A Few PNW Native Plants
A quick list of useful native plants gathered from several sources, especially the Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program from the Washington State Department of Wildlife. Numbers in parentheses are the number of species which directly use the plant for food. More may use it for shelter and nesting. The general rule is the more vegetation the better!
Evergreen Trees
- Abies amabilis (silver fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(6)
- large seed crops every 2-3 years; slower growing in shade
- Abies concolor (white fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(6)
- survives very poor soils; cool, deep moist soil
- Abies grandis (grand fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(6)
- deep moist alluvial soil
- Abies lasiocarpa (subalpine fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(6), Butterfly larvae
- slow growing, cool moist soil
- Abies procera (noble fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(6)
- seed not abundant. rapid growth. full sun; cool, deep moist soil
- Arbutus menziesii (Madrone) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(3), Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Calocedrus decurens (incense cedar) Evergreen Tree
- Butterfly larvae
- sw OR and nw CA.
- Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson cypress) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(11)
- sw OR and nw CA coasts
- Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (Alaska yellow cedar) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(11)
- avoid cold dry winds and high summur heat. Large seed crops, but irregular
- Juniperus scopulorus (Rocky Mountain juniper) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(18)
- drought and salt spray tolerant. Dioecious (female bears cones). Often a shrub.
- Picea engleimanni (spruce) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(13)
- large seed crop every 3-6 years. deep rich loamy moist soil.
- Pinus contorta (shore pine) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(17), Butterfly larvae
- Full sun, nearly any soil. Cones open only after fire.
- Pinus monticola (Western white pine) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(21)
- Large, extensive root system (wind resistant).
- Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(21)
- Mostly eastern WA, OR. grows in nearly any soil.
- Pinus sitchensis (Sitka spruce) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(13)
- Foggy, moist air. Fast growing, needs lots of room.
- Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(2), Butterfly larvae
- Fast growing, large cone crop every 5-7 years. Provides shelter, nest sites and insects.
- Taxus brevifolia (yew) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(4)
- Dioecious (female produces seeds).
- Thuja plicata (Western red cedar) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(5), Butterfly larvae
- shade tolerant. moist soil.
- Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(7)
- Protect from wind and sun. Needs space.
- Tsuga mertensiana (mountain hemlock) Evergreen Tree
- Birds(7)
- Slow growing. Cool moist soil.
Deciduous Trees
- Acer circinatum (vine maple) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(8), Butterfly larvae
- Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(9)
- Fast growing, needs space.
- Alnus rubra (red alder) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(6), Butterfly larvae
- Nitrogen fixer, tolerates brackish soil. Forms thickets.
- Betula papyrifera (paper birch) Deciduous Tree
- Butterfly larvae
- Hardy, fast growing. Seeds especially liked by goldfinch, siskin, juncos. Better than european birch (Betula pendula).
- Cornus nutalli (pacific dogwood) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(25), Butterfly larvae
- Protect from sun and mechanical damage.
- Crataegus douglasii (black hawthorn) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(10), Hummingbirds, Butterfly larvae
- Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon ash) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(5), Butterfly larvae
- Will tolerate standing water in winter. Dioecious (females produce seed).
- Malus fusca (oregon crabapple, pacific crabapple) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(20), Hummingbirds, Butterfly larvae
- Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) Deciduous Tree
- Butterfly larvae
- Suckers, invasive roots. Produces no seeds that are eaten by wildlife, but provides shelter.
- Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) Deciduous Tree
- Birds
- big, fast growing. Provides shelter and nesting but seeds are not readily eaten.
- Prunus emarginata (bitter cherry) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(28), Butterfly larvae
- Quercus garryana (garry oak, oregon post oak) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(17), Butterfly larvae
- dry gravelly soils.
- Rhamnus purshiana (cascara buckthorn, bitterbark) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(13), Butterfly larvae
- Wide variety of soils, prefers moist. Does poorly in urban areas.
- Rhus glabra (smooth sumac) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(20)
- Often shrubby. Suckers. Seeds not highly valued by wildlife.
- Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) Deciduous Tree
- Birds(20)
- Sometimes shrubby. Suckers. Seeds not highly valued by wildlife.
- Salix scouleriana (Scouler's willow) Deciduous Tree
- Butterfly larvae
- Provides cover but not useful seeds. Roots invasive.
Evergreen Shrubs
- Ceanothus veitchianus (mountain lilac) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds, Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Gaultheria shallon (salal) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds(2), Butterfly adult
- provides good cover, fruit not highly valued by wildlife.
- Juniperus communis (common juniper) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds(18)
- Dioecious (female bears cones); hardy, slow growing
- Mahonia aquifolium (oregon grape) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds(6), Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Myrica californica (California wax myrtle) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds
- Rhododendron macrophyllum (pacific rhododendron) Evergreen Shrub
- Butterfly adult
- Vaccinium ovatum (evergreen huckleberry) Evergreen Shrub
- Birds(13), Butterfly larvae
Deciduous Shrubs
- Amelanchier alnifolia (serviceberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(21)
- Betula glandulosa (scrub birch, bog birch) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(9)
- Cornus stolonifera (red osier dogwood) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(24), Butterfly larvae
- Full sun, moist soil.
- Holodiscus discolor (ocean spray) Deciduous Shub
- Hummingbirds, Butterfly larvae
- Lonicera involucrata (twinberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(15), Hummingbirds
- Osmaronia cerasiformus (Indian plum) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(6), Butterfly adult
- Dioecious (females produce berries)
- Philadelphia lewisii (mock orange) Deciduous Shub
- Birds, Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Physocarpus capitatus (western ninebark) Deciduous Shub
- Birds
- Potentilla fruticosa (cinquefoil) Deciduous Shub
- Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Purshia tridentata (bitterbrush) Deciduous Shub
- Butterfly adult
- Rhododendron occidentale (wild azalea) Deciduous Shub
- Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult
- Ribes divaricatum (gooseberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(10), Hummingbirds
- Ribes sanguineum (red flowering current) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(10), Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Rosa gymnocarpa (bald-hip rose) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(12), Butterfly larvae
- Rubus parviflorus (thimbleberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(25)
- Rubus pedatus (strawberry bramble, creeping raspberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(20)
- Rubus spectabilis (salmonberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(25)
- Sambuca racemosa (red elderberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(29), Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult
- Sorbus sitchensis (Sitka mountain ash) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(7)
- Spiraea douglasii (hardhack) Deciduous Shub
- Birds, Butterfly larvae
- Symphoricarpos albus (snowberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(10), Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult
- Spreads to form thicket. Berries not highly desired by wildlife.
- Vaccinium parvifolium (red huckleberry) Deciduous Shub
- Birds(13), Butterfly adult
- Viburnum opulus (cranberry) Deciduous Shub
- Butterfly larvae
- Fruit not highly valued.
Other (perennials, groundcovers, vines)
- Achillea millefolium (yarrow) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Agastache occidentalis (horse mint) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting) Perennial
- Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Angelica lucida (Angelica) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Apocynum sp. (dogbane) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Arctostaphylos columbiana (manzanita) Evergreen Groundcover
- Birds(3), Hummingbirds
- Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnik) Evergreen Groundcover
- Birds(3), Butterfly larvae
- Arctostaphylos x media (manzanita) Evergreen Groundcover
- Birds(3)
- Armeria maritima (sea thrift) Groundcover
- Butterfly adult
- Cardimine sp. (bittercress) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Cornus canadensis (bunchberry) Deciduous Groundcover
- Birds(18)
- rich, moist, acid soil. Spreads.
- Delphinium nudicaule (delphinium) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Dicentra formosa (pacific bleeding heart) Perennial
- Hummingbirds, Butterfly larvae
- Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Fragaria chiloensis (wild strawberry) Groundcover
- Birds, Butterfly larvae
- Geum macrophyllum (geum) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Gilia aggregata (scarlet gilia) Annual
- Butterfly adult
- biennial
- Gilia capitata (globe gilia) Annual
- Butterfly adult
- Hostieracium sp. (hawkweed, hawkbit) Annual
- Butterfly larvae
- Lathyrus littoralis (grey beach peavine) Vine
- Butterfly adult
- Linnaea borealis (twinflower) Groundcover
- Birds
- Lomatium sp. (desert parsley) Perennial
- Butterfly adult, Butterfly larvae
- Lonicera ciliosa (trumpet honeysuckle) Deciduous Vine
- Birds(15), Hummingbirds
- Lonicera hispidula (hairy honeysuckle) Deciduous Vine
- Hummingbirds, Butterfly adult
- Mahonia aquifolia () Evergreen Groundcover
- Butterfly adult
- Mahonia nervosa (low oregon grape) Evergreen Groundcover
- Birds(6), Butterfly adult
- Mimulus spp. (monkey flower) Perennial
- Hummingbirds
- Penstemon barrettiae (penstemon) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Petasites frigidus (colts foot) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Phlox paniculata (perennial phlox) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Sidalcea oregana (checker mallow) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Solidago canadensis (goldenrod) Perennial
- Butterfly adult
- Urtica dioica (nettle) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae
- Viola sempervirens (viola) Perennial
- Butterfly larvae