Database of Palouse Forbs for Landscaping
(sorted by sun requirement)
Species |
Family |
flower color |
mature height (inches) |
bloom starts |
bloom ends |
sun required * |
soil moisture |
longevity |
sowing time |
transplant time |
Gilia aggregata |
Polemoniaceae |
red |
12-28 |
6/20 |
9/3 |
full |
dry |
biennial |
fall |
spring |
Allium acuminatum |
Liliaceae |
red/pink |
04-10 |
6/12 |
7/1 |
full |
dry |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Achillea millefolium |
Asteraceae |
white |
16-28 |
5/23 |
7/24 |
full |
dry |
short |
spring |
spring |
Antennaria luzuloides |
Asteraceae |
white |
06-14 |
5/20 |
6/22 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Eriogonum heracleoides |
Polygonaceae |
white |
08-16 |
5/13 |
6/13 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Heuchera cylindrica |
Saxifragaceae |
white |
10-20 |
5/10 |
7/10 |
full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Penstemon deustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
white |
12-24 |
5/31 |
7/9 |
full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Eriophyllum lanatum |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
08-14 |
5/15 |
6/15 |
full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Brodiaea douglasii |
Liliaceae |
blue/purple |
12-24 |
4/29 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Delphinium nuttallianum |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
06-14 |
4/10 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Linum lewisii |
Linaceae |
blue/purple |
14-22 |
5/20 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
spring |
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 |
Collomia grandiflora |
Polemoniaceae |
orange |
06-18 |
6/20 |
7/10 |
full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Phlox speciosa |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
08-16 |
4/28 |
5/31 |
full |
dry/mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Geranium viscosissimum |
Geraniaceae |
purple/pink |
12-20 |
5/13 |
7/24 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Castilleja hispida |
Scrophulariaceae |
red/orange |
10-20 |
4/12 |
7/25 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
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 |
Zigadenus venenosus |
Liliaceae |
white |
12-22 |
5/6 |
6/12 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Balsamorhiza sagittata |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
4/14 |
5/23 |
full |
dry/mesic |
long |
fall |
fall |
Castilleja cusickii |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
08-18 |
4/15 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Castilleja lutescens |
Scrophulariaceae |
yellow |
10-20 |
4/15 |
6/20 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Hieracium albertinum |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-22 |
6/20 |
7/10 |
full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Ranunculus glaberrimus |
Ranunculaceae |
yellow |
02-06 |
3/16 |
5/11 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
Solidago missouriensis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-24 |
7/15 |
9/5 |
full |
dry/mesic |
short |
spring |
spring |
Gentiana affinis |
Gentianaceae |
blue/purple |
08-16 |
7/23 |
8/20 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Sisyrinchium inflatum |
Iridaceae |
blue/purple |
06-18 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
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 |
Besseya rubra |
Scrophulariaceae |
red |
08-16 |
4/1 |
4/14 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Gaillardia aristata |
Asteraceae |
red/orange |
12-22 |
6/10 |
7/24 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
spring |
spring |
Dodecatheon pulchellum |
Primulaceae |
red/pink |
04-08 |
4/25 |
5/10 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Fritillaria pudica |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
04-12 |
4/1 |
4/15 |
full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
fall |
Lithospermum ruderale |
Boraginaceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
4/29 |
5/20 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Potentilla gracilis |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
5/3 |
7/2 |
full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Wyethia amplexicaulis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
16-26 |
5/13 |
6/28 |
full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
spring |
Camassia quamash |
Liliaceae |
blue/purple |
12-20 |
5/14 |
5/27 |
full |
moist |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Phlox longifolia |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
08-14 |
4/28 |
5/31 |
part/full |
dry |
long |
fall |
spring |
Lomatium dissectum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
24-48 |
4/9 |
6/6 |
part/full |
dry |
short |
fall |
spring |
Sedum stenopetalum |
Crassulaceae |
yellow |
02-08 |
6/10 |
7/25 |
part/full |
dry |
short |
fall |
fall |
Collinsia parviflora |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
02-10 |
4/9 |
5/25 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
fall |
no |
Erigeron corymbosus |
Asteraceae |
blue/purple |
08-16 |
6/22 |
7/22 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Clarkia pulchella |
Onagraceae |
pink |
04-12 |
6/6 |
7/10 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Collomia linearis |
Polemoniaceae |
pink |
04-14 |
5/29 |
7/7 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
annual |
spring |
spring |
Helianthella uniflora |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
20-30 |
5/31 |
7/10 |
part/full |
dry/mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Aster occidentalis |
Asteraceae |
blue/purple |
14-24 |
7/10 |
8/20 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Clematis hirsutissima |
Ranunculaceae |
blue/purple |
12-22 |
4/19 |
4/30 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Lupinus laxiflorus |
Fabaceae |
blue/purple |
12-24 |
5/31 |
7/15 |
part/full |
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 venustus |
Scrophulariaceae |
blue/purple |
16-26 |
6/6 |
7/23 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Viola adunca |
Violaceae |
blue/purple |
02-08 |
5/6 |
6/12 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Castilleja miniata |
Scrophulariaceae |
red |
16-26 |
6/23 |
9/14 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Sidalcea oregana |
Malvaceae |
red/pink |
14-40 |
6/28 |
7/15 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Astragalus canadensis |
Fabaceae |
white |
08-20 |
6/22 |
7/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
fall |
spring |
Claytonia lanceolata |
Portulacaceae |
white |
02-06 |
3/24 |
5/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Galium boreale |
Rubiaceae |
white |
12-18 |
5/31 |
6/28 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
spring |
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 |
Arnica sororia |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
12-20 |
5/13 |
6/25 |
part/full |
mesic |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Erythronium grandiflorum |
Liliaceae |
yellow |
06-14 |
4/12 |
5/17 |
part/full |
mesic |
long |
fall |
fall |
Geum triflorum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
08-18 |
4/29 |
5/31 |
part/full |
mesic |
short |
spring |
spring |
Lomatium triternatum |
Apiaceae |
yellow |
12-22 |
4/1 |
5/31 |
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 |
Veratrum californicum |
Liliaceae |
white |
40-80 |
6/15 |
7/10 |
part/full |
mesic/moist |
mod |
fall |
fall |
Iris missouriensis |
Iridaceae |
purple |
12-20 |
5/13 |
6/10 |
part/full |
moist |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Heracleum lanatum |
Apiaceae |
white |
40-80 |
6/13 |
6/30 |
part/full |
moist |
short |
fall |
spring |
Solidago canadensis |
Asteraceae |
yellow |
24-68 |
7/21 |
9/22 |
part/full |
moist |
long |
spring |
spring |
Thermopsis montana |
Fabaceae |
yellow |
16-24 |
4/29 |
5/23 |
part/full |
moist |
short |
fall |
spring |
Geum macrophyllum |
Rosaceae |
yellow |
14-24 |
5/20 |
7/8 |
partial |
moist |
mod |
fall |
spring |
Hydrophyllum capitatum |
Hydrophyllaceae |
purple |
04-10 |
4/29 |
6/12 |
shade/part |
moist |
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