Shade Archives - Kitsap Conservation District

The 2023 Kitsap Conservation District Native Plant Sale is now closed. Thank you to all who ordered! Come back soon for more information on plant pickup.

Groundcovers, Ferns and Vines

Pink Honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula

New for 2023!

This native honeysuckle is a sprawling woody vine that will grow along the ground, over other plants or on a trellis. Fragrant pink flowers attract hummingbirds and pollinators. Birds eat the bright translucent berries that follow.
- Mature height: 3′-20′
- Mature width: 6′-8′
- Light conditions: …
Groundcovers, Ferns and Vines

Sword Fern
Polystichum munitum

New for 2023!

This large evergreen fern does well in part shade to shady spots and can handle dry conditions under large conifers once established. The most common fern in Pacific Northwest forests, it makes a great groundcover and background for other shade loving plants.
- Mature height: 3′-5′
- Mature width: 3′-5′
- Light conditions: part shade to shade
- Soil: dry …
Groundcovers, Ferns and Vines

Deer Fern

Blechnum spicant

This graceful and tidy fern looks good year-round with enough shade and moisture. Two types of fronds, drooping evergreen around the outside and upright deciduous in the center, give it an interesting two-toned quality. A nice feature plant or small-scale groundcover, Deer Fern is pretty in a woodland garden, next to a path or in a shady …
Hardwood Trees and Shrubs

Pacific Rhododendron

Rhododendron macrophyllum

The state flower of Washington, Pacific Rhododendron blooms range from light pink to rosy-purple. They bloom in clusters from late spring to early summer, and are attractive to native bumblebees. This iconic Pacific Northwest shrub has an open form and long leathery evergreen leaves. Pacific Rhododendron …
Hardwood Trees and Shrubs

Red Elderberry

Sambucus racemosa

Creamy white clusters of small flowers bloom from early spring to mid-summer. Birds and small mammals love the bright red berries that follow. This shrub is a good source of nesting materials for native bees. It has a broad arching shape and responds well to pruning. …
Groundcovers, Ferns and Vines

Salal

Gaultheria shallon

Delicate pinkish-white urn shaped flowers bloom late spring to early summer and are attractive to butterflies. Blackish-blue berries which follow are eaten by many birds and mammals. This ubiquitous evergreen shrub varies in height, staying shorter in sunny areas and growing taller in the shade. Salal …
Hardwood Trees and Shrubs

Tall Oregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium

Fragrant bright yellow flowers bloom from early to late spring. The showy clusters of bluish-black berries which follow resemble clusters of grapes and are attractive to birds. The prickly foliage, which remains on the plant throughout the year, takes on a reddish tinge in winter. Tall …
Hardwood Trees and Shrubs

Twinberry

Lonicera involucrata

Pairs of yellow tubular flowers, that are attractive to hummingbirds and bees, bloom from mid-spring to late summer. Birds love the shiny black fruit that follows. This fast-growing shrubby honeysuckle with an arching shape would be at home in a large rain garden, a wet hedgerow …
Hardwood Trees and Shrubs

Vine Maple

Acer circinatum

Tiny red and white flower clusters bloom from early spring to early summer on this vase-shaped multi-trunk shrub or small tree. Appreciated for its vivid red, orange and yellow autumn foliage, Vine Maple is lovely as a landscape feature or in a large rain garden. Its …
Evergreen Trees

Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata

With its pyramidal shape and gracefully drooping sprays of foliage, Western Red Cedar is an icon of the Pacific Northwest. An important riparian restoration tree that provides shade, stabilizes stream banks and creates habitat, it is also a valuable landscape feature with major cultural significance. Considered fast growing, it can gain up to 2′ a year once …