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Native Washington Outdoor Plants

Washington state is home to various types of native plants including vines, fruit-bearing shrubs and ferns. Native plants are plants that grow naturally in a region and were not introduced by humans. Native plants play an important role in the local ecosystem because other plants, insects and animals have grown to rely on them for resources. Introducing invasive non-native plants to an outdoor garden or wild area can disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem and threaten the native species so it is best to grow only native plants in your garden.

Vines
- Wild blackberry is a trailing plant that can grow up to 20 feet long. The vine produces white or pink flowers that grow in clusters. The flowers develop into small black berries. Wild blackberry plants are often found in drier soils in full sun or shade. Orange honeysuckle is a perennial vine that can grow 10 to 20 feet long. The vine produces odorless flowers that are orange to orange-red in color. These flowers develop into clusters of orange or red berries. The vine is typically found in open woods and forest clearings.
Ferns
- Western maidenhair fern is deciduous fern that grows 1 to 2 feet tall. The fern has dark brown or black stalks and fan-shaped leaves that are usually light green to medium green in color. Western maidenhair is often found in moist soil in shady areas, especially near wet cliffs and waterfalls. Lady fern is a deciduous fern that grows about 2 to 5 feet tall. The fern has bright yellow-green leaves that are lance-shaped. Lady fern is often found in wet meadows, bogs, and forested wetlands in full sun or full shade.
Herbs
- Yarrow is an herb with a strong aroma, dark green fern-like leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers. Yarrow is commonly found in meadows, fields and pastures. It typically grows 10 to 20 inches tall and produces flowers that resemble small daisies. False Solomon's seal is a green or light-green colored herb plant with leaves that grow between 3 and 8 inches long. The herb produces small white flowers that develop into red berries. False Solomon's seal is often found in deciduous wooded areas and grows best in moist soil in partial shade.
Shrubs
- Common snowberry is a deciduous shrub that grows 2 to 6 feet tall and has dull green foliage. The shrub produces small pink or white bell-shaped flowers that grow in clusters and then develop into small white berries. This shrub is often found in dry to wet soils in forests, river banks in full sun to partial shade. Blue elderberry is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 20 feet tall and has reddish brown bark. The shrub produces clusters of tiny creamy-white flowers that develop into dark blue berries. The plant is often found growing in moist to dry soil in partial to full sun.

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