Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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

Native Plants for Well-drained Soils

	*Abies grandis* Grand Fir Abies grandis is a tall, straight tree with short, dense branches. Abies grandis is susceptible to rot and therefore is typically found in drier soils. Height: 130-260 feet (40-80 meters).
	*Acer circinatum* Vine Maple Tall, erect, multi-trunked shrub or small tree with sprawling branches. Prefers well drained, nitrogen-rich soils. Height: 13-26 feet (4-8 meters)
	*Achillea millefolium* Yarrow Aromatic herb with delicate fern-like leaves and flat-topped clusters of white flowers. Achillea millefolium is capable of enduring poor soil and dry conditions. Height: 4 inches to 3 feet (10-100 cm).
	*Allium cernuum* Nodding Onion Clusters of long grass-like leaves overtopped by nodding umbels of pink flowers. Prefers dry sandy to rocky soils. Height: Up to 20 inches (50 cm).
	*Amelanchier alnifolia* Serviceberry, Saskatoon Medium-sized shrub producing fragrant white flowers in late spring. Height: Up to 15 feet (4.5 meters).
	*Arctostaphylos uva-ursi* Kinnikinnick, Bearberry A mat-forming evergreen shrub producing lovely pink flowers that later turn into red berries. Prefers coarse, well-drained soils. Height: Can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall.
	*Aster subspicatus* Douglas Aster Rhizomatous perennial wildflower with much-branched stems and light purple aster-like flower heads. Height: Grows up to 32 inches (80 cm).
	*Betula papyrifera* Paper Birch A small to medium sized deciduous tree with attractive white, peeling papery bark. Height: Up to 100 feet (30 meters).
	*Cornus nuttallii* Western Flowering Dogwood Multi-branched, irregular trees with attractive large white "flowers". Prefers well-drained sites. Height: Up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall.
	*Corylus cornuta* Beaked Hazelnut Slender, multi-trunked deciduous shrub. Prefers calcium and nitrogen rich soils. Height: 3 feet - 13 feet (1 meter - 4 meters).
	*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).
	*Erythronium oregonum* White Fawn Lily Showy white lily from segmented corm. Height: Flower stem up to 1 feet (30 cm) tall.
	*Festuca rubra* Red Fescue Perennial grass with thread-like leaves forming small patches. Will withstand inundation if soil is well drained. Height: Can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall.
	*Gilia capitata* Globe Gilia Upright taprooted annual with large ball-like heads of blue flowers. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meter).
	*Holodiscus discolor* Oceanspray Multi-stemmed upright shrub with ridged young stems and arching older stems with peeling bark. White flowers. Prefers well-drained rocky soils. Height: Up to 13 feet (4 meters).
	*Myrica californica* Pacific Wax Myrtle Tall shrub with small evergreen leaves. Height: Up to 15 feet (5 meters) tall.
	*Oplopanax horridus* Devil's Club An erect to sprawling shrub with thick, spiny, crooked stems and very large leaves. Found often in wet, but well-drained seepage sites. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters).
	*Penstemon fruticosus* Lowbush Penstemon Spreading shrub with numerous tubular purple flowers. Height: Up to 40 cm (1.5 ft) tall.
	*Picea sitchensis* Sitka spruce Large tree with horizontal branches and drooping branchlets Height: Up to 200 feet (60 meters) tall.
	*Pseudotsuga menziesii* Douglas fir Large coniferous tree with thick, fluted bark. Height: Up to 300 feet (90 meters).
	*Quercus garryana* Garry Oak Beautiful, deciduous, heavy limbed oak tree. Height: Up to 82 feet (25 meters).
	*Rhododendron macrophyllum* Pacific Rhododendron Showy shrub that can grow very large, with clusters of large pink flowers. Height: Up to 26 feet (8 meters) if grown in shade; shorter and bushier in sunlight.
	*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).
	*Symphoricarpos albus* Snowberry Erect shrub with attractive white berries that persist through the winter. More common in deciduous than coniferous forest. Height: Up to 6.5 feet (2 meters).
	*Trillium ovatum* Western Trillium Short stout stems topped with a whorl of three leaves and a single large white flower. Typically on sloped topography. Height: 12-18 inches (30-45 cm).
	*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.
	*Xerophyllum tenax* Beargrass Forms a tall grass-like clump of tough leaves topped by a large dense cluster of white flowers. Tolerates a wide range of soils. Height: 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters).

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