Selecting Native Plants for Home Landscapes in Central Oregon

Growing native plants can be rewarding in many ways. They add beauty with colorful flowers, foliage, texture, and scents. If planted in a suitable habitat, native plants are well adapted to our soils and climate. This reduces the need for supplemental water (once established) and maintenance, and makes it easy to maintain plant health.

When grown in the right conditions, native plants typically experience less environmental, insect, and disease damage than nonnative plants. Native plants also create the best environments for local pollinators and wildlife. They tend to be minimally invasive when planted in the right environment.

The lists of trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials in this publication focus on native plants that are readily available from local nurseries and adapt easily to an urban landscape environment (Figures 1 and 2). These are not complete lists of Central Oregon native plants.

When selecting native plants, choose plants whose natural habitat is similar to conditions in your landscape. For example, select plants native to riparian areas for a wet area of the landscape, or choose dryland plants for your rock garden. The information in the lists regarding preferred growing conditions and size refers to landscape conditions, not to plants growing in the wild.

Resources for finding native plants for your landscape

Detweiler, A.J. 2006. Central Oregon’s Plant Resource Guide

Oregon Association of Nurseries Directory and Buyers Guide

For more information

Detweiler, A.J. 2017. Water-wise Gardening in Central Oregon, EM 9136

Dirr, M.A. 1988. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses, 5th ed., rev. Stipes Publishing, Champaign IL.

Hopkins, W.E. and R.C. Rawlings. 1988. Major Indicator Shrubs and Herbs on National Forests of Eastern Oregon. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR.

Jensen, E.C. and C.R. Ross. 2005. Trees to Know in Oregon. Oregon State University Extension Service publication EC 1450, Corvallis, OR.

Kovalchik, B.L., W. Hopkins, and S. Brunsfeld. 1988. Major Indicator Shrubs and Herbs in Riparian Zones on National Forests of Central Oregon. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR.

Kruckeberg, A.R. 1992. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd ed. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA.