Desert Jewels Nursery
Low Shrubs & Ground Cover
Kinnickinnik
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Readily available in commerce. Excellent groundcover for slopes or under pine trees. Important plant to Native Americans.
Region
L
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
pink
Xeric
moderately
Flower Time
spring
Size
low shrub/ ground cover
Matted Buckwheat
Eriogonum caespitosum
Native to all western states except Washington.
Region
W
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
yellow
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
summer?
Size
low shrub/ ground cover
Northern Buckwheat
Eriogonum compositum
Wild buckwheats are very important to pollinators. This one is one of our locals, a lover of very rocky sites. Good plant for the harshest, dryest, rockiest conditions.
Region
L
Evergreen
no
Flower Color
Cream to yellow to pink
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Early summer
Size
low shrub/ ground cover
Wyeth buckwheat, Parsnip flower buckwheat
Eriogonum heracleoides
Native to the western US. Fully hardy in this area. Grows in sagebrush steppe, dry open Ponderosa pine forest, and on dry, rocky soils.
Region
L
Evergreen
semi-evergreen
Flower Color
cream to yellow
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Early summer
Size
8- 14” tall, 1-3’ wide.
Snow buckwheat
Eriogonum niveum
Snow buckwheat is native to the Pacific Northwest. A great plant for restoration and for xeriscapes. Like all buckwheats, important for native pollinators: utilized by the rare Mormon metalmark butterfly.
Region
R
Evergreen
semi-evergreen
Flower Color
White
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Summer
Size
1 ft.
Cushion Buckwheat
Eriogonum ovalifolium
This wonderful little mat former or bun – shaped plant grows throughout the West in high elevations. The flowers range in color from cream to pink to red to purple.
Region
W
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
White/ cream
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Early summer
Size
1 inch tall
Blue Mountain buckwheat
Eriogonum strictum
Common in NE Oregon sagebrush/juniper communities. Variable over its western range: generally low-growing with light yellow flower clusters.
Region
W
Evergreen
semi-evergreen
Flower Color
butter yellow
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Summer
Size
4-12 inches
Thyme-leaf buckwheat
Eriogonum thymoides
Small, slow growing, very showy flowering shrublet of basalt substrates. Once known as Ming tree - a bonsai subject. Collector's item - somewhat difficult to keep.
Region
L, R
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
white, cream, sometimes pink, yellow, red
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
spring
Size
4 - 6 inches
Sulphur Flower Buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum var. majus
A subspecies of Sulphur Flower Buckwheat, from the mountains of WA & ID. Outstanding ground cover for an occasionally watered area.
Region
R
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
Cream to pink
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
spring
Size
low shrub/ ground cover
Horizontal Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis
Juniperus horizontalis, the creeping juniper or creeping cedar, is a low-growing shrubby juniper native to northern North America, throughout most of Canada from Yukon east to Newfoundland, and in the United States in Alaska, and locally from Montana east to Maine, reaching its furthest south in Wyoming and northern Illinois.
Region
M
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
inconspicuous
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
Size
Up to 1.5 ft. tall and 10 ft. wide.
Lavender
Lavandula sp.(Hardy English)
Hardy English lavender does well in dry gardens. Fragrant flowers have many uses, and are loved by bees. Goldfinches eat the seeds.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
semi-evergreen
Flower Color
lavender
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
Summer
Size
2 ft
Ellagance Pink' Lavender
Lavandula sp.'Ellagance Pink'
Graceful sprays of soft pink flowers amid fragrant silver-green foliage. An exceptionally compact selection. Adored by butterflies and bees.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
pink
Xeric
moderately
Flower Time
summer
Size
1 ft. x 1 ft.
Kent Beauty' Oregano
Origanum rotundifolium x O. scabrum
Fascinating flowers look like hops. VERY long blooming in summer.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
no
Flower Color
cream & pink
Xeric
somewhat
Flower Time
summer
Size
6 inches tall x 2 ft. wide
Barrett's Penstemon
Penstemon barrettiae
Rare in the wild, but easy to cultivate. Native only to the area in and around the Columbia River Gorge. Long lived landscape plant.
Region
R
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
Purple
Xeric
very
Flower Time
spring
Size
6 - 12 inches tall by 3 - 4 ft. wide
Shrubby Penstemon
Penstemon fruticosus
One of the very best of the locals. Showy year-round. Likes rocky sites. May spread up to 3 ft. Long lived in the landscape.
Region
L
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
Purple, occasionally pink or white
Xeric
very
Flower Time
Spring
Size
1 - 2 ft,
Cliff Penstemon, Rock Penstemon
Penstemon rupicola
Small ground cover or rock garden plant. Frequently pink flowered, with bluish foliage Very beautiful year-round. Not common in commerce. Long lived in the landscape.
Region
R
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
pink to purple
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
spring
Size
low shrub/ ground cover
Purple Sage
Salvia dorrii
Very showy early summer bloomer. Good for pollinators. Some traditional medicinal uses. Important to Native Americans.
Region
L
Evergreen
semi-evergreen
Flower Color
Purple
Xeric
extremely
Flower Time
Summer
Size
1 - 2 ft, occasionally 3+
Mojave Sage, Giant Flowered Purple Sage
Salvia pachyphylla
VERY long blooming purple sage is beloved by hummingbirds and bees. This California native loves hot, dry, full sun sites. Reportedly browse resistant. Zone 5 hardy, but not hardy in colder zones (2-4).
Region
W
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
Purple
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
Mid to late summer
Size
2 -2 1/2 ft.
Hens & Chicks, Live-Forever, House Leek
Sempervivum sp.
Thousands of species exist, native to Europe. Great plants for dry, rocky areas or green roofs.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
yellow, pink, white
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
spring, summer
Size
Ground cover
Birchleaf Spiraea
Spiraea betulifolia
Forest shrub: not a desert plant - likes occasional watering. Very showy and attractive to different pollinators. Can tolerate dry shade.
Region
L
Evergreen
no
Flower Color
White
Xeric
somewhat
Flower Time
Early summer
Size
to 2 ft.
Douglas' Spiraea, Rose spiraea
Spiraea douglasii
Usually found in wetlands, the Rose spiraea has conical clusters of fragrant pink flowers. In the wild, it spreads
by suckers (under-ground shoots) to form dense thickets.
Region
L, R
Evergreen
no
Flower Color
pink
Xeric
no
Flower Time
Summer
Size
4 ft.+ tall with wide spread by suckers
Creeping Thyme
Thymus sp.
Great groundcover for dry areas, although it is not a native plant. Plant grows very flat to the ground. Lawn substitute for areas with light foot traffic.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
White, pink or purple
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
Summer
Size
Ground cover
Creeping Wooly Thyme
Thymus sp.
Great groundcover for dry areas, although it is not a native plant. Very dense and wooly looking carpet. Lawn substitute for areas with light foot traffic.
Region
Introduced
Evergreen
yes
Flower Color
almost none
Xeric
yes
Flower Time
Early summer
Size
Ground cover