Database of Palouse Forbs for Landscaping
(sorted by genus/species)
Species * |
Family |
flower color |
mature height (inches) |
bloom starts |
bloom ends |
sun required |
soil moisture |
longevity |
sowing time |
transplant time |
Achillea millefolium |
Asteraceae |
white |
16-28 |
5/23 |
7/24 |
full |
dry |
short |
spring |
spring |
Allium acuminatum |
Liliaceae |
red/pink |
04-10 |
6/12 |
7/1 |
full |
dry |
mod |
fall |
fall |
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 |
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 |
Astragalus canadensis |
Fabaceae |
white |
08-20 |
6/22 |
7/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
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 |
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
|
Clarkia pulchella |
Onagraceae |
pink |
04-12 |
6/6 |
7/10 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring
|
Claytonia lanceolata |
Portulacaceae |
white |
02-06 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall
|
Clematis hirsutissima |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
12-22 |
4/19 |
4/30 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
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
|
Delphinium nuttallianum |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
06-14 |
4/10 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring
|
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
|
Eriogonum heracleoides |
Polygonaceae |
white |
08-16 |
5/13 |
6/13 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Eriophyllum lanatum |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
08-14 |
5/15 |
6/15 |
full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Erythronium grandiflorum |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
06-14 |
4/12 |
5/17 |
part/full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
fall |
Fritillaria pudica |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
04-12 |
4/1 |
4/15 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
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 |
Geranium viscosissimum |
Geraniaceae |
purple/pink |
12-20 |
5/13 |
7/24 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Geum macrophyllum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
14-24 |
5/20 |
7/8 |
partial |
moist |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Geum triflorum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
08-18 |
4/29 |
5/31 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
spring |
spring |
Gilia aggregata |
Polemoniaceae |
red |
12-28 |
6/20 |
9/3 |
full |
dry |
biennial |
fall |
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 |
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 |
Lithospermum ruderale |
Boraginaceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
4/29 |
5/20 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Lomatium dissectum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
24-48 |
4/9 |
6/6 |
part/full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lomatium triternatum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
12-22 |
4/1 |
5/31 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
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 |
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 |
Penstemon deustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
white |
12-24 |
5/31 |
7/9 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon venustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
16-26 |
6/6 |
7/23 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Perideridia gairdneri |
Apiaceae |
white |
16-40 |
7/23 |
8/21 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
Sidalcea oregana |
Malvaceae |
red/pink |
14-40 |
6/28 |
7/15 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring
|
Sisyrinchium inflatum |
Iridaceae |
blue/purple |
06-18 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall
|
Solidago canadensis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
24-68 |
7/21 |
9/22 |
part/full |
moist |
long |
spring |
spring
|
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
|
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
|
Wyethia amplexicaulis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
5/13 |
6/28 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring
|
Zigadenus venenosus |
Liliaceae |
white |
12-22 |
5/6 |
6/12 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
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, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database, 6 March 2006 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Palouse Prairie Foundation
P.O. Box 8952
Moscow, ID 83843
palouseprairie.org