Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Providing Washington citizens with tips about using native plants has long been a role of WNPS. The interactive native plant herbarium that follows will help you find native plants suitable for a place in your western Washington garden or restoration project. Over 200 species of native plants are covered in the lists below.

The Starflower Foundation whose mission was to assist with the creation, rehabilitation and stewardship of Pacific Northwest native plant communities developed these plant lists as part of the Starflower Image Herbarium. Additional information was compiled by WNPS Native Plant Steward Marcia Rivers Smith.

Index to all Plant Names

Scientific Name
Common Name

Categorized Plant Lists

Find plants for specific landscaping or restoration needs.

Native Plants by Growth Form

Trees: Evergreen, Deciduous
Shrubs: Evergreen, Deciduous
Vines
Herbs
Grass-like Plants
Ferns

Native Plants by Flower Color

Yellow or Orange
Red or Pink
Blue or Purple
White
Green or Brown
Plants that do not produce flowers

Native Plants by Season

Spring Flowering
Summer Flowering
Fall Flowering

Native Plants by Moisture Preference

Wet Areas
Moist Areas
Dry Areas

Native Plants by Soil Preference

Sandy or Gravelly Soil
Clay Soils
Peaty Soils
Muddy Soils
Well-drained Soils
Shallow Soils
Deep Soils
Acidic Soils
Basic Soils
Nutrient-rich Soils
Nutrient-poor Soils
Humic Soils
Organic Soils
Mineral Soils

Native Plants for Sun or Shade

Full Sun
Mostly Sunny
Partly Sunny
Mostly Shady
Full Shade

Native Plants for Specific Habitats

Aquatic and Wetland Habitats
Freshwater Shoreline and Riparian Habitats
Saltwater Shoreline and Saltwater Habitats
Rocky or Gravelly Habitats
Subalpine and Alpine Habitats
Forest and Thicket Habitats
Meadow and Field Habitats
Disturbed Habitats

Native Plants by Preferred Elevation

Low Elevation
Mid Elevation
Subalpine
Alpine

Native Plants for Wildlife

Natives for Butterflies
Natives for Hummingbirds
Natives that Provide Seeds and Berries
Natives that Provide Shelter

Native Plants for Specific Garden Settings

Groundcovers: Evergreen, Deciduous
Natives with Colorful Fall Foliage
Native Bulbs
Natives With Showy Flowers
Natives for Water Gardens and Ponds

Landscaping with Native Plant Communities

A Manual of Native Plant Communities for Urban Areas of the Pacific Northwest - Plant lists and design guidelines for preparing landscaping plans using Pacific Northwest native plant communities (5.7 MB pdf).

A Manual of Native Plant Communities for Urban and Disturbed Areas of the Intermountain Northwest - Plant lists and design guidelines for preparing landscaping plans using Intermountain Northwest native plant communities (2.7 MB pdf).

In Memory of Ann Lennartz

Founded in 1996 by Ann Lennart, Starflower Foundation assisted with the creation, rehabilitation, and stewardship of Pacific Northwest native plant communities in Seattle, Washington, by supporting citizen-driven restoration and education projects. Having met the founder's expectations, Starflower Foundation ceased operations in December 2007.

Resources developed by Starflower included an Image Herbarium containing information and images for Western Washington native plants for use in restoration and landscaping projects. As mutually agreed upon with Starflower, WNPS has made Starflower's learning and education materials available on our website.