Monthly Archives: August 2010
Cornus canadensis – Bunchberry
A trailing perennial groundcover to 4″ tall. Leaves in a whorl of 4-7 below 1 or 2 pairs of white bracts surrounding a central cluster of flower buds. Bright red fleshy berry-like drupes. Found in moist forests and meadows from … Continue reading
Rhododendron macrophyllum – Pacific Rhododendron
An erect. branched evergreen shrub to 10′ tall with leathery, thick, elliptic leaves. Clusters of pink, bell shaped, 5 lobed flowers. Forms an extensive shrub layer in forests from the coast to middle elevations in the mountains. Blooms more profusely … Continue reading
Polemonium pulcherrimum – Showy Jacob’s Ladder
A multi-stemmed perennial to 14″ tall. Compound leaves, with pairs of 1/2″ opposite leaflets, resembling ladder rungs. Bell shaped flowers – blue (occasionally white) with yellow centers, clustered at the ends of the stems. Blooms May to July. Found in … Continue reading
Berberis aquifolium – Tall Oregon Grape
An evergreen shrub to 6′. Glossy compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets, 3 veins and spiny teeth. Clusters of bright yellow flowers in the spring which become tart, edible berries turning blue when ripe. Found in drier, more open sites than … Continue reading