common harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Moderate
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 30 inches, slender rhizomes
Bloom color: Violet
Common harebell occurs in meadows and on rocky, open ground. Showy blooms are purple or rarely white and occur in June-September. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Bunchberry
Cornus unalaschkensis (C. canadensis)
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: Moderate
Growth rate: Slow until established
Form: Soft herbaceous perennial to 10 inches, from slender, fleshy rhizomes
Bloom color: White
This species has blooms of showy white bracts in the spring, and red berries in the late summer or fall that are loved by birds. Can be tricky to establish unless there is adequate organic matter, prefers acidic soils. Cornus unalaschkensis was previously believed to be either the same species as C. canadensis or a naturally occurring hybrid, but it is now considered a separate species, more common in our ecoregion, with subtle but distinct differences from C. canadensis. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Bleeding heart
Dicentra formosa
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist, dry in shade okay
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Soft herbaceous perennial to 20 inches, from slender, fleshy rhizomes
Bloom color: Pink to purple
Bleeding heart needs soil rich in organic matter to really shine - given moist, fluffy soil, this plant will spread rapidly. In poorer soil, bleeding heart will do reasonably well, as long as it is protected from the sun. Bleeding heart can provide food and nectar for wildlife. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Yellow monkey-flower
Erythranthe guttata
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet, well-drained okay
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial or annual to 30 inches, from creeping stolons and rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
This species is found along streams, in wet meadow, seeps, and other wet places. It does not require rich soil, but does need a steady supply of moisture. It spreads well by seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
White fawn lily
Erythronium oregonum
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 12 inches with segmented corm
Bloom color: White/yellowish
This species has distinctive, mottled leaves and showy white flowers in spring. Occurs in prairies, meadows and in moist woodlands. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Coastal strawberry
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
Very successful in coarse, poor soils characteristic of the early stages of restoration. It is competitive in disturbed, weedy sites and grows vigorously through the winter following fall planting in the Puget Sound area. It generally grows on sand dunes and sea bluffs, and it is well adapted to droughty, exposed conditions. We recommend it for erosion control projects because it spreads quickly and anchors the surface layer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Woodland strawberry
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
Woodland strawberry will accept a fairly wide range of soil and light conditions, from dry soil in shaded areas to moist soil in the open sun. It spreads very quickly, and if the soil is rich, it will grow lushly to provide good cover and weed competition. Fruit is eaten by birds and small mammals (and humans if they're quick enough). Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Northern bedstraw
Galium boreale
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 30 inches with rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Prolific white blooms occur in summer. The sticky plant that those young at heart like to attach to your back as you're walking through the woods. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Rattlesnake plantain
Goodyera oblongifolia
Exposure: Shade
Soil moisture: Dry to moist
Transplanting success: High
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Form: Evergreen perennial to 6 inches with creeping rhizomes
Bloom color: White
One of our Pacific Northwest native orchids! This species has distinct, mottled leaves with a pattern of venation reminiscent of snakeskin. The inflorescence is a spike of tiny, white blooms. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Pacific waterleaf
Hydrophyllum tenuipes
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 30 inches, from short, thick rhizome and fleshy roots
Bloom color: White
Check out those sexy purple stamens! Waterleaf is common in moist, open forests in the lowlands. We have seen it spread copiously, once established. This species must be planted in shade and will benefit from light organic mulching (not more than an inch). Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Oregon iris
Iris tenax
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Low
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 30 inches, from slender rhizomes
Bloom color: Purple
This species occurs in South Sound prairies, meadows, pastures, along roadsides and in open forests. Leaves are narrow and tough and flowers are bluish purple. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Twinflower
Linnaea borealis
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Low to medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Semi-woody evergreen to 4 inches with long, leafy runners (stolons)
Bloom color: White
We have found twinflower somewhat difficult to transplant successfully--it may rot if too wet or get crispy if too dry. Twinflower does well in shaded, organically rich habitats, free of invasives. It does not compete well with weeds. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
False lily-of-the-valley
Maianthemum dilatatum
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist, dry in shade okay
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial (somewhat evergreen) to 12 inches, from slender, branching rhizomes
Bloom color: White
False lily-of-the-valley does not like being in a pot, but once released into the soil, it spreads abundantly. For best results, with this species and many other native perennials, plant in at least partial shade and top-dress lightly with organic mulch. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Starry false Solomon's-seal
Maianthemum stellatum
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 20 inches, from thin rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Starry false Solomon's seal grows in similar habitats to false Solomon's seal, sometimes in slightly drier (or better-drained) substrates. For best results, transplant in the fall or provide irrigation and put into rich soil. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Field mint
Mentha canadensis (M. arvensis)
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to wet
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: None
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2.5 feet with rhizomes
Bloom color: Violet
This species spreads readily by runner and seed - blooms are purple and occur in the summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Wood sorrel
Oxalis oregana
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 6 inches, from rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Wood sorrel spreads very well once established. It will tolerate fairly dry soil if planted in the shade. It is one of our most robust groundcovers, but still has trouble in open, weedy sites. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Palmate coltsfoot
Petasites frigidus var. palmatus
Exposure: Shade to sun
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 feet, from creeping rhizomes
Bloom color: Purplish/pinky white
This vigorous species is common throughout western Washington in wet to moist forests, clearings and swamps. Flowers precede the appearance of leaves in the spring. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Slender cinquefoil
Potentilla gracilis
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: None
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 1/2 feet, with rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
Like most cinquefoils, this species is a fast grower and spreads readily by seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Common self-heal
Prunella vulgaris
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 1 1/2 feet with rhizomes
Bloom color: Violet to indigo
Purple blooms occur in the summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Mad-dog skullcap
Scutellaria lateriflora
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 1/2 feet, from slender rhizomes
Bloom color: Violet
Occurs in moist meadows and clearings, this species has blue to pink blooms in late summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Oregon stonecrop
Sedum oreganum
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Dry, moist okay if well drained
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 6 inches, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
A good drought-tolerant choice for filling in a site with well-drained soils, spreads mainly vegetatively. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Broadleaf stonecrop
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Dry, moist okay if well drained
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 8 inches, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
Another good drought-tolerant choice for filling in a site with well-drained soils, spreads mainly vegetatively. Yellow bloom May-August. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Golden-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium californicum
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 18 inches
Bloom color: Yellow
A member of the iris family, this species has narrow grass-like leaves. Yellow blooms are showy and occur in June through July. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Blue-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium idahoense
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 18 inches
Bloom color: Purple, violet to indigo
Another member of the iris family, this species also has narrow grass-like leaves. Showy, blue blooms have a yellow center. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Douglas' aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: High
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 2.5 feet, from creeping rhizomes
Bloom color: Purple, violet to indigo
This aster has showy blue-purple blooms and is common throughout our region. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Fringecup
Tellima grandiflora
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 30 inches, with short rhizomes
Bloom color: White
One of our customers says that this is the toughest flowering upland herb he knows: it competes with invasive species and tolerates disturbed soil and drought. For best results in full sun, provide an inch of mulch and some irrigation. This species transplants well and spreads well from seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Three-leaf foamflower
Tiarella trifoliata
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 1 foot, from rhizomes
Bloom color: White
In the Saxifrage family, this species' leaves have three leaflets (hence the latin name) and flowers are white and occur on a long panicle in spring and summer. This species spreads by rhizomes to carpet areas and will also reproduce by seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Piggyback plant
Tolmiea menziesii
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to wet
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 30 inches, well-developed rhizomes
Bloom color: Pink
Piggyback plant is very common along stream sides, wetland edges, and moist forests. It requires plentiful moisture and some shade. Given these conditions, it can establish itself quickly and spread. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Western trillium
Trillium ovatum
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 12 inches with rhizomes
Bloom color: White, turning pinky with age
Perhaps our showiest native perennial, large white blooms occur in spring, turning pink in color with age. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Inside-out flower
Vancouveria hexandra
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 10 inches, from rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Inside-out flower spreads extensively in fertile, mature soils. We advise planting it in at least partial shade and, if soils are poor in organic matter, mulching lightly with wood chips. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Early blue violet
Viola adunca
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 4 inches
Bloom color: Deep violet
A species common in south Sound prairies, this will spread more slowly on dry sites. Blooms are blue-purple, small but showy and occur in spring or summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Canary violet
Viola nuttallii var. praemorsa
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Dry to moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to fast
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 6 inches with rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
Canary violet occurs in meadows and grasslands as well as open Garry oak woodlands. Yellow blooms occur in April through July. Leaves are more fleshy than other species of native violets and are covered with dense pubescence. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Marsh violet
Viola palustris
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to wet
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial up to 3 inches from spreading rhizomes
Bloom color: Pale violet
Marsh violet is common along forest seeps, on streambanks and in wet meadows. The bloom is white to lilac, and occurs in May through July. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Evergreen violet
Viola sempervirens
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Form: Evergreen perennial to 3 inches, scaly rhizomes, mat forming
Bloom color: Yellow
Evergreen violet will tolerate fairly dry conditions in the shade. It is tricky to transplant successfully, but once it has put down roots, it will flower frequently and spread by seed. Click here for photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Perennials
Red columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist, well-drained okay, dry soil in shade okay
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Perennial herb to 3 feet, with taproot
Bloom color: Red
Red columbine grows in moist, open sites or in partial shade on the edge of woodlands. It may spread by seed, but generally doesn't compete well with invasives. It is a nectar plant for hummingbirds. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Coastal wormwood
Artemisia suksdorfii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 5 feet with rhizomes
Bloom color: Greenish yellow
Occurs in coastal areas and along the Puget Sound on sandy beaches and ocean bluffs. This drought-tolerant species has long spikes of yellowish blooms and grows vigorously to form clumps. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Goat's beard
Aruncus dioicus
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist, dry in shade okay
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 6 feet, short rhizomes, separate male and female plants
Bloom color: White
Goat's beard has attributes that may serve you well on restoration sites: it transplants fine, tolerates some sun, and is much larger than most of our perennials so it's less likely to get lost or stepped on. Seeds are food for songbirds. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Greater boykinia
Boykinia intermedia (B. major)
Exposure: Sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 3 feet with stolons
Bloom color: White
Occurs along streams and in wet, open places. Blooms are white and delicate. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Common brodiaea
Brodiaea coronaria
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 12 inches, from a bulb
Bloom color: Purple
Common in prairies, meadows and rocky slopes. Flowers are showy, blue-purple and occur in late spring and early summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Great camas
Camassia leichtlinii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry, well-drained
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 18 inches, from a deep bulb
Bloom color: Purple
Great camas is less abundant than common camas but occurs on similar sites. Both camas species are very drought tolerant, requiring moist soils only during the early spring. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Common camas
Camassia quamash
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry, well-drained
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: Medium
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 25 inches, from a deep bulb
Bloom color: Purple
Common camas is abundant in meadows of western Washington, most typically in the prairies formed on gravelly glacial soils. For best results, outplant in the fall when camas is dormant--bulbs generally don't transplant well when disturbed during the growing-season. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Nuttall's larkspur
Delphinium nuttallii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 feet, spreads by seed
Bloom color: Indigo
Native to the gravelly outwash prairies of the South Sound, this species has deep blue to purple blooms. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Common woolly sunflower
Eriophyllum lanatum
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 feet
Bloom color: Yellow
This multi-stemmed, spreading perennial has large, yellow, composite blooms and foliage covered with white, woolly pubescence. Also known as Oregon sunshine, this species is common throughout the state of Washington on dry, rocky sites. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Columbia lily
Lilium columbianum
Exposure: Partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 4 feet, from a bulb
Bloom color: Orange
Also known as tiger lily, this species has spectacular orange blooms with red spots, occurring in summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Orange honeysuckle
Lonicera ciliosa
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate to rapid
Form: Woody vine
Bloom color: Orange
This vine can climb up to 20 feet. Blooms are bright orange, tubular in shape and provide nectar for hummingbirds. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Large-leaved lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 5 feet with creeping rhizomes
Bloom color: Purple to indigo
A vigorous species, large-leaved lupine commonly occurs in wet meadows and along stream sides, but also on drier sites such as slopes and open woodlands. Flowers are blue to purple in color and occur in June through August. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
False Solomon's-seal
Maianthemum racemosum
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 3 feet, from stout rhizomes
Bloom color: White
False Solomon's seal is found in moist forests and on stream banks in mature soils. Unless it will be receiving irrigation, transplant at the end of the growing season, in September through November. We consider false Solomon's seal and other lilies for enhancement projects, rather than for revegetating open sites. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Woodland beardtongue
Nothochelone nemorosa
Exposure: Shade to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 2 1/2 feet
Bloom color: Pink, fuschia to violet
Herbaceous stems emerge from a woody crown in this Figwort family member and flowers are pink to purple in color. This species spreads well from seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Broad-leaved shooting star
Primula hendersonii
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 12 inches
Bloom color: Purple
A prairie perennial with basal leaves and showy, magenta to pink blooms that occur in spring. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Smith's fairybells
Prosartes smithii (Disporum smithii)
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 3 feet with rhizomes
Bloom color: White
Showy, pendulant white blooms occur in the spring with orange berries to follow. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Western buttercup
Ranunculus occidentalis
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 18 inches
Bloom color: Yellow
A vigorous perennial that occurs in moist meadows and woodlands - widely tolerant. Flowers are yellow composites and occur in spring. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
California figwort
Scrophularia californica (S. oregana)
Exposure: Sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 4 feet with rhizomes
Bloom color: Red
This species produces clusters of small, maroon blooms in July through August. Spreads readily by seed. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Canada goldenrod
Solidago lepida (S. canadensis)
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: None
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 5 feet, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
Canada goldenrod is common in open areas throughout western Washington. Yellow terminal blooms occur in July through October. This species spreads both vegetatively and by seed. Blooms attract both bumblebees and butterflies. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Missouri goldenrod
Solidago missouriensis
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fire tolerance: High
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 3 feet, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Yellow
This species spreads by creeping rhizomes and by seeds - yellow terminal blooms occur in the summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Cooley's hedge-nettle
Stachys cooleyae
Exposure: Sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 5 feet, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Pink
Reddish purple tubular blooms attract hummingbirds. Given sufficient moisture, this species spreads both vegetatively and by seed to quickly fill in a space. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Fool's onion
Triteleia hyacinthina
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: High
Growth rate: Moderate
Form: Herb to 2 feet, from a corm
Bloom color: White
Occurs in open, rocky areas. Flowers are showy, white and occur in late spring and summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
Sitka valerian
Valeriana sitchensis
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist
Salinity tolerance: Unknown
Fire tolerance: Unknown
Transplanting success: Medium
Growth rate: Medium to rapid
Form: Herbaceous perennial to 4 feet, from rhizomes
Bloom color: Pinky-white
Sitka valerian is common in moist meadows and open forests at middle elevations. Dense clusters of white to pinkish blooms occur in summer. Click here for more photographs of this species on the University of Washington Herbarium website.
