Its fragrant pink-to-red flowers provide an early spring food source for hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators. Red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) promises to give your garden its first splash of colour after a dull winter. Small mammals also enjoy the red berries, and some will even eat the bark and leaves. The berries are a favourite of many birds including, jays, grouse, robins, thrushes, waxwings. Its delicious fruits are some of the earliest to ripen, feeding wildlife from as early as May, and into late July. Showy pink flowers open in April, and are enjoyed by pollinators and hummingbirds looking for an early food source. Its spreading roots allow this shrub to grow quite densely, creating a woody thicket loved by small animals looking for habitat that gives them a place to hide from larger predators. Out in the forest, you’ll find it growing in moist areas beside streams or wetlands with dappled shade, up to a height of 4 meters tall. Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) is a common shrub found in the forests of the Fraser Valley, and is the perfect fit for a naturalized home garden. It will grow up to 2.5 meters tall and about 1.5 meters wide, but can be expected to slowly spread via suckers, which can be easily controlled with a good pair of pruners. The purple berries that follow are food for birds and other small animals. Often by April or May, intense bursts of yellow flowers emerge, adding to the aesthetic appeal of your native plant garden, and providing an early food source for hummingbirds and insect pollinators. Its shiny, evergreen foliage adds some winter appeal to a mostly dormant garden. This deer-resistant shrub adapts well to most conditions from sun to shade, and will be tolerant to a hot summer drought. Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquilifolium) is an excellent choice for the low-maintenance gardener looking for a plant that offers four-season rewards. In case you missed our weekly posts on facebook, here’s a summary of our top picks for beautiful native plants that create habitat for local wildlife. These beautiful native plants will give your garden year-round appeal for people and for wildlife –including birds, bees, and butterflies! They require less water than many non-native plants and grow well without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Native Plant Gardening Series Summary Native plants are naturally adapted to our local growing conditions.
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