Plants for Residential Coastal Dune Prairies Compiled by K Sayce, N Eid, D Hayes, N Maine, and others

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1 Plants for Residential Coastal Dune Prairies Compiled by K Sayce, N Eid, D Hayes, N Maine, and others 2004 Edition Scientific Name Common Name Note Abronia latifolia yellow sand-verbena Open sand, sprawling low succulent with round heads of bright yellow Achillea millefolium yarrow Spreading clumps, yellow or white (but note that cultivated varieties come in other colors) Allium cernuum nodding onion Clumps, light purple Anaphalis margaritacea pearly everlasting Spreading clumps, white Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi kinnikinnik Low groundcover, pink, red berries Armeria maritima sea thrift Low tufts with pink ; cultivated varieties come in other colors & sizes Artemisia suksdorkii coastal mugwort Shrubby, with silvery green and green Aster subspicatus Douglas's aster Spreading, with light purple ; important late summer nectar plant for butterflies Baccharis pilularis coyote-brush Shrub, fire tolerant, evergreen leaves Blechnum spicant deerfern shady sides of dunes; dark green leaves Botrychium multifidum leathery grape-fern Scattered local populations Brodiaea coronaria harvest brodiaea Few local populations, sign of old dune prairie Brodiaea hyacinthina fool's onion, white brodiaea Few local populations, sign of old dune prairie Bromus sitchensis Alaska brome-grass Sign of diverse dune prairie Calamagrostis nutkaensis Nootka reed grass Large bunchgrass, very tough, very good right along coast, 5 ft tall in flower Cardionema ramosissima sandbur Flat spreading herb, spiny seeds, horrid for bare feet but native and a nectar plant for some insects Carex brevicaudatum short-stemmed sedge Grows in low dense turf, light yellow-green Page 1 of 5

2 Carex macrocephala big-headed sedge Open spreading low sedge, light yellow-green, large spiny seed heads, very showy Carex pansa sanddune sedge Sign of diverse dune prairie; low, open spreading growth, light yellow-green Castilleja littoralis Pacific paintbrush Orange-red to red, forms dense clumps Cerastium arvense field chickweed Sign of diverse dune prairie; low, clumps, white Cirsium brevistylum short-styled thistle Tall native thistle, purple, green stems Cirsium edule edible thistle Much reduced from historic habitat range; tall native thistle, purple and stems Danthonia californica California oatgrass Few local populations, sign of diverse dune prairie; bunchgrass, 4-5 ft tall in flower Erigeron glaucus beach fleabane Neat low spreading clumps of, purple Eriophorum chamissionis Chamisso's cottongrass For low wet areas, very attractive in seed (fluffy white heads) Leymus mollis American dunegrass Elymus mollis, old name; very attractive blue-green Festuca rubra red fescue Sign of diverse dune prairie; main planting for dune prairie should be this species Fragaria chiloensis coast strawberry Good basic plant for dunes; shiny dark green leaves, white, tasty red fruit Fritillaria ambigua Goodyera oblongifolia Hieracium albiflorum chocolate lily rattlesnake plantain white-flowered hawkweed Few local populations, sign of diverse dune prairie; upright stems with speckled chocolate brown Prefers to grow in association with shore pine roots; white-speckled leaves, small whitish on short upright stems Hairy green leaves, open heads of small white on upright stems Iris tenax Oregon iris Strap-like green leaves, white to purple Juncus falcatus sickle-leaved rush Small rush with flat leaves, large dark seed heads Juncus lesueurii salt rush Spreading rush, very open, dark green, round heads of brown Page 2 of 5

3 Lathyrus japonicus purple beach peavine Likes open sandy areas; purplish and green Lathyrus littoralis gray beach peavine Likes open sandy areas; pink-purplish and gray Lathyrus nevadensis ssp. lanceolatus Nuttall's peavine Likes meadows, blue Lilium columbianum Columbia lily Needs good soil and moisture to do well; orange Lonicera involucrata twinberry Good shrub, yellow, dark blue to black fruit with dark red bracts Lotus formosissimus seaside lotus Tiny lotus of sandy and open sites Lotus micranthus small-flowered deervetch Small lotus of open meadows Lupinus litoralis seashore lupine Sign of diverse dune prairie; likes open sandy areas Maianthemum dilatatum Malus fusca (Pyrus fusca) Myrica californica false lily-of-the-valley Pacific or western crabapple Pacific wax myrtle Good groundcover in shady areas, deciduous; small upright spikes of white Good small tree, very tough; deer will eat, so grow more than 6 ' tall; showy white, small reddish fruits Good shrub to small tree, very tough; shiny evergreen leaves, fragrant small waxy berries Piperia maritima coast rein-orchid Sign of diverse dune prairie; spikes of white Plectritis congesta Plantago coronopus Poa confinis sea blush cut-leaf plantain coastline bluegrass small herb of wetter sites, showy when massed in flower Not native, but can take sand, foot traffic, and is a minor member of plant community, not invasive or a slug attractor Sign of diverse dune prairie; dense tufts of green-blue leaves, large greenish flower heads Poa macrantha seashore bluegrass Sign of diverse dune prairie; low dense tufts with greenish flower heads Polygonum paronchyia black knotweed Low, perennial, woody knotweed; tiny pink Polystichum munitum sword fern Shady sides of dunes; dark green leaves Page 3 of 5

4 Potentilla egedii Pacific silverweed Showy green pinnate leaves, white undersides Ranunculus occidentalis western buttercup Few local populations, sign of diverse dune prairie Rhamnus purshiana cascara Small tree, fruit attractive to birds, showy yellow leaves in fall Rosa nutkana Rubus ursinus Sanicula arctopoides Nootka rose trailing blackberry footsteps-of-spring Spreading, woody rose; single pink, red to orange hips Low, spreading vine; males have more white, females have fruit, very edible, the best flavored blackberry Rare dune plant, annual; low, yellowish and Sedum lanceolatum lance-leaf stonecrop Dry, open sandy sites; tiny upright stems, yellow Sedum oreganum Oregon stonecrop Dry, open sandy to rocky sites; succulent, yellow Sisyrinchium californicum golden-eyed grass Likes wetter spots, can spread quickly; yellow Sisyrinchium littoralis coast blue-eyed grass Sign of diverse dune prairie; tiny blue Solidago spathulata Solidago canadensis coast goldenrod Canada goldenrod Sign of diverse dune prairie; low spreading clumps, spikes of yellow ; important nectar plant for insects Sign of diverse dune prairie; taller spikes of yellow, spreading clumps Spergularia arvensis sandspurry Introduced; tiny low succulent with pinkish Spiranthes romanzoffiana twisted ladys'tresses Orchid, choice dune plant; small spikes of white Stellaria humifusa low starwort Sign of diverse dune prairie; tiny white Tanacetum douglasii dune tansy Sign of diverse dune prairie; yellow ; clumps of ferny Trifolium microcephalum small-headed clover Pink small ; small herb Trifolium wormskjoldii streambank clover Purple, long flowering period Page 4 of 5

5 Vaccinium caespitosum dwarf blueberry Few local populations, very low growing species; red fall, edible berries Vaccinium ovatum evergreen huckleberry Nice shrub; evergreen leaves, young shoots red in spring, edible berries Viola adunca early blue violet Few local populations, host for Oregon siverspot butterfly This list was developed with site lists and notes from: Dave Hayes, WA DF&W site lists Milepost 6 site, AKA butterfly meadow Clatsop Plains: Camp Rilea, and other prairies Ecola State Park (Tillamook Head) Oswald West St Park (Neahkahnie seacliffs, Cape Falcon) Cape Disappointment State Park (North Head, Cape D Head, McKenzie Head) Page 5 of 5