Subalpine Garden Area

This region occurs at about 3250’ to 5850’ elevation.  Moderate to steep slopes of sandy, gravelly soil with scattered groupings of medium sized boulders. Clumps and extensive displays of short drought tolerant plants such as paintbrushes, lupines, sedums, penstemon and wooly pussytoes. Their survival is sometimes enhanced by catching the runoff of rain from the rocks above them. Shrubs such as Vaccinium deliciosum and Rhododendron albiflorum will appear in subalpine areas along with scattered clusters of trees such as Sitka alder and subalpine fir.
Scroll down for plant list.

IN THE WILD – This region occurs at about 3250’ to 5850’ elevation. Short, drought tolerant flowers  such as paintbrush, lupine, sedum, penstemon and woolly pussytoes are found on slopes of sandy, gravelly soil. Those needing more moisture, such as turtlehead,  grow near seeps or runoff from scattered groupings of medium sized boulders. Medium sized shrubs such as shrubby cinquefoil and white rhododendron appear along with occasional clusters of trees such as Sitka alder and subalpine fir.

IN YOUR GARDEN– Take advantage of a well draining hillside, choose and place  boulders  of a size that suits the scale of the area in partially buried groupings. Plant clusters of short drought tolerant groundcovers, grasses and flowers  around them.

Learn more about the plant species in the list below by reading about them or observing them in person at Kul Kah Han Gardens and then try them in your own garden.

Subalpine Native Plants

(Click on plant names to view photos and descriptions)

TREES
Abies lasiocarpa – Alpine Fir
Pinus monticola – Western White Pine

SHRUBS
Dasiphora fruticosa floribunda (Potentilla fruticosa)- Shrubby Cinquefoil
Quercus sadleriana- Sadler’s Oak
Spiraea densiflora – Sub Alpine Spirea

FLOWERS
Antennaria microphylla – Rosy Pussytoes
Eriophyllum lanatum – Woolly Sunflower
Eriogonum umbellatum – Sulphur Buckwheat
Heuchera cylindrica – Roundleaf Alumroot
Heuchera glabra – Smooth Alumroot
Lewisia columbiana – Columbia Lewisia
Lomatium nudicaule – Bare Stem Desert Parsely
Nothochelone nemorosa-Turtlehead
Penstemon barrettiae – Barrett’s Penstemon
Penstemon davidsonii – Davidson’s Penstemon
Penstemon rupicola – Rock Penstemon
Potentilla flabellifolia – Fan Leaved Cinquefoil

Groundcovers
Juniperus communis – Common Juniper
Sedum divergens – Spreading Stonecrop
Sedum lanceolatum-Lance-Leaved Stonecrop
Sedum oregonense-Cream Stonecrop
Sedum oregonum spp. tenue- Oregon Stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium – Broadleaf Stonecrop

Grasses
Festuca ovina glauca – Blue Fescue