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Osoberry prefers dappled light and moderate moisture but for the most part, will do well in any other area of the landscape. While the small plums are bitter, the birds love them. Osoberry, or Indian plum, is the first of the native Pacific Northwest bushes to leaf out and flower in the spring. Interestingly, the more sun it gets the smaller the bush grows. The berries are tiny but absolutely delicious. Many birds flock to the bush for shelter and food.Įvergreen huckleberry provides year-round interest with its deep red new shoots set off against the glossy, dark green leaves and pink spring flowers that make way for red to dark purple berries in the summer. It is a dense, rapid grower making it a perfect choice to fill in a hole in the landscape. While the cascades of white to cream blooms look delicate, the plant itself thrives in sun or shade and dry or wet conditions and is practically impossible to kill. One of the sturdiest of the native shrubs in northwestern states is oceanspray. As if all this isn’t enough, the stems of this dogwood glow a brilliant red during the typically dreary winter months. It blooms with clusters of small white flowers that give way to an abundance of berries. It thrives in either sun or shade, provided the soil is moist. Red Osier dogwood is a native blooming shrub that is found along stream beds. Plus, the edible but fairly unpalatable berries become something sublime when made into jelly. It prefers shade to part shade and will spread to become a low maintenance groundcover in areas that have difficulty supporting plant life. Salal is commonly found as an understory plant throughout wooded areas of the region and is harvested for use in floral bouquets.
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The aforementioned Oregon grape is a native as are many other Pacific Northwest bushes. Here are a few suggestions for deciduous shrubs in the Northwest. If you’re a gardener in the Pacific Northwest and you’re interested in growing deciduous shrubs, you have a huge selection from which to choose. Some Northwestern deciduous shrubs offer all that and more. Many bloom in spring, some produce fruit, and others provide bright colors in fall. Other cool weather bushes to consider for the region include:ĭeciduous shrubs lose their leaves in fall and grow fresh foliage in spring. The pink, aromatic drooping blooms draw in hummers but, amazingly, not deer. Hummers will also be attracted to Ribes malvaceum, or Chaparral currant. This northwestern shrub blooms from September through April with red/orange blossoms that attract hummers and bees. They grow to about 5 feet (1.5 m.) and thrive in dry shade areas.Īnother evergreen, Grevillea comes in at about 8 feet (2 m.) tall and across. Two species, Sarcococca ruscifolia and S. Another bush that tolerates cold temperatures, Sweetbox actually blooms just before Christmas. While the small white blooms are rather inconspicuous, their tiny size contradicts their intense vanilla fragrance. Mahonia is tolerant of cold temperatures, including snowfall.
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This evergreen shrub for Pacific Northwest gardens lends an almost tropical feel to the landscape, but don’t let that fool you. ‘Charity’ blooms with spikes of yellow blooms followed by a profusion of blue berries. ‘Setsugekka’ is a white blooming cultivar, while the popular ‘Yuletide’ blooms with a profusion of red flowers accented with yellow stamens that attract overwintering hummingbirds.Īnother bloomer is Mahonia, a relative of Oregon grape.
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They bloom reliably in the spring, but what about in the winter? Camellia sasanqua blooms in the middle of winter. Flowering Shrubs in Northwest StatesĬamellias are a prominent feature in many Pacific Northwest gardens. There are even suitable northwestern shrubs that are drought tolerant and plenty of native Pacific Northwest bushes that are acclimated to the region, thus, making them low maintenance. Whether you are searching for shrubs in northwest states that provide food (like berries) for wildlife, or you want to brighten up the winter landscape with a blooming perennial, there are plenty of options for suitable Pacific Northwest bushes. Choosing Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens With the relatively temperate climate, the only difficulty may be deciding which northwestern shrubs to choose. Growing shrubs in the northwest states provide ease of maintenance, year-round interest, privacy, wildlife habitats, and structure. Shrubs for Pacific Northwest gardens are an integral part of the landscape.
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