Beneficial Native Plants For Okanagan Gardens

Beneficial Native Plants For Okanagan Gardens and landscapes are vital components of healthy and resilient ecosystems. They increase biodiversity, provide habitat for wildlife, attract birds, butterflies and other pollinators. Native plants are adapted to local climate, soil and are resistant to disease.
.
.
Create Habitat with Beneficial Native Plants
Increase of human population and development has put many ecosystems at risk. As gardeners and stewards, people can take environmental action into their own hands by creating habitat with shade providing or drought tolerant plants. There is a wide variety of flowering and fruiting shrubs and trees available that are showy in bloom, uniqueness, oddity, medicinal qualities and simplicity.
.

.

Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) – Redosier Dogwood is a deciduous, fast growing, hardy shrub with showy red twigs and white flowers. It can grow from 3 to 20 feet tall and wide. The plant forms dense thickets by sending out long thin stems that grow horizontally along the ground, sometimes as far as 10 feet away from the parent plant. White berries attract birds and mammals. With its dense appearance, tolerance and adaptability for dry open and seepage areas, this plant is suited for cover hedge and shoreline planting.

Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) – Sumac is a deciduous, hardy, native shrub of 10 to 15 feet high and wide. It grows along dry rocky lake shores, scree slopes and woodland edges. Sumac is found throughout Canada and the United States. It has fern like leaves with protruding, rust-coloured berries that follow green-yellow flowers that attract bees, butterflies and birds. Sumac is a good choice for difficult sites, screening and highway plantings.

Kinninnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) – Kinninnick, also known as common bearberry is an extremely winter hardy, creeping, slow-growing, prostrate, woody evergreen shrub. It typically grows to 6 to12 inches tall but spreads over time by flexible branching from 3 to 6 feet wide or more. It can be effectively used as a ground cover and is ideal for sunny locations with soils that are nutrient-poor, acidic, rocky or sandy and have limited water input. The plant is extremely tolerant of the elements and can be used to replace lawns in these tough areas. It also cascades nicely over ornamental rocks and borders.

Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) – Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry) is a 10 to 15 foot tall and wide deciduous native shrub that grows from western Ontario to British Columbia and the Yukon. It thrives in moist, well-drained soils and is tolerant of harsh, dry, or alkaline conditions once established. Serviceberry is one of the earliest fragrant, blooming shrubs in spring and is an essential early-season food source for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The berries that ripen in June are a favourite of songbirds and mammals. Saskatoon is recommended in landscapes for mass planting, hedges and screening.

Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) – This broadleaf shade and drought tolerant evergreen shrub is typically found in shrub lands, rocky woods and coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest. It has an upright to spreading habit and grows slowly, up to 3-6 feet tall and wide. Spiny foliage emerges with bronze-red colouring, turns green as it matures, and develops a purple-red colouring in the winter. Brilliant yellow flowers in spring are followed by deep blue berries in fall. Oregon Grape spreads by suckers to form colonies which makes it ideal for mass planting as a screen or as a single colourful accent.

Read Also About: How to Plant Shrubs and Trees Correctly

Juniper (Juniperus communis) – The common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. A sun loving evergreen conifer, growing to 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. This plant tolerates a wide range of soils and is drought tolerant once established. Juniper berries are a favourite of coyotes, jackrabbits, and many other birds. Perfect as a specimen plant, for foundation plantings, rock gardens or containers.