PNW Native Wildflowers

I've been reading 'Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest' and have started noticing our native wildflowers while on the road. Is there somewhere I can order these, like somewhere that specialize in them?

I am also interested in wildflowers and native plants in general. I am seeing more local nurseries establishing a specific native section, although sometimes you just have to go armed with a list and try to find them in the regular mix. I've also googled native nurseries and found some here and there, which has been kind of hit or miss for me (often they are closed or don't answer the phone). Usually the universities will have some affilitation with an outlet of some sort - I think it is WSU that is associated with a native nursery in Mount Vernon, but that is only open to the public on a limited basis. Their primary target is to raise native stock to restore local trails. I have also started stopping to gather seeds from the roadside natives.

You might want to check into the native plant society.
http://www.wnps.org/
Also, look into your county conservation district. A number of the conservation districts have native plant sales, and the prices are great. The plants are small, but really affordable.

Also check with the Seattle arboretum and urban horticulture center. I've found lists of all sorts of plant sales there.

A few years ago I ordered several packs of wildflower seeds, but was then informed that they usually contain seeds of plants that are considered invasive here. Like Queen Anne's Lace. I love the look of QAL but didn't use any of the seed packs.

I also like wild sweet peas. We used them in bouquet mixes for my daughter's forest wedding. They grow abundantly along the road in many places. Are they ok to use in your garden?

You might want to give the Kitsap County Master Gardeners a call. They usually know how to find natives.

Check out other threads in this forum. Lots have been mentioned. Here's a recent thread.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1117114/

I can get Spiraea douglasii. I'll be where it grows wild this coming Saturday, and I have permission to take it. Anybody who wants it would have to pick it up in Lakewood, though. They wouldn't mail well.

Spiraea doughlasii is one I'm looking for but there isn't any way I can travel to Lakewood. I'll be looking for it at the nurseries next year though

We have a ton of it here on the main roads, but I haven't yet tried to dig it up. Is it relatively easy to dig, Pony?

I haven't seen it for sale anywhere and I've been looking for awhile.

I often dig wild plants from my roadsides - knowing that sooner or later the State or County will clean the ditches and scoop them all out anyway. Or my neighbors will poison them. Not sure what they find attractive about blackened shoulders, but I seem to be surrounded by them. I regularly run the mower down our frontage and up the neighbor's directly across the street, but he still poisons anyway. I think he does it to annoy me. It does.

I spotted some spiraea douglasii on the side of the road and wanted to dig some up but as I was discussing with my dad if it was legal or not we spotted some city truck spraying them. The spray smelled chemical so I opted not to since I didn't know if was weed spray or fertilizer.

I'm guessing that it was weed killer.

I Googled "native plants" and "bremerton" and found several links
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=native+plants+bremerton&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=Cb6I66CBPTJ2LDZmMhQSLxvCJBAAAAKoEBU_QALnr&pbx=1&fp=6fb550a2476ba2a

You can call around and ask at some of these resources.

I don't have to dig to get it- it crowds the edges of the lake at the scout camp, growing in the water. All I have to do is grab it and give it a good tug, and it comes up with all its roots. I brought some home last weekend. They have to cut it back constantly to keep it from growing over the dock in the spot I took mine from. It's apparently quite invasive in bog areas, but pretty well-behaved in regular soil.

That's pretty interesting. Who would have thought? It's in the rose family, so I imagine it would like a lot of sun. We have it in ditches and in boggy areas, even thought they're quite dry by now, so that makes sense.

the1pony, do you think it's possible to train it to a tree form? Before I knew butterfly bush was a noxious weed I had planned to attempt it with that. I have instructions which say could work for various shrubs and I thought that plant would look cute.

I'm afraid I don't know a thing about it. I'd never even heard of it until I brought one home last weekend and looked it up to see what I had gotten. hehe.

I had no idea butterfly bush was considered a noxious weed- I don't care, I still want one- I think they're gorgeous. I've been trying to root some cuttings a friend gave me, but they aren't doing anything. I'm going to look for one to dig up this weekend when we go back up to the camp.

The buddleia that is considered invasive is the one that grows all over. Do not dig these up and bring them to your yard. Get a piece of a named variety from a friend or neighbor or nursery. And deadhead as soon as they turn brown. I have never gotten a wild start off mine but I have started a lot of cutting by just sticking them in the ground for awhile. I will gladly send cutting of mine to anyone who wants one. It is considered a dwarf variety but gits about ten feet tall. They can be pruned at will even to cutting them to the ground every winter.

I sure don't seem to have any luck with rooting the cuttings I got from Joy, but I'm willing to give it a go with yours if you don't mind sending me a little bit, Willow. :)

And some of the new cultivars are sterile, also.

I will pot up a few and send them when they root. Doesn't take long.

You're awesome. Thank you. :)