WSU CAHE Native Plant

DEEP SHADE AND MOIST SOILS

Description: If you have an area with evergreen trees that provide consistent year round shade, the following plants should do well. These plants will also thrive in an area with seasonal shade that deciduous trees furnish during the summer months. These plants are tolerant of a moist soil due to poor drainage, or proximity to stream or lake.

While developing your planting scheme keep in mind that in natural settings with deep shade, understory shrubs are usually sparse. Shrubs grow near pockets of light or along the brighter edges of a shady area. In contrast, the groundcover layer grows thickly in deep shade.

Native huckleberries prefer a moist soil with plenty of organic matter. They do not like heavy clay soils. Avoid using huckleberries if you have clay soils.

canopy

Thuja plicata	western redcedar,
Tsuga heterophylla	western hemlock,

understory

Acer circinatum	vine maple
Berberis nervosa Berberis aquifolium	low Oregon-grape tall Oregon-grape
Cornus sericea ssp. occidentalis	red-osier dogwood,
Lonicera involucrata var. involucrata	black twinberry,
Polystichum munitum	sword fern
Rubus parviflorus var. parviflorus	thimbleberry,
Rubus spectabilis var. spectabilis	salmonberry
Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens var. arborescens (formerly called S. racemosa var. arborescens)	red elderberry,
Vaccinium ovatum	evergreen huckleberry,
Vaccinium parvifolium	red huckleberry,

ground cover

Asarum caudatum	wild-ginger
Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum	lady fern
Blechnum spicant	deer fern
Cornus unalaschkensis (formerly called C. canadensis var. intermedia, but see note under Propagation)	bunchberry,
Dicentra formosa ssp. formosa	Pacific bleeding-heart
Gaultheria shallon	salal
Linnaea borealis ssp. longiflora	twinflower
Maianthemum racemosa ssp. amplexicaulis (formerly called Smilacina racemosa var. amplexicaulis)	false Solomon's seal
Polystichum munitum	sword fern
Trillium ovatum ssp. ovatum	western trillium,

PARTIAL SHADE AND WELL-DRAINED SOILS

Description: In a native plant community with partial shade, enough dappled light passes through the tree canopy to support a diverse understory shrub layer. In this plant community, the tree canopy consists primarily of red alder, bitter cherry, bigleaf maple, and occasionally conifers. Usually the soils are well-drained and dry out during the summer months. These soils consist of sand or rocky glacial till common in the Puget Sound region. If this description matches the conditions in your yard, the plants listed below should do well.

canopy

Abies grandis	grand fir,
Acer macrophyllum	bigleaf maple,
Cornus nuttallii	Pacific dogwood,
Prunus emarginata var. mollis	bitter cherry,
Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii	Douglas-fir,
Rhamnus purshiana	cascara,
Thuja plicata	western redcedar,

understory

Acer circinatum	vine maple
Berberis nervosa Berberis aquifolium	low Oregon-grape tall Oregon-grape
Corylus cornuta var. californica	beaked hazelnut,
Gaultheria shallon	salal
Holodiscus discolor	oceanspray,
Oemleria cerasiformis	Indian-plum,
Philadelphus lewisii var. gordonianus	mock-orange,
Rhododendron macrophyllum	Pacific rhododendron,
Ribes sanguineum var. sanguineum	red flowering currant,
Rosa gymnocarpa var. gymnocarpa	baldhip rose,
Vaccinium ovatum	evergreen huckleberry,
Vaccinium parvifolium	red huckleberry,

ground cover

Achlys triphylla ssp. triphylla	deerfoot vanilla-leaf,
Gaultheria shallon	salal
Linnaea borealis ssp. longiflora	twinflower
Polystichum munitum	sword fern
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus	common snowberry,
Trillium ovatum ssp. ovatum	western trillium,

SUN AND MOIST SOILS

Description: The plants in the following table thrive on sites near lake, rivers, or wetlands that may experience periodic flooding or a seasonally high water table. Because of their proximity to sources of water, soils are moist to wet many months of the year. If your site has moist to wet soils and does not currently have trees to provide shade, the plants on this list should do well. These plants prefer sunny locations.

canopy

Acer macrophyllum	bigleaf maple,
Alnus rubra	red alder,
Cornus nuttallii	Pacific dogwood,
Crataegus suksdorfii (formerly called Crataegus douglasii var. suksdorfii)	black hawthorn,
Fraxinus latifolia	Oregon ash
Malus fusca (formerly called Pyrus fusca)	Pacific crabapple,
Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa	black cottonwood,
Prunus emarginata var. mollis	bitter cherry,
Thuja plicata	western redcedar,

understory

Acer circinatum	vine maple
Lonicera involucrata var. involucrata	black twinberry,
Physocarpus capitatus	Pacific ninebark,
Rosa nutkana	Nootka rose
Rosa pisocarpa	clustered wild rose,
Rubus parviflorus var. parviflorus	thimbleberry,
Rubus spectabilis var. spectabilis	salmonberry
Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra	Pacific willow,
Salix sitchensis	Sitka willow
Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens var. arborescens (formerly called S. racemosa var. arborescens)	red elderberry,
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus	common snowberry,

ground cover

Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum	lady fern
Dicentra formosa ssp. formosa	Pacific bleeding-heart
Maianthemum dilatatum	false lily-of-the-valley,
Polystichum munitum	sword fern
Scirpus microcarpus	small-fruited bulrush,
Viola species	violets

SUN AND WELL-DRAINED SOILS

Description: The plants in this community are tolerant of sun but prefer well-drained soils. Soils that are well- drained are often sandy or coarse with various sizes of rocks. A well-drained soil typically dries out during summer months. Plants on the following table can survive summer drought once they have become established.

The following list includes both red huckleberry and evergreen huckleberry. Pacific Northwest native huckleberries prefer a soil enriched with organic matter. Often seen growing in decaying logs and stumps, our native huckleberries benefit from both composted organic matter and partially composted organic matter such as wood chips. Before planting huckleberries always improve the soils with organic matter.

canopy

Abies grandis	grand fir,
Acer macrophyllum	bigleaf maple,
Arbutus menziesii	Pacific madrone,
Cornus nuttallii	Pacific dogwood,
Pinus contorta var. contorta	shore pine,
Prunus emarginata var. mollis	bitter cherry,
Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii	Douglas-fir,

understory

Acer circinatum	vine maple
Amelanchier alnifolia	western serviceberry,
Arctostaphylos columbiana ssp. columbiana	hairy manzanita,
Ceanothus velutinus var. hookeri	snowbrush,
Corylus cornuta var. californica	beaked hazelnut,
Holodiscus discolor	oceanspray,
Lonicera ciliosa	orange honeysuckle,
Oemleria cerasiformis	Indian-plum,
Philadelphus lewisii var. gordonianus	mock-orange,
Ribes sanguineum var. sanguineum	red flowering currant,
Rosa gymnocarpa var. gymnocarpa	baldhip rose,
Sambucus cerulea var. cerulea	blue elderberry
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus	common snowberry,
Vaccinium ovatum	evergreen huckleberry,
Vaccinium parvifolium	red huckleberry,

ground cover

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ssp. uva-ursi	kinnikinnick,
Gaultheria shallon	salal
Linnaea borealis ssp. longiflora	twinflower
Polystichum munitum	sword fern