Northwest Native Plants
Trees, Shrubs, Perennials & Groundcovers

Swansons is pleased to offer a variety of quality native plants particularly suited for use in Northwest urban garden environments. A "native" plant on this list is one considered indigenous to our region (WA, OR, ID, BC) prior to the arrival of non-indigenous settlers. Plants native to the Puget Sound Basin specifically are marked with a (P). Varieties currently in stock are subject to change, so please call for current availability.

Keep in mind that these plants naturally occur in a wide range of cultural conditions anywhere from dry, rocky hillsides to wet, lowland bogs. Please exercise care when selecting plants to insure a proper fit into your garden environment.

For more detailed information about each plant, please refer to individual cultivar signs, or consult one of our Swanson’s professionals. 

Key:
DT = Drought Tolerant
P = Native to the Puget Sound basin
S = Shade

NATIVE TREES

GRAND FIR Abies grandis (S) (P)
VINE MAPLE Acer circinatum (S) (DT) (P)
PAPER BIRCH Betula papyrifera (P)
INCENSE CEDAR Calocedrus decurrens (DT)
ALASKA CEDAR Chamaecyparis nootkatensis
SHORE PINE Pinus contorta var. contorta (DT) (P)
QUAKING ASPEN Populus tremuloides (DT)
DOUGLAS FIR Pseudotsuga menzeisii (DT) (P)
OREGON WHITE OAK Quercus garryana (DT) (P)
WESTERN RED CEDAR Thuja plicata (DT) (P)
WESTERN HEMLOCK Tsuga heterophylla (DT) (S) (P)
MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK Tsuga mertensiana (DT) (S)

NATIVE SHRUBS

SASKATOON Amelanchier alnifolia (DT) (S) (P)
REDTWIG DOGWOOD Cornus sericea (S) (DT) (P)
OCEANSPRAY Holodiscus discolor (DT) (S) (P)
TWINBERRY Lonicera involucrata (S) (P)
OREGON GRAPE Mahonia aquifolium (DT,S,P), M. nervosa (DT,S,P), M. repens (DT,S)
PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE Myrica californica (DT)
OSOBERRY Oemleria cerasmiformis (S) (P)
PACIFIC RHODODENDRON Rhododendron macrophyllum (S) (P)
WESTERN AZALEA Rhododendron occidentale (DT) (S)
WILD ROSE Rosa gymnocarpa (P), R. nutkana (P), R. woodsii
ELDERBERRY Sambucus racemosa (S, P), S. caerulea
DOUGLAS SPIRAEA Spiraea douglasii (P)
SNOWBERRY Symphoricarpos albus (DT) (S) (P)
FLOWERING CURRANT Ribes sanguineum, R. aureum (all DT, S, P)
HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium ovatum, V. parvifolium (all DT, S, P)

NATIVE PERENNIALS

COMMON YARROW Achillea millefolium (DT)
VANILLA LEAF Achlys triphylla (DT) (S) (P)
WESTERN COLUMBINE Aquilegia formosa (DT) (P)
COLUMBINE Aquilegia saximontana (DT)
GOAT'S BEARD Aruncus sylvester (DT) (S) (P)
CAMAS LILY Camassia quamash (DT) (P)
BLEEDING HEART Dicentra formosa (DT) (S) (P)
FAIRY BELLS Disporum hookeri (S), D. smithii (S,P)
SHOOTING STAR Dodecatheon spp. (DT) (P)
SULFUR FLOWER Eriogonum umbellatum (DT)
FAWN LILY or DOGTOOTH VIOLET Erythronium oregonum, E. revolutum (S)
PACIFIC COAST IRIS Iris douglasiana and cultivars (DT) (S)
OREGON IRIS Iris tenax (DT) (P)
LEWISIA Lewisia cotyledon and cultivars (DT)
BLUE LUPINE Lupinus rivularis (DT) (P)
MONKEY FLOWER Mimulus guttatus, M. lewisii (P)
PENSTEMON Penstemon davidsonii, P. pinifolius (DT)
CHECKER MALLOW Sidalcea spp.
BLUE-EYED GRASS Sisyrinchium bellum, S. californicum (DT)
FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL Smilacina racemosa (DT) (S) (P)
TRILLIUM Trillium ovatum, T. chloropetalum (DT) (S) (P)

NATIVE FERNS

FIVE-FINGERED FERN Adiantum aleuticum, A. pedatum (all S,P)
LADY FERN Athyrium felix-femina (S) (P)
DEER FERN Blechnum spicant (DT) (S) (P)
OAK FERN Gymnocarpium dryopteris (S) (P)
SWORD FERN Polystichum munitum (DT) (S) (P)
LICORICE FERN Polypogium glycyrrhiza (S) (P)

NATIVE GROUNDCOVERS

WILD GINGER Asarum caudatum (DT) (S) (P)
KINNIKINNICK Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (DT) (P)
BUNCHBERRY Cornus canadensis (S) (P)
COASTAL STRAWBERRY Fragaria chiloensis (DT)
WOOD STRAWBERRY Fragaria vesca (DT) (S) (P)
TWINFLOWER Linnea borealis (S) (P)
SEDUM Sedum divergens, S. oreganum, S. spathulifolium (all DT)
FRINGECUP Tellima grandiflora (DT) (S) (P)
WOOD SORREL Oxalis oregana (DT) (S) (P)
SALAL Gaultheria shallon (DT) (S) (P)
INSIDE-OUT FLOWER Vancouveria hexandra (S) (P)
FALSE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY Maianthemum dilatatum (DT) (S) (P)