The Native Plant Sale starts at 8am on January 24, 2026
Jane Wentworth: Why to plant native plants
Here's a preview of the plants we'll be offering in the 2026 Native Plant Sale
Coyote Willow (Salix exigua)
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Western North America native willow commonly found on sandy streambanks and lakeshores. Early season pollen and nectar source for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Attracts beneficial insects. Enhances riparian habitat and provides cover and forage. Browsed by deer. In Washington, only native east of the Cascades. Quick to form thickets and stabilize streambanks, can be aggressive under some conditions. Grows to 20 feet.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, about 3 feet tall
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Provenance: Columbia Plateau
Douglas or Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum v. douglasii)
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This shrub or small tree (30-35 feet) has deep red twigs, and fresh spring green leaves that are 3-5 lobed and turn yellow or orange in the fall. It is similar to Vine maple (Acer circinatum), but better adapted to somewhat drier, more open sites. Greenish-yellow flowers bloom in clusters from mid-spring to early summer. This maple likes full sun to part shade, and moist, well-drained soil. An excellent tree for a small yard or large rock garden. More commonly found east of the Cascades, from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and east to Montana and Wyoming, Douglas maple occurs in the San Juan Islands on rocky slopes, forest edges and wooded valleys.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, about 18 to 36 inches tall

​Provenance: Puget Lowland, Columbia Plateau
Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
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One of the easiest huckleberries to grow, evergreen huckleberry is an evergreen bushy shrub which grows to about 10 feet tall, with dark evergreen foliage. The shrub produces white or pink-tinged flowers beneath the twigs from early April into June. Attracts pollinators and wildlife. The berries, ripe from September into January, are shiny black or dull blue-violet. Evergreen Huckleberry is drought- and shade-tolerant and especially valuable for planting beneath pines. Plant several bushes together for a beautiful hedge adorned with edible fruits. Grows to 6-8 feet tall.

​$20 for a bundle of 5 plugs

​Provenance: Washington
​Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense)

​Field chickweed forms a low, spreading mat of silvery green foliage, topped with pretty white flowers in spring. Attracts bees and beetles. Field chickweed prefers full sun and average, well-drained soil. Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, good for rockeries.
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$10 for a bundle of 5 plugs

​Provenance: San Juan County
Mallow Ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus)

​Similar to Pacific Ninebark, Mallow Ninebark produces clusters of white flowers to brighten wetlands, waterways and moist sites in the spring. Native from Alaska to California, this ninebark commonly grows East of the Cascades, and is more drought tolerant. Mallow Ninebark attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators, as well as beneficial insects, and plays host to butterfly and moth larvae. Grows from 2-6 feet.

​$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, 12+ inches

​Provenance: Eastern Washington
Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana)
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A coarse, prickly shrub 3-7 feet tall. Prefers full sun and moderate moisture, it can tolerate poor soil and dry conditions. If left alone, nootka rose will form thickets, and it can also be grown in large containers. Tolerates salt spray in shoreline plantings. Large pink, five-petal flowers in May-July, and big red-purplish, pear-shaped rose hips in the winter. Nootka rose attracts bees and other pollinators and beneficial insects. Creates excellent cover and nesting sites. Browsed by deer and other wildlife.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, 12+ inches

​Provenance: Western Washington
Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
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This broadleaf evergreen shrub, with large clusters of showy pink flowers in spring to midsummer, is the state flower of Washington. Inhabits dry, open forests and edges. Prefers some shade, but will tolerate sun, especially in coastal areas. Great for shady hedges, screens and forest edges. Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. Grows to 24 feet.

​$30 for a bundle of 5 plugs

​Provenance: Puget Lowland
​Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)

​A perennial favorite in the Native Plant Sale! This popular landscaping plant sports showy pink-magenta flowers in the spring to early summer, and dark blue edible berries. Early season food source for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. Its bluish black berries are eaten by birds and other wildlife. Prefers sun or partial shade, seasonally dry, well-drained soil. May require initial watering to establish. Grows 6-12 feet. Native west of the Cascades.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, 12+ inches

​Provenance: Puget Lowlands
Red-Osier or Redtwig Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera syn. sericea)

​Red osier dogwood is a workhorse of a plant. It holds soils, shades waterways, provides habitat to bees, butterflies, other pollinators and beneficial insects. Red osier dogwood has brilliant red fall color and bright red twigs to provide winter interest. Plant in moist areas; it can tolerate shade. Red osier dogwood can be browsed by deer and other wildlife. Small creamy white flowers in clusters appear among deep green color leaves in May to July, with white to pale blue fruits later in the year. Red osier dogwood is a great erosion control plant. Can grow 6-18 feet tall.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, 12+ inches

​Provenance: Western Washington
Richardson’s Penstemon (Penstemon richardsonii)

​An unusual penstemon with oval, sharply serrated and pointed leaves and bright pink- lavender flowers. Richardson’s penstemon grows from a shrubby base and is found in dry rocky places and cliff crevices in the Southern Okanagan Valley. Native from British Columbia south through Washington and northeast Oregon, generally east of the Cascades. This beautiful perennial is pollinated by hummingbirds, bees, flies and wasps and is drought tolerant. Overwatering and too much fertilizer can be detrimental to many Penstemon species. Grows 8-32 inches tall.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root seedlings

​Provenance: Columbia Plateau
Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata)

​Easy-to-grow self-heal attracts pollinators with spikes of purple flowers in late spring to early fall. It prefers moist sites, but is also tolerant of summer drought. Plant in full sun to partial shade, average soil. Plants are low-growing, about 1 to 1.5 feet in height. Deadhead or cut back to encourage new blooms, and remove seed heads before ripening to curtail spreading, if needed. Deer-resistant, self-heal attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
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$10 for a bundle of 5 plugs

​Provenance: San Juan County
Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa)

This deciduous shrub grows to about 3 feet tall. Its bright yellow, five-petaled flowers bloom from early to late summer. Bees are attracted to the flowers. Shrubby cinquefoil grows in full sun to part shade, moist to somewhat dry soil. It is a good drought-tolerant plant for areas where minimum maintenance is preferred. There are many cultivars of this plant. This stock is seed grown, not a cultivar. Widely distributed, it occurs on both sides of the Cascades in Washington, and from Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, about 12-18 inches tall

​Provenance: North Cascades
Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)

Sword fern is a large evergreen fern with erect leaves forming a crown. It is typically found in coniferous woodlands understory, and prefers moist to seasonally moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil, but can tolerate sun. Its fronds can be up to 6’ long. Sword fern provides cover and nesting materials for many species. Browsed by deer, though generally considered deer resistant. Can grow to 6 feet. Benefits wildlife with cover.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 plugs
Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)

The largest of our shrubby native honeysuckles, twinberry is fast growing, 6-14 feet tall with double pale yellow tubular flowers April through August that are loved by bumble bees and hummingbirds. After pollination, pairs of black berries surrounded by thick red bracts develop, and these are relished by birds. Provides excellent erosion control. Grows best in moist, open to partially-shaded sites. Tolerates salt spray.
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$20 for a bundle of 5 bare-root plants, 12+ inches

​Provenance: Western Washington
Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)

One of our most beautiful and intriguing wildflowers, western columbine features elegant red and yellow flowers in late spring. Its nodding flowers are an evolutionary treat that act as a magnet to hummingbirds. Also attracts bees and other pollinators. Its seeds are eaten by birds. Grows in a variety of habitats including forests, moist meadows, rocky slopes, coastal areas and riparian areas. Plant in full sun to partial shade, average soil. Plants can reach 2-3 feet high in bloom. Perennial.

$20 for a bundle of 5 plugs

​Provenance: San Juan County