Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Native Plants for Rocky or Gravelly Habitats

	*Abies grandis* Grand Fir Abies grandis is a tall, straight tree with short, dense branches. Height: 130-260 feet (40-80 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Acer circinatum* Vine Maple Tall, erect, multi-trunked shrub or small tree with sprawling branches. Height: 13-26 feet (4-8 meters) Leaves deciduous.
	*Acer macrophyllum* Big-leaf Maple A tree with a large, often multi-stemmed trunk and a loose, broad crown of large leaves. Height: 65-100 feet (20-30 meters) tall with trunk 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters)diameter. Leaves deciduous.
	*Achillea millefolium* Yarrow Aromatic herb with delicate fern-like leaves and flat-topped clusters of white flowers. Height: 4 inches to 3 feet (10-100 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Adiantum aleuticum* Maidenhair Fern This delicate, deciduous fern has five to seven fingerlike branchlets each bearing many toothed leaflets. Height: 1-2 feet tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Allium acuminatum* Taper-Tip Onion This native wild onion has grass-like basal leaves overtopped by umbels of purple flowers, and egg-shaped bulbs containing a fibrous network on the surface. Height: Up to 12 inches (30 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Allium cernuum* Nodding Onion Clusters of long grass-like leaves overtopped by nodding umbels of pink flowers. Height: Up to 20 inches (50 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Alnus rubra* Red Alder A fast-growing deciduous tree well suited to disturbed sites. Height: Up to 80 feet (25 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Amelanchier alnifolia* Serviceberry, Saskatoon Medium-sized shrub producing fragrant white flowers in late spring. Height: Up to 15 feet (4.5 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Anaphalis margaritacea* Pearly Everlasting Clump forming, perennial herb with small withering basal leaves and papery white flower clusters. Height: Up to 40 inches (100 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Aquilegia formosa* Red Columbine Delicate perennial with large nodding, star-shaped, spurred flowers that are a favorite of hummingbirds. Height: Can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Arbutus menziesii* Madrone An attractive broadleaf evergreen with a twisting reddish trunk and irregular branches with an overall rounded outline. Height: Up to 100 feet (30 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Arctostaphylos uva-ursi* Kinnikinnick, Bearberry A mat-forming evergreen shrub producing lovely pink flowers that later turn into red berries. Height: Can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. Leaves evergreen.
	*Armeria maritima* Sea-thrift. Round balls of pink flowers held on slender leafless stems above a cluster of grass-like leaves. Height: Up to 18 inches (45 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Brodiaea congesta* Harvest Lily Long slender stems to 3 feet (1 meter) in length topped by a dense cluster of deep purple flowers. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Camassia leitchlinii* Great Camas Stately perennial from a deep bulb, producing spikes of large blue flowers in early spring. Height: Up to 28 inches (70 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Camassia quamash* Common Camas Bulbous perennial producing a spike of large blue flowers. Height: Up to 28 inches (70 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Campanula rotundifolia* Harebell Delicate stems topped by large, nodding bell-shaped blue flowers. Height: 4-32 inches (10-80 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Castilleja miniata* Red Paintbrush An attractive wildflower with red brush-like flower clusters. Height: 8-32 inches (20-80 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Ceanothus velutinus* Snowbrush A tall shrub with glossy leaves and clusters of white flowers. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Cerastium arvense* Field Chickweed Leaves deciduous.
	*Clarkia amoena* Farewell to Spring A taprooted annual with large showy, usually pink flowers; often grown horticulturally. Height: 4 inches to 3 feet (10-100 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Cornus nuttallii* Western Flowering Dogwood Multi-branched, irregular trees with attractive large white "flowers". Height: Up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Corylus cornuta* Beaked Hazelnut Slender, multi-trunked deciduous shrub. Height: 3 feet - 13 feet (1 meter - 4 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Crataegus douglasii* black hawthorn large shrub or small tree with clusters of white flowers and dark purplish-black berries. Leaves deciduous.
	*Deschampsia cespitosa* Tufted Hairgrass Densely tufted perennial grass. Height: Up to 4 feet (120 cm) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Dicentra formosa* Bleeding Heart Hairless, soft stems and light green lacy leaves overtopped by small nodding clusters of pink heart-shaped flowers. Height: Up to 1.5 feet (50 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Dodecatheon hendersonii* Henderson's Shooting Star Leafless stems topped with nodding star-shaped pink flowers. This is our only shooting star with oval leaves. Height: Up to 1.5 feet (50 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Elymus glaucus* Blue Wild-rye Tufted perennial grass usually forming small clumps, 0.5 to 1.5 m tall. Height: 20-40 inches (0.5-1 meter). Leaves deciduous.
	*Epilobium angustifolium* Fireweed Tall perennial from rhizome like roots with unbranched stem and terminal spikes of large red to pink flowers. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters), but usually shorter than 6 feet (2 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Equisetum arvense* Field Horsetail Succulent, hollow, jointed stems with whorls of branches. Height: 6-24 inches (15-60 cm). Leaves evergreen.
	*Eriophyllum lanatum* Woolly Sunflower Wooly leafy perennial with yellow daisy-like flowers. Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Erythronium oregonum* White Fawn Lily Showy white lily from segmented corm. Height: Flower stem up to 1 feet (30 cm) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Fragaria chiloensis* Coastal Strawberry Spreads low across ground with runners. White flowers and small red strawberries. Height: Up to 10 inches (25 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Fritillaria lanceolata* Chocolate Lily, Rice Root Rare herb to 80 cm tall from bulb with numerous rice-like bulblets; flowers are mottled maroon and yellow. Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Gaultheria shallon* Salal Creeping to erect shrub with hairy branching stems and dark leathery leaves. Height: Up to 16 feet (5 meters) in exceptional cases but typically 3-7 feet (1-2 m) tall. Leaves evergreen.
	*Gilia capitata* Globe Gilia Upright taprooted annual with large ball-like heads of blue flowers. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meter). Leaves deciduous.
	*Grindelia integrifolia* Entire-leaved Gumweed Seaside perennial with sticky heads of yellow flowers. Height: Can grow up to 32 inches (80 cm) in height. Leaves deciduous.
	*Gymnocarpium dryopteris* Oak Fern Delicate, deciduous fronds. Usually solitary, but often forms a mat of herbaceous cover in forests. Height: To 16 inches (40 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Heuchera micrantha* Small-flowered Alumroot Grows from rhizomes with one to many flower stems that are reddish and covered with fine hairs and topped with delicate panicles of tiny white flowers. Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Holodiscus discolor* Oceanspray Multi-stemmed upright shrub with ridged young stems and arching older stems with peeling bark. White flowers. Height: Up to 13 feet (4 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Lithophragma parviflorum* Small-flowered Woodland Star Delicate herb from slender rhizomes with numerous small bulblets; white star-shaped flowers. Height: 2-16 inches (10-40 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Lomatium utriculatum* Spring Gold Perennial herb with finely lacey foliage and flat-topped umbels of bright yellow flowers. Leaves deciduous.
	*Lonicera hispidula* Hairy Honeysuckle Clamboring vine with clusters of light purple tubular flowers. Height: Up to 33 feet (10 meters) in trees. Leaves deciduous.
	*Mahonia aquifolium* Tall Oregon Grape Erect, stiff-branched shrub with holly-like leaves and clusters of yellow flowers. Height: 2.5 - 6.5 feet (0.8 meters - 2 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Myrica californica* Pacific Wax Myrtle Tall shrub with small evergreen leaves. Height: Up to 15 feet (5 meters) tall. Leaves evergreen.
	*Olsynium douglasii* Satin Flower, Grass Widow Showy tufted perennial resembling a miniature iris topped with large pink to purple flowers. Height: Up to 12 inches (30 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Penstemon davidsonii* Davidson's Penstemon Low mat-forming perennial with small evergreen leaves and large blue-purple tubular flowers. Height: 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) tall. Leaves evergreen.
	*Penstemon fruticosus* Lowbush Penstemon Spreading shrub with numerous tubular purple flowers. Height: Up to 40 cm (1.5 ft) tall. Leaves evergreen,deciduous.
	*Penstemon serrulatus* Coast Penstemon Perennial, sprawling sub-shrub from a woody stem base, with large purple tubular flowers at stem tips. Height: 8-28 inches (20-70 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Philadelphus lewisii* Mock Orange Erect, loosely branched shrub with large fragrant white flowers. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Phlox diffusa* Spreading Phlox Mat forming perennial with showy white to pink flowers. Height: Up to 4 inches (10 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Picea sitchensis* Sitka spruce Large tree with horizontal branches and drooping branchlets Height: Up to 200 feet (60 meters) tall. Leaves evergreen.
	*Pinus contorta* Shore Pine Short pine tree, often with crooked trunk and bushy habit. Height: Up to 100 feet (30 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Plectritis congesta* Sea Blush Delicate annual herb with large dense clusters of small pink flowers. Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Polemonium pulcherrimum* Showy Jacob's-ladder Taprooted perennial with mostly basal leaves and blue bell-shaped flowers. Height: Up to 14 inches (35 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Populus tremuloides* Quaking Aspen Deciduous thicket-forming tree with smooth white bark and leaves that "quake" in the wind. Leaves deciduous.
	*Pseudotsuga menziesii* Douglas fir Large coniferous tree with thick, fluted bark. Height: Up to 300 feet (90 meters). Leaves evergreen.
	*Quercus garryana* Garry Oak Beautiful, deciduous, heavy limbed oak tree. Height: Up to 82 feet (25 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Ranunculus occidentalis* Western Buttercup Slender perennial herb with fibrous roots and yellow flowers. Height: Up to 2 feet (60 cm). Leaves deciduous.
	*Ribes sanguineum* Red Flowering Currant Erect, multi-stemmed shrub with showy clusters of deep pink flowers in early spring. Height: 3-10 feet (1-3 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Rosa gymnocarpa* Baldhip Rose Spindly shrub with brittle weak straight spines and small pink rose flowers. Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Rosa nutkana* Nootka Rose Spindly shrub with a pair of prickles at the base of each leaf and large pink rose flowers. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Rubus parviflorus* Thimbleberry Unarmed spreading shrub with large white flowers. Usually forms dense thickets. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Sedum lanceolatum* Lance-leaved Stonecrop Leaves deciduous.
	*Sedum oreganum* Oregon Stonecrop Leaves deciduous.
	*Sedum spathulifolium* Broad-leaved Stonecrop Leaves evergreen.
	*Smilacina stellata* Starflowered False Solomon's Seal Leaves deciduous.
	*Solidago canadensis* Canada Goldenrod Forms patches from long creeping rhizomes. Stems leafy and hairy near the top, with a dense cluster of small yellow flowers. Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Spiraea densiflora* Subalpine Spirea Low mound-forming shrub with rounded clusters of intense pink tiny flowers. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall. Leaves deciduous.
	*Symphoricarpos albus* Snowberry Erect shrub with attractive white berries that persist through the winter. Height: Up to 6.5 feet (2 meters). Leaves deciduous.
	*Tsuga mertensiana* Mountain Hemlock Slow growing evergreen conifer. Height: Up to 40 meters (130 ft) tall, but often shorter. Leaves evergreen.
	*Vaccinium ovatum* Evergreen huckleberry Bushy shrub with small shiny green evergreen leaves and small clusters of pink bell-shaped flowers. Height: Up to 4 meters (13 ft) tall. Leaves evergreen.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.