Emergency Pollinator Funds in the Pipeline: Native Plants Needed!
“There are now more Starbucks in California than monarch butterflies.” This simple statement from the Center for Biological Diversity sums up a dark forecast for this iconic pollinator. Western monarchs have declined by over 99.9% since the 1980s, with just under 2,000 migrating individuals found at the most recent count in late 2020. Other pollinators, […]
Fiddleneck Going Gangbusters? Here’s what to do with it…
Common Fiddleneck (Amsinkia menziesii) is a fun yellow flower with a long, gradually unfurling bloom that resembles the top of a fiddle. Although it is native all across the western US and is good at colonizing dry, disturbed areas, we don’t see it too often here in the Rogue Valley! That’s too bad because it’s […]
Native Plant of the Month: Fawn Lilies
Fawn lilies (Erythronium genus) are a sure sign that spring has arrived in Pacific Northwest, and we have a couple of special local species that only occur here in the Klamath Siskiyous: Erythronium klamathenses and howellii. On the shady forest floor, fawn lilies might not grow taller than your hiking boot, but coming across a […]
How to Find Native Plants in 2021
Rogue Native Plant Partnership seeks to bring together native plant (and seed) growers with people who need native plant materials for landscaping and habitat restoration. One way we typically do this is through a native plant sale in the spring, but this year, the growers we normally work with simply did not have enough plants […]
Native Plant of the Month: Pink Flowering Currant
As thousands of homes were lost in the Almeda fire, thousands of hummingbird feeders along Bear Creek were vaporized along with them. We wondered, “What native plants could take their place?” Ribes sanguineum, aka Pink Flowering Currant,is a prime candidate.
January Native Plant of the Month: Lemmon’s needlegrass
Winter is when native bunchgrasses shine. After other understory plants lose their leaves and flowers, perennial bunchgrasses such as Lemmon’s needlegrass flare out from the earth while extending their root systems deep underground. Lemmon’s needlegrass (Achnatherum lemmonii), bears long, needle-like awns extending from either side of the seed, a feature which can make this plant […]
Rogue Native Plant Partnership: 2020 Was No Match
Between moving to a dedicated seed storage facility, adapting to COVID and an unprecedented wildfire season, and stepping back to plan for the next five years, it’s been an eventful year for the Rogue Native Plant Partnership! Despite the challenges of the year, our partners have remained committed to the cause and the support from […]
December Plant of the Month: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a common perennial herb known for its fragrant leaves and healing properties. This widespread plant is found throughout the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Hemisphere. Yarrow thrives at a variety of elevations, in both wet and dry climates. In Southern Oregon, you might see yarrow in open grasslands, forests, or […]
Native Plants Under Fire: RNPP December 2020 General Meeting Recap, Part 1
Blame it on 2020 – our attempt to record the General Meeting on December 8th was not successful. Fortunately, we were able to take good written notes, so in this blog post we’ll summarize the fascinating and important presentation by Chris Adlam on what happened in the Almeda fire, and his ideas for improving community […]
How To Find Your Soil Type
An important component of any habitat restoration plan is the soil type. Knowing what types of soil are present on the property will help you decide which plants will do best in each location. When it comes to healthy plants, having the right soil conditions is about as important as siting the plant correctly for […]