Meadow Garden Area

IN THE WILD – Occurring at mid to low elevations from  sea level to 1950’.  Large, rolling or flat open areas of sandy/ gravelly soil, rather low in nutrients. Full sun to part shade. Small groves of deciduous trees often accompany meadow areas.
Scroll down for plant list.

A couple of typical meadow types: Garry Oak Meadow:  A grove of Garry oak trees surrounded by wildflowers such as Camas, Brodiaea, Delphinium, Blue-eyed grass, Nodding Onion, Spring Gold, Harebells, grasses such as red fescue and sedges such as Long Stoloned Sedge.  Dry Meadow: Large drifts of Yarrow, Lupine ,Showy fleabane, Oregon sunshine, Chocolate lily, Valerian and Prunella combined with grasses such as Danthonia and Idaho fescue.

AT KUL KAH HAN’S GARDEN – You will find a Garry Oak meadow, a boulder meadow, and a drought tolerant meadow. There is also a section displaying flowers and grasses appropriate for lawn alternatives.  We have six patches approximately 10’ X 11’ that have been developed.  We hope to encourage the use of plants needing less water and fewer harmful chemicals.

IN YOUR GARDEN– Locate a medium to large area of flat or gently sloping soil that is dry in summer. Read the i.d signs next to the plants in the meadow (at the demonstration garden) while making a list of drought tolerant flowers and grasses to use there.  Or, if you have an area that stays wetter, make a list of plants and grasses that would be happy there. If you are planting over a drainfield, choose plants with roots that grow no more than 12” deep.  

Meadow Native Plants

(Click on plant names to view photos and descriptions)

TREES
Picea sitchensis – Sitka Spruce
Quercus garryana – Garry Oak

SHRUBS
Arctostaphylos columbiana – Hairy Manzanita
Ceanothus sanguineus – Redstem Ceanothus
Ceanothus thrysiflorus – White Flowered Mountain Lilac
Symphoricarpos albus – Snowberry, China Berry

FLOWERS
Achillea millefolium – Yarrow
Allium acuminatum– Hooker’s Onion
Allium cernuum – Nodding Onion
Anemone multifida – Cut-leaf Anemone
Camas quamash – Common Camas
Clematis ligusticifolia – Western White Clematis
Gaillardia aristata  Blanketflower
Lomatium utriculatum – Spring Gold
Lupinus rivularis– Streambank Lupine
Potentilla gracilis-Graceful Cinquefoi
Sisyrinchium angustifolium – Blue-Eyed Grass

 

Damp Forest, Dry Forest, Edgeland, Meadow, Montane, Subalpine, Wetland.