Selecting appropriate plants for gardens and landscapes can provide both aesthetic and environmental benefits. Using native plants1 offers gardeners and landscape designers a variety of plant selections to develop creative gardens and protect the health and beauty of our natural areas and waterways. By learning to identify invasive plants2, gardeners can make more appropriate plant choices. Invasive plants degrade water quality, wildlife habitat and threaten our economy by increasing erosion, crowding out native plants, competing with crops and creating fire hazards.
Native plants are well adapted to our local environment and easier to maintain because they require less watering and pest and disease control, and provide habitat for birds and insects. Native plants and non-invasive ornamentals3also spread less aggressively in your garden and are less likely to spread into adjacent natural areas. Controlling the spread of aggressive plants in garden settings and natural areas can increase the herbicide use, so selecting native or non-invasive ornamentals can reduce overall herbicide use.
The resources listed on this page provide information on native, invasive, and non-invasive ornamental plant species selection and care. There are also resources for designing sustainable stormwater facilities with lists of plants that are most suitable for absorbing rainfall and treating urban runoff. Trees are a particularly important tool in managing urban stormwater and we encourage you to use the resources below to choose trees for your yards and planting strips.
1 - Native plants include grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees that were present in Oregon prior to European settlement
2 - Invasive plants are species that spread aggressively outside of their natural range
3 - Ornamental plants are readily available in local garden centers, but please check resources to determine which ones are not invasive
