Journey along the handicap-accessible woodland path imprinted with native plant leaves and animal paw prints. This garden demonstrates the benefits of using plants that can all be found growing naturally in the Cascade mountains and coastal region from northern Oregon to Vancouver, BC. Native plants provide shelter, food and nesting habitat for wildlife. Natives are well adapted to our climate and are summer drought tolerant and disease resistant.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon); an attractive evergreen shrub with sprays of white bell shaped flowers which in turn form edible purple berries. The fruit was an important food for aboriginal people
Goat’s Beard (Aruncus sylvestris) A tall (3 to 6 ft.) perennial with a large spay of creamy white flowers blooming in late spring. Roots had a wide variety of medicinal uses by aboriginal people
Camas (Camassia squamash) a bulb with grass-like leaves in the lily family which blooms in tall purplish blue spikes. Bulbs were an important food for aboriginal people.
Silk Tassel (Garrya elliptica) evergreen shrub with oval leaves and long silvery catkins which appear in winter or early spring.
Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) a spreding deciduous shrub with shredding bark. White flowers in spring in rounded clusters. Some ninebark cultivars have dark purple foliage and pink-tinted flowers. Some tribes considered this shrub highly poisonous, while others found medicinal uses.
Stonecrop, found on rocky cliffs and outcrops throughout the region
Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) A deciduous shrub to 15 ft, with flowers in clusters. Cream colored petals, the upper petal streaked with pink or pale orange.
False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacena racemose) a perennial growing in clumps from rhizomes. Plumes of creamy white flowers. Fruit is a red berry, edible but not tasty.
Fringe Cup (Tellima grandiflora) a perennial with heart shaped basal leaves and a tall flower stalk with cup shaped greenish to red flowers. The Skagit pounded fringecup, boiled it and drank the tea for a number of ailments.
Oregon Iris (Iris tenax) Rhizomes form clumps strap like leaves and have showy flowers in May and June, colors ranging from white to dark violet blue. Aboriginal people braided the leaves into snares for animals as large as elk.