Database of Palouse Forbs for Landscaping
(sorted by longevity)
Species |
Family |
flower color |
mature height (inches) |
bloom starts |
bloom ends |
sun required |
soil moisture |
longevity * |
sowing time |
transplant time |
Clarkia pulchella |
Onagraceae |
pink |
04-12 |
6/6 |
7/10 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Collinsia parviflora |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
02-10 |
4/9 |
5/25 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
fall |
no |
Collomia grandiflora |
Polemoniaceae |
orange |
06-18 |
6/20 |
7/10 |
full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Collomia linearis |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
04-14 |
5/29 |
7/7 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Gilia aggregata |
Polemoniaceae |
red |
12-28 |
6/20 |
9/3 |
full |
dry |
biennial |
fall |
spring |
Antennaria luzuloides |
Asteraceae |
white |
06-14 |
5/20 |
6/22 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Antennaria microphylla |
Asteraceae |
pink |
08-16 |
5/23 |
6/10 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Balsamorhiza sagittata |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
4/14 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
long |
fall |
fall |
Besseya rubra |
Scrophulariaceae |
red |
08-16 |
4/1 |
4/14 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Eriogonum heracleoides |
Polygonaceae |
white |
08-16 |
5/13 |
6/13 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Erythronium grandiflorum |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
06-14 |
4/12 |
5/17 |
part/full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
fall |
Lithospermum ruderale |
Boraginaceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
4/29 |
5/20 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon deustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
white |
12-24 |
5/31 |
7/9 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Phlox longifolia |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
08-14 |
4/28 |
5/31 |
part/full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Phlox speciosa |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
08-16 |
4/28 |
5/31 |
full |
dry/mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Solidago canadensis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
24-68 |
7/21 |
9/22 |
part/full |
moist |
long |
spring |
spring |
Wyethia amplexicaulis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
5/13 |
6/28 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Allium acuminatum |
Liliaceae |
red/pink |
04-10 |
6/12 |
7/1 |
full |
dry |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Apocynum androsaemifolium |
Apocynaceae |
pink |
08-18 |
6/19 |
8/10 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
? |
spring |
Arnica sororia |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
5/13 |
6/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Aster occidentalis |
Asteraceae |
blue/purple |
14-24 |
7/10 |
8/20 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Brodiaea douglasii |
Liliaceae |
blue/purple |
12-24 |
4/29 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Camassia quamash |
Liliaceae |
blue/purple |
12-20 |
5/14 |
5/27 |
full |
moist |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Castilleja cusickii |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
08-18 |
4/15 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Castilleja hispida |
Scrophulariaceae |
red/orange |
10-20 |
4/12 |
7/25 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Castilleja lutescens |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
10-20 |
4/15 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Castilleja miniata |
Scrophulariaceae |
red |
16-26 |
6/23 |
9/14 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Claytonia lanceolata |
Portulacaceae |
white |
02-06 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Dodecatheon pulchellum |
Primulaceae |
red/pink |
04-08 |
4/25 |
5/10 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Erigeron corymbosus |
Asteraceae |
blue/purple |
08-16 |
6/22 |
7/22 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Gaillardia aristata |
Asteraceae |
red/orange |
12-22 |
6/10 |
7/24 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
spring |
spring |
Galium boreale |
Rubiaceae |
white |
12-18 |
5/31 |
6/28 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
spring |
spring |
Gentiana affinis |
Gentianaceae |
blue/purple |
08-16 |
7/23 |
8/20 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Geum macrophyllum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
14-24 |
5/20 |
7/8 |
partial |
moist |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Hieracium albertinum |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-22 |
6/20 |
7/10 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Hydrophyllum capitatum |
Hydrophyllaceae |
purple |
04-10 |
4/29 |
6/12 |
shade/part |
moist |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Iris missouriensis |
Iridaceae |
purple |
12-20 |
5/13 |
6/10 |
part/full |
moist |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Linum lewisii |
Linaceae |
blue/purple |
14-22 |
5/20 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
spring |
spring |
Lithophragma bulbifera |
Saxifragaceae |
white |
04-10 |
4/12 |
5/7 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Lithophragma parviflora |
Saxifragaceae |
white |
04-12 |
4/29 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Lomatium triternatum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
12-22 |
4/1 |
5/31 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Mertensia longiflora |
Boraginaceae |
blue/purple |
04-08 |
4/12 |
5/30 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Penstemon attenuatus |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
12-20 |
5/29 |
7/10 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon attenuatus |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
5/29 |
7/10 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon confertus |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
5/31 |
6/28 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Perideridia gairdneri |
Apiaceae |
white |
16-40 |
7/23 |
8/21 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Potentilla arguta |
Rosaceae |
white |
20-30 |
5/31 |
6/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Potentilla gracilis |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
5/3 |
7/2 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Sidalcea oregana |
Malvaceae |
red/pink |
14-40 |
6/28 |
7/15 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Veratrum californicum |
Liliaceae |
white |
40-80 |
6/15 |
7/10 |
part/full |
mesic/moist |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Viola adunca |
Violaceae |
blue/purple |
02-08 |
5/6 |
6/12 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Zigadenus venenosus |
Liliaceae |
white |
12-22 |
5/6 |
6/12 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Achillea millefolium |
Asteraceae |
white |
16-28 |
5/23 |
7/24 |
full |
dry |
short |
spring |
spring |
Astragalus canadensis |
Fabaceae |
white |
08-20 |
6/22 |
7/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Clematis hirsutissima |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
12-22 |
4/19 |
4/30 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Delphinium nuttallianum |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
06-14 |
4/10 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Eriophyllum lanatum |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
08-14 |
5/15 |
6/15 |
full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Fritillaria pudica |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
04-12 |
4/1 |
4/15 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
Geranium viscosissimum |
Geraniaceae |
purple/pink |
12-20 |
5/13 |
7/24 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Geum triflorum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
08-18 |
4/29 |
5/31 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
spring |
spring |
Helianthella uniflora |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
20-30 |
5/31 |
7/10 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Heracleum lanatum |
Apiaceae |
white |
40-80 |
6/13 |
6/30 |
part/full |
moist |
short |
fall |
spring |
Heuchera cylindrica |
Saxifragaceae |
white |
10-20 |
5/10 |
7/10 |
full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lomatium dissectum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
24-48 |
4/9 |
6/6 |
part/full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lupinus laxiflorus |
Fabaceae |
blue/purple |
12-24 |
5/31 |
7/15 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lupinus leucophyllus |
Fabaceae |
blue/purple |
12-22 |
6/10 |
7/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lupinus sericeus |
Fabaceae |
blue/purple |
10-22 |
5/31 |
7/15 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon venustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
16-26 |
6/6 |
7/23 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Ranunculus glaberrimus |
Ranunculaceae |
yellow |
02-06 |
3/16 |
5/11 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
Sedum stenopetalum |
Crassulaceae |
yellow |
02-08 |
6/10 |
7/25 |
part/full |
dry |
short |
fall |
fall |
Sisyrinchium inflatum |
Iridaceae |
blue/purple |
06-18 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
Solidago missouriensis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-24 |
7/15 |
9/5 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
spring |
spring |
Thermopsis montana |
Fabaceae |
yellow |
16-24 |
4/29 |
5/23 |
part/full |
moist |
short |
fall |
spring |
Skinner, D.M; Warnick, P. 2006. Database of Palouse Forbs for Landscaping. Palouse Prairie Foundation. Moscow, ID.
This database of landscaping characteristics for Palouse native forbs was compiled by David M. Skinner and Paul Warnick, April 15, 2006. It is a spreadsheet which allows one to sort by various plant characteristics such as family, flower color, mature height, bloom time, sun requirement, soil moisture requirement, longevity, and planting time. For further information on each species, refer to "Characteristics and Uses of Native Palouse Forbs in Landscaping" and "More Palouse Forbs for Landscaping", or to the individual species in the Palouse Prairie Foundation plant database.
Much of the data has been compiled from personal observations and data collection from plants growing on the Palouse. For some species and parameters, we had to rely on other sources. For those, the spreadsheet may not exactly reflect plant performance on the Palouse, but should still give a reasonable facsimile thereof. We will endeavor to obtain more accurate data in the near future for those species.
References:
Hitchcock, C. Leo, Arthur Cronquist, Marion Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 5 vols.
Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Univ. of Washington Press. Seattle, WA.
St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA.
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. The PLANTS Database, 6 March 2006 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
Palouse Prairie Foundation
P.O. Box 8952
Moscow, ID 83843
palouseprairie.org