Designed to swear out gardeners living west of the Cascade Mountains and from Eugene , Oregon , north to Vancouver , British Columbia , the Great Plant pick educational program selects industrial plant that perform exceptionally well in the Pacific Northwest region . The program is dole out by the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle , Washington , and it swear on a yearly selection committee made up of horticultural experts from across the neighborhood . Great Plant Picks strives to serve maritime Pacific Northwest gardeners make the beneficial possible choices for their landscape painting and gardens .
Bugbane (Actaea simplex’Brunette', syn.Cimicifuga)
Bugbane is a tall , refined perennial that will add a touch of refinement to any lightly shaded boundary line . The leaf is fernlike and warm brown in color . It commit its flowers up on 5- to 6 - foundation stems in tardy summer . The ashen flower are very fragrant and conveniently grow tall enough so you do n’t have to stoop to smack them . think plant it with sensationalistic variegated plants , such as Japanese forestgrass orhostas . For the best foliage coloring material , plant in full sunlight to light shade . In deep shade , it tends to become leggy . Zones 5–9
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‘Blue Fortune’ Anise Hyssop (Agastache’Blue Fortune')
Native Hyssopus officinalis was cross in the Netherlands and total back to us a success . ' Blue Fortune ' is one of the easiest plant you ’ll ever grow . All it needs is full sunshine and well - drained soil . In homecoming , it ’ll bloom from midsummer to fall . The blossoms are made up of many diminutive lavender flowers that willattract butterflies and other pollinator . The foliage has a delicious liquorice fragrance when you brush it or crush a leafage in your hand . An just cultivator , ' Blue Fortune ' Hyssopus officinalis reaches two to three feet in height and never needs stake . It combines easily with other sun lovers , such as coneflowers and ornamental locoweed . Zones 4–10
See more about ' Blue Fortune ' anise Hyssopus officinalis .
Frikart’s Aster (Asterxfrikartii’Monch')
Frikart ’s aster deserves a place in every garden . It flowers in a beautiful lavender - blasphemous tint surrounding a release of lily-livered . It blooms for an exceeding longsighted fourth dimension , July to October , on stems two to three feet tall . This aster flowers so heavily that the stem may bend under the weightiness , especially after a rain . It ’s a good idea to stake the plant , and it ’s worth the trouble . Frikart ’s aster is a treasure for its ability to percolate up a tired late - summertime garden . Plant this perennial in dear , rich soil in full sun . Zones 5–8
Golden Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides’Aurea')
A small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , golden Indian bean win with big color . Each spring , the unexampled heart - shapes leaf emerges with a touch of redness , then quickly plow to bright golden yellow . In summertime , the foliage turns yellow - green before make its deep yellow statement in fall . The whitened blossom grow on gravid panicle and later produce long beanlike seedpods . Reaching 15 - 18 feet tall , it ’s the staring size for residential gardens . Easy to grow , golden catalpa is liberal of a wide range of a function of filth , as long as there ’s good drain . This Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree return the honorable colour when planted infull sunor part tad . zone 5–9
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa’Nana')
A favorite evergreen for the decorative path the foliage curls like small fans or cups , dwarf Hinoki cypress is very easy - grow , with an elegant Nipponese aesthetic . It does well in grounding plantings or as a focal detail in the sun or part spectre . Reaching just two to three foot in peak , this cypress is also at home in an cosmetic pot or a rock garden . Water the bush regularly in the summertime . zone 4–8
‘Gold Heart’ Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’)
phlebotomize nub have long been a garden favorite due to their delicious pink blossoms that really do take care like little pink hearts . ' Gold Heart ' has the same darling flowers but summate a splash of color to a funny border with its fortunate fernlike foliage . The blossom bloom in April and May on elegant arching stem that turn out just above the leave , reaching about two feet in elevation . As the days become warmer , ' Gold Heart ' will begin to go dormant . Plant this perennial with genus Hosta or ferns that will take in the crack later in the season . Zones 3–9
See more about ' Gold Heart ' bleeding heart .
Dove Tree(Davidia involucrata)
The dove tree is without enquiry one of the most beautiful of all flowering trees . In mid spring , round flowers look , but are hidden by two bract that look like delicate snowy handkerchiefs , often six to seven inches long . It ’s an astonishing mickle in full bloom . Discovered in China , this pocket-size tree reaches 10 - 20 metrical unit tall and wide in the Northwest , just good forurban gardens . acquire it in full sun or part shade , in moist but well - drained dirt . It ’s also best to plant dove trees where they ’ll be protect from strong winds . zona 6–8
Siberian Cypress(Microbiota decussata)
Although Siberian cypress has been around for some meter , it ’s still comparatively raw in commerce . It has a refined form , attractive foliation , excellent dusty hardihood , and a height of just one to two foot . This classic combination has win it several plant awards . The astray - diffuse evergreen makes a fantastic groundcover . It looks natural planted near boulders or cascading over retain paries and has a pleasing layered look , with slender , nodding outgrowth pourboire . It prefer full Dominicus or partial shade . Despite some descriptions , it ’s not at its best in full shade and prefers full sun to fond shade . Zones 3–8
Variegated Japanese Forestgrass (Hakonechloa macra’Albovariegata')
No garden should be without variegated Japanese forestgrass . The lissome green - and - white blade add elusive color to a border , while the slightest breeze creates movement like ripples on the water . soft , airy seminal fluid head float above the two - animal foot - grandiloquent leaf in midsummer . This cosmetic grass may be grown in fond shade , or in full sun if it gets enough wet . The long - endure foliage work well in flower arrangements as a replacement for other greens . Zones 5–8
Helenium’Moerheim Beauty'
This is a previous - summer beauty with rust-brown red petals . Butterflies flock to it , but deer lean to leave it alone . ' Moerheim Beauty ' can develop to about three feet improbable , but to keep it more compact , pinch or partially cut back back the stems in June . This encourages the flora to fork more , so it ’s less potential to take staking , and it will produce more peak , as well . This repeated make wonderfulcut flowers . Plant it in full sunshine with norm to moist grunge . Zones 5–9
‘Minuet’ Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia’Minuet')
' Minuet ' was selected because of its dwarf , compact habit . You ’ll never necessitate to prune this bush , as it will only develop about three feet tall . Nevertheless , this little mountain laurel will perfectly burst into flower in June , covering itself with juicy pink bud that open up to white cup - shaped bloom with a crimson ring indoors . Plant the shrub in small-scale group for a great spattering of natural spring color . It also does well in decorative pots on the terrace . pot laurel favour moist , well - drained soil in full sun or part shade . It will not thrive in excessively hot areas . zone 4–9
Sourwood(Oxydendrum arboreum)
What is n’t fabulous about this tree ? Plant titi alone as an accent . The foliage on this 20- to 25 - human foot - tall Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is lustrous and bass fleeceable . The heyday bloom in August , repress the leaf in chains of white blossoms that look like lilies - of - the - valley . The peak give way to cream - color berries that are game by arresting fall foliation in shades of Au , cerise , and purple . Sourwood prefers sun to part shade and acidic soil . It does not care to compete for pee , so it ’s best not to plant anything underneath the tree . zone 5–9
‘Gulf Stream’ Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica’Gulf Stream')
This celestial bamboo is a well - behaved evergreen shrub with four seasons of interest . It has a thick , mounded word form reaching just two to three feet in height and a short less in width . The Modern foliage is scarlet red , tardily changing to a bluish - light-green summer coloring . As declension 24-hour interval become cool , the foliage change again to bright red-faced , but does n’t overleap . Stems of small white peak are a bonus . Thanks to its size , this shrub is a versatile landscape painting plant , great for base planting and narrow spots between building and walkways . It ’s well-off to grow in full sun or part shade . zone 6–9
Giant Needlegrass(Stipa gigantea)
It ’s often describe as the most magnificent of all theornamental grasses . Native to Spain , Portugal , and Morocco , giant needlegrass will loan a touch of the fantastic to your garden . From a base of narrow , arching leafage , gigantic flush staunch reach out from six to eight feet tall . In June , the silvery - over-embellished flowers candid , turning golden when advanced . They ’re excellent for dried bloom arrangements . This grass makes a stately specimen works . jumbo needlegrass may also be planted in large groups or on embankments for erosion control . Plant it in full sun in well - drained dirt . It wo n’t tolerate wet soil , and is drought - tolerant once install . Zones 8–10
‘Tor’ Birchleaf Spirea (Spiraea betulifolia’Tor')
This spirea is a hardworking plant with loads of magic spell . ' Tor ' grows into a utterly round shrub about two to three understructure tall and wide-cut . The name likely descend from the Gaelic wordtorr , meaning hill or pitcher . White prime pass over the shrub in bound , appeal butterflies . The summer foliage is dark gullible , but illumine up in autumn with vibrant red , orange , and purplish leave of absence . ' Tor ' establish a great small hedge and front wonderful embed in groups . The deer - resistant shrub also works well in foundation plantings and shrub borders . It ’s well-fixed to grow in well - drained dirt in full sun . Zones 3–9
‘Green Vase’ Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata’Green Vase')
' Green Vase ' Japanese zelkova is a fast - growing tree with a endearing just wont . It turn twice as fast as the species and has get ahead awards for its stunning habit and beautiful winter silhouette . It eventually reaches 60 to 70 feet tall and 40 to 50 feet wide . Dark green foliage turn to easy yellow , orange , and russet in the autumn . fledged trees have an interesting barque pattern that adds another time of year of beauty . Zelkova is prized for its tolerance to mellow malarky , pollution , drought , and compacted stain . zone 5–9
