Common name

Scientific name

Mature Height

Color

Flowering period

Light requirement

Moisture requirement

Description

Thin leaf alder

Alnus incana

6-15’

spring

Deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree found in riparian areas of eastern Cascades.

White alder

Alnus rhombifolia

50 - 80’

spring

Deciduous tree with gray bark.  Mature trees multi stemmed.  Water dependent.

Fringed sage

Artemisia frigida

4-16”

Green- yellow

July-August

Spreading, fragrant shrublet with grayish green, velvety leaves.

Basin big Sagebrush

Artemisia
tridentata ssp.
tridentata

3-6’

yellow

June

Evergreen shrub with strongly aromatic leaves.  Essential wildlife plant of the high desert.

Wyoming big Sagebrush 

Artemisia
 tridentata ss.
wyomingensis

2-3’

yellow

June

Evergreen shrub with strongly aromatic leaves.  Essential wildlife plant of the high desert.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier
alnifolia

6-10’

white

April - June

Tall shrub with blue-green foliage in summer and reddish orange in the fall.  Purple fruit provides summer wildlife food source.

Mountain mahogany

Cercocarpus
 ledifolius

3-15’; up to 35’

white

May-July

Broadleaf, evergreen shrub to small tree with shiny foliage.  Small tubular flowers occur in clusters of 2-3.  Feathery plumes on seeds.

Gray (rubber) rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus nauseousus

2-4’

yellow

Late summer

Common deciduous shrub of sagebrush –steppe.  Attracts butterflies.

Green (yellow) rabbitbrush 

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

1-4’

yellow

Late summer

Evergreen to deciduous shrub.  Small, sticky, yellow flowers in rounded clusters.

Redosier dogwood 

Cornus sericea

4-20’

white

June-August

Deciduous shrub.  Red to purple bark and twigs provide beautiful winter landscape.  White berries provide fall and winter food source for wildlife.  Prefers seasonally moist areas.

Oceanspray

Holodiscus
discolor

6-20’

white

May-July

Deciduous shrub with arching multi-branched, reddish gray bark.  Flowers drooping on 4-7” clusters.  Red fall foliage.

Desertspray

Holodiscus
 dumosus

20-60”

white

June-August

Deciduous shrub with multiple arching branches.  Creamy white flower drooping in clusters.  Bronze fall foliage.

Twinberry

Lonicera
 involucrata

<9’

yellow

summer

Erect, deciduous shrub.  Tubular flowers in pairs.  Black ‘twin’ berries not edible.

Tall Oregon grape 

Mahonia aquifolium

3-15’

Yellow

Late spring

Evergreen shrub with glossy, holly-like leaves.  Blue berries form after flowering period.

Creeping Oregon grape 

Mahonia repens

< 12-24”

Yellow

Mid spring

Low growing, evergreen sub-shrub with holly-like leaves that turn bronze color in Fall.  Blue berries form after flowering period.

Mockorange

Philadelphus
lewisii

3-10’

white

Late spring

Erect, deciduous, spreading shrub.  Showy white flowers are fragrant and occur in clusters of 3 to 15.  Useful to plant in drier areas of riparian zones.

Pacific ninebark

Physocarpus
capitatus

6-12’

white

April - July

Erect, deciduous, spreading shrub with peeling bark.  Maple-leaved foliage turns Reddish brown in fall.  Rounded clusters of creamy white flowers.

Black cottonwood

Populus
balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa

100-200’

March - June

Fast growing, large tree with branching trunk.  Yellow fall foliage.  Aggressive root system supports streambank stabilization.

Quaking aspen

Populus
 tremuloides

16-50’

May - June

White bark and brilliant, yellow fall foliage.  Provides food and habitat for wildlife.

Antelope bitterbrush

Purshia
tridentata

2-6’

yellow

April-July

Evergreen or deciduous shrub with rounded growth form.   

Skunkbush sumac

Rhus trilobata

<7’

Yellow - white

April - July

Upright, deciduous shrub with rounded growth form.  Ornamental fall foliage of orange, red, or purple.

Golden currant

Ribes aureum

3-9’

yellow

April-June

Fragrant tubular flowers occur in drooping clusters of 5-10.  Yellow to red fall foliage.  Dark purple fruit provides summer food source for songbirds and other wildlife. 

Wax currant

Ribes cereum

<3’

Pinkish white

April-June

Spreading, erect and rounded deciduous shrub.  Urn shaped flowers occur in drooping clusters of 2-8.  Numerous bright red berries post flowering.

Stinky currant

Ribes
hudsonianum

<5’

white

May-July

Erect deciduous shrub.  Flowers growing on up to 6” stalks in clusters of 6-15.

Prickly currant

Ribes
lacustre

3-4’

white

May-June

Deciduous shrub with prickly stems.  Bell-shaped flowers occur in drooping cluster of 5-15. 

Snow currant

Ribes niveum

<8’

white

spring

Deciduous shrub with edible berry.

Red flowering currant

Ribes sanguineum

3-12’

Red – bright pink

spring

Beautiful tubular flowers occur in drooping cluster of 10-25.  Attracts hummingbirds.  Berries provide food for wildlife.

Sticky currant

Ribes
viscosissimum

3-9’

Whitish green

spring

Bell-shaped flowers occur in drooping cluster of 6-12.  Blue-black sticky berries, not palatable.

Woods rose

Rosa woodsii

<5’

pink

June - August

Multi-branched deciduous shrub with red stems, prickly on the lower portion.  Orange-red rosehips remain throughout winter, providing food source for birds.  Prefers moist soil but may be found in drier, open areas. Rhizomatous growth; excellent for stream stabilization or erosion control. 

willows

Salix spp.

Booth’s willow

Salix boothii

Coyote willow

Salix exigua

Geyer willow

Salix geyeriana

Lemmon’s willow

Salix lemmonii

Shining willow

Salix lucida

Mackenzie’s willow

Salix prolixa

Purple sage

Salvia dorrii

12-36”

purple

Late spring

Small woody shrub with silvery gray, semi-evergreen, aromatic foliage and abundant blooms.

Blue elderberry

Sambucus cerulea

10-20’

white

May-September

Deciduous shrub or small tree.  Abundant, small creamy white flowers in large, conical shaped clusters.  Blue berries are edible.  Excellent food source for wildlife.  Important species in riparian plant communities.

Red elderberry

Sambucus
racemosa

10-20’

white

April - July

Deciduous shrub or small tree.  Abundant, small creamy white flowers in large, conical shaped clusters. Red berries enjoyed by birds.  Rhizomatous growth; excellent for stream stabilization or erosion control. 

Alpine spirea

Spiraea densiflora

<36”

pink

summer

Deciduous shrub with pink dome-shaped flowers.   Found in wet meadows and streams at high elevations.

Douglas spirea

Spiraea douglasii

3-6’

pink

Deciduous shrub with dense, pink elongated flower clusters.  Found along marsh edges, wet meadows and streams.  Rhizomatous growth; excellent for stream stabilization or erosion control.