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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

Guidance for understanding what plants are considered native and how they contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

Some Oregon native plants that work well for containers

Learn how to attract bats to improve garden pest control.