Flowering Shrubs in Oregon

Pacific Rhododendron

• Hearty and sprawling wild clusters of pink and sometimes purple blossoms that can tower up to 20 feet make Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) a popular perennial shrub in Oregon. Often called a coast rhododendron because it can thrive in coastal dunes, untarnished by the windy, salty air from the Pacific Ocean, they typically bloom from May to June. Pacific rhododendron shrubs can cohabitate with other evergreen understory plants, underneath the shade provided by a forest canopy. The hairs on the underside of Pacific rhododendron's leaves help insulate them from freezing temperatures. They can also roll inward to defend themselves during dry periods.

  Pacific rhododendron's tenacity throughout the year may makes it good shelter for wildlife, but they are not a good food source. Its leaves and flowers are poisonous. Honey made by bees pollinating Pacific rhododendron's blossoms can be toxic for humans.

Elderberry

• Two colors of berries, red and blue, decorate Oregon's elderberry shrubs (Sambucus racemosa) from late July to September, after they first produce white cone-shaped flower clusters in late springtime. Elderberry shrubs do well in rocky, moist soil near a stream with direct sunlight and grow in woody patches up to 12 feet tall with yellowish-gray branches. As landscaping, elderberry shrubs do well as a windscreen. They grow so widely across the state, they are often called a weed. Elderberry fruit attracts Oregon's songbirds and wildlife. The blue berries attract people, too, who make jams, syrups and extracts out of them. The flowers that produce the berries can be battered and deep fried, too. Both red and unripe green berries are toxic. Any elderberry should be well cooked before being consumed.

Salal

• Also native to the Pacific Northwest is salal (Gaultheria shallon), an evergreen understory shrub that can intermingle with Pacific rhododendron. Unlike rhododendrons, salal can do well in direct sunshine and grow aggressively and thickly up to 10 feet tall. Salal needs little maintenance. Its pink cylindrical buds start blooming in May and produce purple berries come August. Blander than elderberries with an almondlike flavor, salal berries nonetheless make good jams and marinades when mixed with other more savory berries. The oils from the salal's waxy leaves make a robust wintergreen flavoring.