![]() Plants in sun will appreciate occasional watering, plants in shade in good soil are very drought tolerant. Maintenance is as complicated as you wish to make it pruning isn’t necessary, but if you are one of those folks who prefer their shrubs to look like cubes and spheres, knock yourself out, as they tolerate shearing about as well as anything else. In shade the plant can eventually reach 10 to 12 feet, but in sun you can expect a 4 to 5 foot shrub in 10 years. Preferring part shade but tolerating full sun, the plant is happy from the crest of the Cascades all the way down to the salty shores of the Pacific. Permit me to present 3 of our natives that will hold their own horticulturally against anything the rest of the planet has to offer. So instead of groaning, “What, that old thing?” when your local native plant enthusiast begins once again extolling the virtues of something he just transplanted into his garden from the alley behind his house, you might want to pause to consider the advantages of using a locally adapted species with all the four-season-interest of some of those imported, often pricier options. Indeed, the proceeds alone from David Douglas’ introduction of Ribes sanguineum to Europe paid for his entire expedition to Cascadia. Permit me to remind you, dear reader, that when European plant explorers first arrived in the Pacific Northwest, they absolutely LOST THEIR MINDS over the breadth and depth of the horticultural offerings provided by our region. ![]() ![]() ![]() Although awareness of the value of our native plant palette is growing, all too often our local plants are passed over at nurseries in favor of exotic, newfangled, over-bred introductions from lands far away. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |