Washington State Department of Ecology

Plants Commonly Found on Puget Sound Shoreland Sites

The following list illustrates the great diversity of plants found growing on Puget Sound bluff sites. There are many others that you may be familiar with that are not listed here. The influences of the Sound's intricate waterways and the surrounding mountains foster a multitude of species in the area. Some are found only in long-protected spots while others are seen almost everywhere.

Representative trees, shrubs, and herbaceous growth have been included to furnish readers with information on the plants that may be encountered on their property. The sprouting, rooting, and erosion control information is the result of observations by the author, verified through research and technical material where possible. The age and height listed for shrub and tree species are from varies sources. They are furnished to indicate general longevity and approximate size at maturity. Remember that many climatic and site factors can influence plant characteristics. Heights may vary considerably.

The plants listed here are not necessarily the most valuable species possible for erosion control, wildlife, or aesthetics. They are simply common throughout the area. Some of the most common shrubs are invasive, non-native plants that are becoming widespread problems. These are indicated by an asterisk (*). They should never be planted and should be discouraged where possible.

Readers who are interested in more detailed information on Northwest and Puget Sound flora can refer to Recommended Reading and For More Information. There are several excellent field guides available as well.

Herbaceous Plants

Common Name	Botanical Name	Native/ Non-native	Deciduous/ Evergreen	Rooting Habitat**	Erosion Control	Ground Cover Quality
Sword Fern	Polystichum munitum	Native	Evergreen
*English Ivy	Hedra helix	Non	Evergreen
Honeysuckle	Lonicera spp.	Native

Common Name	Botanical Name	Native/ Non- native	Deciduous/ Evergreen	Rooting Habitat**	Erosion Control	Ground Cover Quality
Sword Fern	Polystichum munitum	Native	Evergreen	Shallow	Fair	Good
*English Ivy	Hedra helix	Non	Evergreen	Shallow-moderate	Poor	Good
Honeysuckle	Lonicera spp.	Native	Deciduous	Shallow-moderate	Fair	Fair
Nettle	Urtica spp.	Native	Deciduous	Wide, very shallow	Poor	Poor
Foxglove	igitalis purpurea	Non	Deciduous	Very shallow	Poor	Poor
Perennial pea	Lathyrus spp.	Non	Deciduous	Shallow-moderate	Fair	Fair
Bracken Fern	Pteridium aquilimum	Native	Deciduous	Shallow	Fair	Poor
*Horsetail	Equisetum spp.	Mostly non	Deciduous	Wide, shallow	Poor	Fair
*Grasses	Various	Mostly non	Evergreen	Shallow-moderate	Fair	Excellent (low)

Shrubs & Small Trees

Common Name	Botanical Name	Native/ Non-native	Deciduous/ Evergreen	Rooting Habitat**	Erosion Control	Ground Cover Quality	Capa-city to Sprout	Mature Height (ft)
Trailing Blackberry	Rubus ursinus	Native	Semi-deciduous	Shallow	Fair	Good	Yes	Vine
*Himalaya Blackberry	Rubus discolor	Non	Semi-Evergreen	Moderate	Poor	Good	Yes	Vine-cane
Vine Maple	Acer circinatum	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Fair	Yes	10+
Ocean-spray	Holodiscus discolor	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Good	Yes	10+
*Scot's Broom	Cytisus scoparius	Non	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Good	Yes	To 8
Willow	Salix spp.	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Fair/Good	Yes	10+
Snowberry	Symphori-carposalbus	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Excellent	Yes	3+
Rose	Rosa spp.	Native	Deciduous	Shallow-moderate	Good	Good	Yes	2-10
Elderberry	Sambucus spp.	Native	Deciduous	Moderate	Fair	Poor	Yes	To 15
Salmon-berry	Rubus spectabilis	Native	Deciduous	Moderate	Good	Fair	Yes	To 12
Salal	Gaultheria shallon	Native	Evergreen	Shallow-moderate, dense	Good	Excellent	Minor	To 4
Oregon Grape	Mahonia spp.	Native	Evergreen	Shallow-moderate	Good	Good	Minor	To 6
Butterfly Bush	Buddleia spp.	Non	Deciduous	Moderate	Fair	Fair	Yes	6
Red Huckle-berrry	Vaccinium parvifolium	Native	Deciduous	Moderate, wide	Good	Fair	Yes	To 12
Evergreen Huckleberry	Vaccinium ovatum	Native	Evergreen	Moderate, wide	Excellent	Good	Minor	To 8
Devil's Club	Oplopanax horridum	Native	Deciduous	Wide, shallow	Fair	Good	Yes	To 12
Serviceberry	Amelan-chier alnifolia	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Fair	Yes	12+

Trees

Common Name	Botanical Name	Native/ Non-native	Deciduous/ Evergreen	Rooting Habitat**	Erosion Control Quality	Cap-acity to Sprout	Mature Height (ft)	Long-evity (years)
Oregon White Oak	Quercus garryana	Native	Deciduous	Deep, sparse	Good	Minor	60	200+
Grand Fir	Abies grandis	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Moderate	Good	No	200+	300+
Douglas Fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Deep	Good	No	200+	300+
Bigleaf Maple	Acer macrophyllum	Native	Deciduous	Deep, wide	Excellent	Yes	60	200+
Red Alder	Alnus rubra	Native	Deciduous	Shallow-moderate Tolerates wet sites	Fair	Yes	50-100	65
Bitter Cherry	Prunus emarginata	Native	Deciduous	Shallow-moderate	Fair	No	50	50
Western Hemlock	Tsuga heterophylla	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Shallow-moderate	Good	No	150	300+
Sitka Spruce	Picea sitchensis	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Shallow-moderate Tolerates wet sites	Good	No	100+	300+
Western Red Cedar	Thuja plicata	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Moderate, wide Tolerates wet sites	Good	Yes	100+	350+
Pacific Madrone	Arbutus menziesii	Native	Evergreen/ Broad-leaved	Deep, wide, tenacious	Excellent	Minor	70+	200+
Pacific Yew	Taxus brevifolia	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Deep, wide	Excellent	Minor	30+	250+
Willow	Salix spp.	Native	Deciduous	Moderate, wide Tolerates wet sites	Excellent	Yes	50+	60
Black Cottonwood	Populus trichocarpa	Native	Deciduous	Wide Wet sites	Fair	Yes	140	200
Shore Pine	Pinus contorta	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Deep, wide	Good	No	30+	200
Western White Pine	Pinus monticola	Native	Evergreen/ Conifer	Deep, wide	Good	No	150+	250+
English Holly	Ilex aquifolium	Non	Evergreen/ Broad-leaved	Moderate	Good	Minor	40	150

*Invasive, do not plant.
**Please note that the depth and character of the roots are determined more by soil conditions than species characteristics.