Forming dense evergreen mats, this super ground cover shines all year round in shade. Adaptable to some drought, it looks even better if given a little summer irrigation. Short, to only 4 in., tall.

It has been very rewarding developing some of the lesser Willamette Valley forbs into commercial crops, like the Cat’s ear. In late spring and early summer foliage is followed by extremely fuzzy, white or pale pink flowers. Ample winter rainfall with sparse summer irrigation is best. Low growing to 4 in. Little blossoming size bulbs. Key nectar species for Fenders Blue Butterfly and Taylor's Checkerspot.

Slender, clump forming sedge 12-16 ' tall, light green leaves and nodding inflorescence.

Our native Willamette Valley shooting star adorns our wetland prairies in the spring with a splash of hot pink. Combined with common camas, the landscape in April resembles an impressionist painting. There are multiple flowers on top of 15 inch stems. The brown seed pods also add early summer interest when used in landscape plantings.

The pale ivory flowers with elegantly recurved tips occur on tall stems. Showy mottled leaves. Plant deeply and grow in sun or shade. They will go dormant early in the season, so it is a great plant to mix into groundcover plantings.

Unusual leaves, blue/green in color and bulbous, pale-yellow flat-top inflorescence, spiritual significance to Native Americans, 1-3 ft tall. This species does very well on restoration sites.

Small, blue pea flowers in a dense spike, pretty flowers, blooms in spring, 1-2 ft tall. Most-often found on roadsides and thin-soil sites in Western Oregon. Does best without competing vegetation.

This small prairie rush in found on both wet and dry sites. It has flat, grass-like leaves and soft hairs at the collar and along the leaf margins.

This small annual has a variety of forms from tufted to slender and erect. It has pink, tubular flowers that are self-pollinated. It grows in moist or dry soils at all elevations typically in areas without much competing vegetation.

This native buttercup blooms April through mid-May and is an early shining star of our prairies. Very persistent due to self-sowing. It also makes a nice addition to native gardens giving our native bees important resources early in the season.

This small-flowered native buttercup is known by the common names woodland buttercup and little buttercup. It is native to many parts of the west where it grows in wet prairies or wet, wooded habitat such as oak/ash woodland and forested streambanks. It often grows as a biennial.

Oregon saxifrage grows in bogs, marshes, wet meadows and prairies throughout the west. It has fleshy roots that divide by off-sets and flowers that bloom April-May. Nectar species for Mylitta Cresent Butterfly.

Like a miniature hollyhock with vibrant pink flowers, in a garden, this checkermallow works best near the front of a border as its only 2 ft. tall. Blooming May-June, cut it back and irrigate to get more flowers. As with tall checkermallow, it shines on upland restoration sites. Establishing quickly and persisting over the long-haul. Hose plant for Checkered Skippers and Gray Hairstreak and key nectar species for Fenders Blue and Taylor's Checkerspot butterflies.

Blue-eyed grass is a key component of our wet prairies. The deep-blue flowers attract bees early in the day but close by mid-morning making them hard to spot in the landscape. The dark, clustered seed heads and slender, iris-like leaves make it reappear when the prairie turns a golden-tan in mid-summer.

This early blooming species has delicate blue flowers nestled in tufts of dark green leaves. In a wildlife garden, the long-bloom period makes it a great bedding plant. Hookedspur violet is a used a both a nectar and larval host for a variety of butterflies. It does best on upland restoration sites where competition from invasive plants and grassy thatch are kept to a minimum. 4-8 inches tall.

This early-blooming species has deep yellow flowers and soft, fuzzy leaves. In a wildlife garden, the long-bloom period makes it a great bedding plant. It grows in moist to dry open woodlands and prairie where it attracts a variety of early pollinators. It does best on upland restoration sites where competition from invasive plants and grassy thatch are kept to a minimum. 8-10 inches tall.