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Western lily is the kind of plant that makes gardeners pause. Its nodding red-orange flowers look dramatic, but the plant itself is quiet, rare, and tied to a very specific coastal habitat. Lilium occidentale, commonly called Western lily, is native to a narrow range along the Pacific Coast, mainly in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. That rarity should shape every decision about growing it. This is not a lily to dig from the wild or treat like a common garden

Showy milkweed seed ready to collecy Toward the end of summer, the seeds of many native plants begin to ripen and disperse. Seeds for each species should be collected when they are mature – too early or too late and the seeds may not be viable. Collection guidelines Confidently identify the species. Most plants are easier to identify from their flowers. Good obsrvation skills re important. Learn to notice what the flowering stems look like after the show of flowers. Even in

A good woodland plant earns its place quietly. It does not need oversized blooms or neon foliage. It catches the eye because it looks at home under trees, beside stones, and near the soft edges of shaded paths. Boykinia occidentalis is that kind of plant. Boykinia occidentalis looks most natural in cool, leafy settings with steady moisture. This native perennial has rounded, maple-like leaves, airy sprays of pale flowers, and a natural fondness for cool, damp places. For gard

A Douglas Iris can stop a spring walk in its tracks. One moment the trail is all grass, leaves, and coastal scrub. The next, a satin-like flower appears in shades of violet, cream, lavender, or pale yellow, marked with delicate veins and a glowing signal patch near the center. Douglas Iris, known botanically as Iris douglasiana, is one of the most beloved native irises of the western United States. It grows naturally along parts of the Pacific Coast, especially in coastal pra

Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life tells the stories of the lives of Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and his French contemporary Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, both born in 1707. Linnaeus and Buffon each brought brilliant new insights to the fledgling fields of natural history and taxonomy in the eighteenth century. However, they approached natural history from very different perspectives. As they grew older and each became known and respected