Native Plants
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April 2025 Native Plant of the Month –
Red Flowering Currant
(Ribes sanguineum)
by Marilee Henry
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​​​Image taken 4/15/2025 Finn Hill urban garden: (c) Marilee Henry 2025
Red Flowering Currant among Douglas Fir
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Since mid-March, red flowering currants have been bursting with blooms throughout western Washington, attracting migrating Rufus and other species of hummingbirds with their scented rose-colored flower clusters filled with nutritious nectar for the birds’ northward spring flights along the Pacific Flyway. These beautiful shrubs occur naturally mostly west of the Cascade Crest from British Columbia to California, with isolated pockets in Idaho, from sea level to mid elevations in the mountains. They can thrive in a wide variety of habitats, from open woodlands to rocky slopes, in moist to dry conditions.
Ribes sanguineum has been a favorite for urban horticulture for almost 200 years. Introduced to Britain in 1826 by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, it became so popular in landscaping throughout the British Empire that some countries now consider it invasive! For our region this stunning species is a well-deserved desirable native for gardeners, restoration ecologists and wildlife alike.
Red flowering currant is an upright unarmed deciduous shrub that can reach 12 feet in height with a spread of 6 to 10 feet and a vase-shaped form. It is characterized by reddish-brown bark, and alternate 1 to 3 inch maple-like leaves having 5 lobes, deeply incised palmate veins, and finely toothed outer edges. Blossoms hang in pendant clusters of 10 to 30 pink to red (rarely white) tubular flowers, each about ¼ inch long and wide, having 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 5 stamens, the petals usually lighter in color than the sepals. Bloom time is typically late February to April in western Washington, with round blue-black glaucous berries ripening in August through September.
In autumn the leaves turn yellow to reddish before going dormant, providing contrast at evergreen forest borders or hedgerows.
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Besides being important for migrating hummingbirds, red flowering currant is a favorite for our resident Anna’s hummingbird, and it is a particularly critical early spring nectar source for early-emerging queen bumblebees and orchard Mason bees. Other pollinators include many native bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and moths. This plant is host to the larvae of over 24 species of moths and butterflies, including the zephyr butterfly Polygonia gracilis zephyrus and the ceanothus silkmoth Hyalophora euryalus. The larvae of moths and butterflies are highly nutritious foods for birds rearing young chicks, and are needed in vast numbers to keep bird populations from declining further. For example, chickadee parents need to feed a clutch of 4 babies between 6000 to 9000 caterpillars before they are fully fledged! As wild habitats decline, we need more than ever to add native larval host plants as well as those supplying nectar to our private lands. Red flowering currant meets both these needs and also provides shelter for birds and small animals, and occasional browse for deer and elk. The berries, which persist as a food source for several months, are consumed by many birds and animals including grouse, quail, finches, towhees, robins, cedar waxwings, deer and elk.
The berries are edible for humans as well, though many consider them insipid eaten raw. Indigenous peoples used them mostly in cooking. They contain pectin and are therefore good in jams and preserves, especially with added sugar. The flowers are also said to be edible and can lend a floral flavor to salads, desserts, syrups, and gin!
This versatile shrub is a must for western Washington gardens! Though its preference is a location in partial to full sun in well-draining soil, its tolerance for a range of soil types from acidic to alkaline and sun exposures makes it suitable for rock gardens to woodland borders to pollinator beds. It can be used in hedgerows – space plants at least 6 feet apart for adequate air circulation – or as upland plants in streambank or wetland areas. If grown in full sun, supplemental water will be needed for the first year or two. Once well established, this species is hardy to cold, frost, and drought.
Red flowering currant, or any Ribes species (currants or gooseberries), should not be planted in close proximity to any white pine species – these are the five-needled pines – as plants in the genus Ribes may carry the white pine blister rust pathogen. For our area, western white pine (Pinus monticola) is the only species of concern you are likely have in your garden. Shore pine (P. contorta) and Ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) are two- and three-needled pines respecitively, that should not be affected.
Red flowering currant is easily propagated by seed. Gather ripe berries in the fall, remove the surrounding fruit, and sow the small dark seeds directly into the ground or into containers that are set outside to get cold stratification during the winter. Hardwood cuttings taken in fall can also be rooted in moist sandy soil. This species is self fertilizing, but more plentiful fruit is reported when several plants are grown close enough for cross-pollination to occur. Note that if you happen to plant golden currant (Ribes aureum) near your red flowering currant, their seeds may produce hybrid offspring that have a salmon-pink hue!
Since red flowering currant has been such a favorite in landscaping for so long, many cultivars of this species are available. It is not a good idea to trust that changing the characteristics of a plant to suit human tastes will result in one that is effective as a food/nectar/pollen source for the animals that evolved with the original native. It is recommended that you only plant unaltered native species if you wish to help our struggling wildlife populations.
Always remember, “You are nature’s best hope!” - Doug Tallamy.
Native plant sale events coming soon:
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NW Chapter North American Rock Garden Society Plant Sale
April 12, 2025, 10:am – 1:00pm, Bellevue Botanical Garden
SER-UW native plant sale
online April 14th – 18th; in person April 27th 2025
WNPS Central Puget Sound Chapter Spring Plant Sale
April 26, 2025, 10am, Bellevue Botanical Garden
Lake Wilderness Arboretum Plant Sale
April 25th 10am – 6pm, and April 26th, 10am - 4pm
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March 2025 Native Plant of the Month –
Pacific Bleedingheart
(Dicentra formosa)
by Marilee Henry
​​​Image taken 4/17/2024 Finn Hill urban garden: Pacific bleedingheart among
oxalis, wild ginger, ladyfern, and hairy honeysuckle (c) Marilee Henry 2024
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On a spring walk through our moist woodlands one is likely to spy swatches of lacy blue-green fronds spread among the understory in the dappled sunlight, with clusters of pink heart-shaped flowers drooping on succulent leafless stalks rising above the fern-like leaves. Easily recognized and a favorite native in western Washington, Pacific bleedingheart can be found forming lush carpets in forests and urban gardens alike.
This native grows chiefly in moist woods west of the Cascade crest at low to mid-level elevations in the mountains, with pockets also occurring in the Columbia Gorge and in the southeastern corner of the state. Outside of Washington it ranges from British Columbia to northern California, and parts of northeastern Oregon into adjacent Idaho. A beautiful but rare subspecies, Dicentra formosa ssp. oregona, having yellow outer petals with magenta sepals and inner petals, grows in serpentine soils of the Siskyou Mountains in Oregon.
Our species in Washington is technically Dicentra formosa ssp. formosa.Two other uncommon but interesting species of Dicentra occur in eastern Washington: Dutchman’s-breeches (D. cucullaria) and long-horn steer’s-head (D. uniflora), but unfortunately they do not grow well in our region.
Pacific bleedingheart’s familiar blossoms, about 1 inch in length, are composed of four petals, the outer 2 heart-shaped petals covering two inner ones, connected at the tip where the outer petals flare. Two slender pointed sepals are attached to the outer petals at their base.
The flowers vary in color from pale to deep pink, and are occasionally white, forming clusters of 5 to 15 blooms nodding atop 12 to 18 inch long fleshy hairless stalks. The bloom period may begin as early as March and last through June. Deeply cut fern-like leaves are usually 3-, sometimes 4-times divided and are also hairless. Both flower and leaf stems are unbranched, arising from the plant’s brittle rhizome. Fruit capsules, looking like miniature pea pods up to 2 inches in length, set in the fall and contain numerous small black seeds.
Each seed has a small attached appendage called an “elaiosome” which is a nutrient-filled sac intended to attract ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests where the elaiosomes are consumed by their larvae and/or the adults. The undamaged seeds are then removed to the nest’s garbage area or “midden” where they are likely to germinate in the midden’s rich humus. Dispersal of seeds by ants is called “myrmecochory”. It can be a mutually beneficial behavior whereby the ants procure highly nutritious food for their young in exchange for seeds being protected from predation by other animals while being transported to rich soil pockets away from parent populations. A number of other woodland species depend on myrmecochory, including trillium, violas, and wild ginger. Here is a picture of an ant dragging a trillium seed by its elaiosome.
Pacific bleedingheart is an important source of spring nectar and/or pollen for hummingbirds, bumblebees, bees, syrphid flies, butterflies, and other pollinators. It is a host plant for the larva of Parnassius clodius butterflies.
Amphibians, arthropods, reptiles, birds, and other small animals shelter in its thick leafy cover.
Indigenous people chewed the roots of Pacific bleeding-heart for toothache, made an infusion used as a wash to promote hair growth, and fashioned a decoction from crushed roots for deworming. However, it is not recommended that you try these remedies! Warning: this plant contains toxic alkaloids that can cause poisoning if ingested in large quantities, which can be fatal to cattle and horses. Do not plant it in your pasture!
Pacific bleedingheart’s vegetation can be mistaken for that of a very invasive weed called herb Robert, or stinky Bob (Geranium robertianum). Especially when not in bloom, well-intentioned but unknowing gardeners may unfortunately “weed out” the native. But the differences are obvious once pointed out. Bleedingheart has heart-shaped drooping flowers, hairless non-branched non-jointed leaf stems, has no foul odor when crushed, has roots that are brittle rhizomes, and produces light green smooth peapod-like seed capsules, whereas herb Robert has 5-petaled symmetric blooms ~ ½ inch across, has hairy, jointed stems that get a reddish tinge in fall or bright light conditions, has a foul odor when crushed (hence the “stink” in “stinky Bob”), has fibrous shallow roots, and produces seeds in brown teardrop-shaped capsules with a “crane’s beak” protrusion.
Native Pacific bleedingheart is a must-have for urban woodland areas, but is also terrific in flower borders, as a groundcover between shrubs, or even in rock gardens not located in hot sun. It prefers partial shade and moist (but not soggy!) rich soils. Plants may go dormant during drought, but supplemental consistent watering during the dry season can encourage rebloom in the fall. Great companion understory plants include Pacific waterleaf, trillium, false Solomon’s seal, wild ginger, red huckleberry, evergreen huckleberry, salal, western sword fern and ladyfern.
Pacific bleedingheart will easily reseed itself (with help from the ants!) but can also spread by rhizomes in non-compacted soils. Seeds can be collected in late summer or early fall when pods are plump and well-formed. They should be planted as soon as possible in rich potting soil, as their viability declines upon drying out. Roots may also be propagated by division: carefully dig up the root ball in early spring or late fall, hydrate it for a few days, cut root ball into sections with each containing one or more new buds, and replant all in moist rich soil.
Always remember, “You are nature’s best hope!” - Doug Tallamy.
Native plant sale events coming soon:
Snohomish Conservation District plant sale
Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe, March 1-2, 2025
Limited walk-up sales
Bothell Library Seed and Plant Swap
March 29, 2025, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center Native Plant Sale
April 5, 2025, 10am - 4pm
WNPS Central Puget Sound Chapter Spring Plant Sale
April 26, 2025, 10am, Bellevue Botanical Garden
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February 2025 Native Plant of the Month –
Osoberry (a.k.a. Indian Plum)
(Oemleria cerasiformis)
by Marilee Henry
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“No other westside shrub better celebrates the spring rebirth of our lowland landscapes.” Arthur Kruckeberg, in Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest, 1996, regarding Oemleria cerasiformis.
Within a few short weeks, maybe even days, the brilliant greens of osoberry’s bursting new leaves and pendulous clusters of greenish-white blossoms will be enlivening the dull winter tones of forests and open woodlands at low elevations throughout western Washington and parts of the Columbia Gorge. This early blooming characteristic makes osoberry easy to spot in our region in the still chilly temperatures of February, as it will be the first native shrub to flower.
Osoberry is an erect deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, ranging from British Columbia to northern California, that grows up to 20 feet in height. Its bright green, alternate, lance-shaped leaves, 2 to 5 inches in length, have smooth margins, pointed tips, and duller green undersides. When crushed, young leaves can smell like cucumber or watermelon rind. Its stems of purplish-brown bark are dotted with obvious yellow-orange lenticels, soft tissues that aid in the exchange of gases and water, facilitating photosynthesis and stem hydration. The chambered pith inside its stems provides storage space for water and/or nutrients, an advantage during summer drought or seasonal low-nutrient periods, as well as adding structural flexibility and strength.
Fragrant, faintly almond-scented flowers having 5 greenish sepals and 5 whitish petals hang in clusters of 10 to 20 blooms from the ends of leafy branch tips. Flowers may open just before or as the young leaves are emerging in late winter. Since osoberry is dioecious, each individual plant will have either male or female flowers containing 15 stamens or 5 pistils respectively – you can see the differences here. Though the female flowers may appear to also have stamens, they are usually stunted and non-functional.
One-seeded whitish-tan fruits (“drupes”) form only on the female plants, turning orange to red to purple as spring progresses. They are bitter to the taste at this stage, containing small amounts of cyanide compounds to discourage consumption before seeds are mature. (Warning: unripe fruit ingested by pets or children may be toxic. ) The fruits become palatable only when they are fully ripe and blackish-blue in color; in western Washington this may occur as early as May. Their flesh is said to then taste like watermelon or cherries.
Osoberry is a wonderful plant for wildlife, hosting at least 10 species of moth and butterfly larvae in our region. Its early blooming habit provides critical late-winter-to-early-spring sources of nectar and pollen for bees, bumblebees, flies, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its early fruit is so popular with many birds, foxes, coyotes, deer, bears (“oso” means “bear” in Spanish), and other mammals that they quickly disappear upon ripening.
Indigenous peoples had numerous uses for this native. The ripe berries were consumed raw, cooked, or dried in small quantities. The strong yet flexible and fine-grained character of its wood made stems ideal for bows and arrows, and for small carved objects such as combs, spoons, and knitting needles. Bark and twigs could be seeped for tea or included in medicines.
Osoberry is very interesting botanically in its being dioecious and precocious. Approximately 6% of all flowering species are dioecious. The advantage of dioecy, forcing cross-pollination between different plants of the same species, results in greater genetic diversity in the offspring. However, it has its disadvantages as well. Dioecious plants require pollinators to move pollen from male plants to female plants for germination, whereas in non-dioecious plants, germination can result from the movement of a pollinator from any flower to another or even within a single bloom. Also, in a given population of dioecious plants, only half their number can produce seeds, whereas in non-dioecious species any plant can reproduce. So one might think that in the struggle for survival, dioecious plants are at a great reproductive disadvantage to non-dioecious species within their habitats. But in evolving toward dioecy, species have also developed precocious strategies to overcome these disadvantages. In the case of osoberry, an understory woodland species, its leaves and flowers emerge in late winter before the overstory trees leaf out to shade it. So it gets the sunlight and early pollinators all to itself. Its male plants produce more biomass in flowers and pollen than females in flowers, attracting more pollinators first to themselves and thereby increasing the direction of pollen movement from male to female plants. Osoberry starts producing fruit at a young age, as early as 2 years after planting, maximizing reproductive life span. Producing fruit that both matures earlier than that of other shrubs and trees and is tasty to many animals ensures widespread dispersal of its seeds. Research shows that given these precocious strategies, osoberry populations can be maintained in roughly the same numbers as non-dioecious species. For more details, read this.
In restoration projects osoberry is important for its wildlife values as well as for its fast growth, its ease of inexpensive propagation by cuttings or seeds, and for its fibrous roots that enhance slope stability and erosion control. Though it prefers part shade and fertile, moist, well-drained soils, it is tolerant of most soil types and moisture regimes, the exception being water-saturated areas.
In urban landscaping, osoberry is most striking planted on the borders of conifer groupings where its early leaves and flowers create maximum contrast in late winter. Osoberry can also be placed in the understory in full shade, though it flowers and fruits best in sunnier spots. Supplemental watering during the first 1 or 2 years while getting established may be required due to its rapid growth and shallow roots, especially when planted in full sun.
Because male plants produce larger, showier flowers than females, some gardeners prefer to plant only males. But in doing so, they will be excluding the highly prized fruit that attracts birds and other wildlife to their backyard habitats! So plant groups of 3 or more osoberry together, spacing them 8 to 10 feet apart and having at least one female for every 2 or 3 male plants in borders with morning sun for numerous blooms and good fruit production.
Remember, “You are nature’s best hope!” - Doug Tallamy.
Native plant sale events coming soon:
Snohomish Conservation District plant sale
Online ordering continues through Feb 7, 2025
Pickup at Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe, March 1-2, 2025
Arboretum Spring Plant Sale April 6, 2025
Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center Spring Native Plant Sale April 20, 2025
WNPS Native Plant Sale April 26, 2025, BBG