Regions / Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon - Inspiring Garden Ideas For All Gardeners
Selecting plants suited to the Eastern Oregon climate is a key step to success.
A plant's performance is governed by many climate-related factors, including the length of the growing season, the amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer highs, wind, or humidity. Various initiatives have taken place to determine how well plants would withstand the cold winter temperatures (Plant Hardiness Zones) or when plants would start suffering from the heat (Plant Heat Zones). A more sophisticated approach has been followed by Sunset, which defines Climate Zone Maps based not only on hardiness or heat tolerance but also on precipitations, wind, humidity, and various other climate-related factors.
Eastern Oregon belongs to Climate Zones 1 through 3. If you know your climate zone, find the best plants or exciting garden ideas for your geographic area.
Abies amabilis 'Spreading Star' (Pacific Silver Fir)
Abies amabilis ‘Spreading Star’ is a low-growing, evergreen conifer forming a widely spreading mound adorned with thick, overlapping, horizontal to arching branches clothed in a lush foliage of fluffy, green, long needles with silvery undersides. Slow-growing, 3-4 in. per year (7-10 cm), this Pacific Silver Fir is a great choice for small gardens or rockeries.
Abies balsamea (Hudsonia Group) 'Nana' (Balsam Fir)
Highly popular, Abies balsamea ‘Nana’ is a dwarf, aromatic, evergreen conifer of globose habit, forming a broad mound with numerous short branches, adorned with a lush foliage of dark green needles radially arranged around the stems. Slow-growing, 2-3 in. per year (5-7 cm), this Balsam Fir is a great choice for small gardens or rockeries. Perfect for adding year-round color to the garden.
Abies concolor 'Archer’s Dwarf' (White Fir)
Abies concolor 'Archer’s Dwarf' is a dwarf evergreen conifer of regular, conical habit adorned with slightly ascending branches clothed in soft, silvery-blue, slightly incurved needles. Slow-growing, 3-4 in. per year (7-10 cm), this White Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers or rockeries.
Abies concolor 'Candicans' (White Fir)
Regarded as the bluest of all conifers, Abies concolor 'Candicans' is a magnificent large evergreen conifer. Forming a dense pyramid when young, it matures to a columnar, highly symmetrical shape with handsome layered branches smothered by long, silvery-blue needles.
Abies concolor 'Compacta' (White Fir)
A deservedly popular White Fir, Abies concolor 'Compacta' is a slow-growing dwarf evergreen conifer of great beauty. It forms a dense, compact mound of irregular, spreading shape, unless it is sheared to a conical form. Its branches are beautifully clothed with long and slender, powder-blue needles
Abies concolor 'Hosta la Vista' (White Fir)
Abies concolor 'Hosta la Vista' is a dwarf evergreen conifer of globose habit, beautifully clothed with long, thick, slightly recurved, blue-green needles adorned with a glaucous, powdery coating. Slow-growing, 1-2 in. per year (2-5 cm), this small White Fir brightens up the garden and makes a lovely addition to small gardens, rockeries or containers.
Abies concolor 'Piggelmee' (White Fir)
A miniature White Firm cultivar, Abies concolor 'Piggelmee' is a slow-growing dwarf evergreen conifer with a lovely pale blue foliage.
Abies grandis (Grand Fir)
One of the tallest firs in the world, Abies grandis (Grand Fir) is a large evergreen conifer of narrow, conical habit becoming round-topped or straggly with age. Its spreading and drooping branches are densely clad with sharp-tipped needles, shiny dark green above with two silver bands beneath. The needles are arranged in 2 distinct, flattened rows. They exude an orange aroma when crushed.
Abies koreana 'Alpin Star' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Alpin Star' (Korean Fir) is a dwarf, evergreen conifer of compact, upright, irregular habit densely clothed in incredibly dark green needles, adorned with white undersides. Slow-growing, 1-3 in. per year (2-7 cm), this Korean Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers or rockeries.
Abies koreana 'Aurea' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Aurea' (Korean Fir) is a desirable evergreen conifer of globe-shaped habit when young, becoming broadly pyramidal over time. Its ascending branches boast short, bright golden-yellow needles adorned with silvery-white undersides in the spring. As the season progresses, the golden coloration takes on a softer shade, almost turning light green. Abundant purple cones are held upright along the branches, creating a lovely contrast against the foliage. A slow grower, 3-6 in. per year (7-15 cm), this golden Korean Fir makes an eye-catching specimen accent. Mature plants can tolerate full sun, but juvenile plants prefer some shade.
Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo' (Korean Fir) is a dwarf, evergreen conifer of globose habit adorned with short and stubby branches clothed in blue-green needles and prominent resin-covered buds which are ravishing in winter. Slow-growing, 1 in. per year (2.5 cm), this Korean Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers, or rockeries and makes a lovely specimen plant when grafted onto a standard.
Abies koreana 'Blue Emperor' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Blue Emperor' (Korean Fir) is an evergreen conifer of great beauty. It forms a compact pyramid with attractive steel-blue needles.
Abies koreana 'Green Carpet' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Green Carpet' (Korean Fir) is a dwarf, evergreen conifer forming a compact, flat, round cushion adorned with attractive fresh green needles in spring, turning dark green over the summer. Abundant purple cones are held upright along the branches, creating a lovely contrast against the foliage. Slow-growing, 2 in. per year (5 cm), this Korean Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers or rockeries and makes a handsome groundcover.
Abies koreana 'Kohout's Ice Breaker' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Kohout's Ice Breaker' (Korean Fir) is a dwarf, evergreen conifer of globose habit when young, developing into a small, broadly pyramidal tree over time. Its short and stubby branches boast a ravishing foliage of strongly-curled needles showing off their silvery-white undersides, creating a striking shimmering silvery-blue effect in the garden. Slow-growing, 1-3 in. per year (2-7 cm), this Korean Fir is a great choice for small gardens, containers or rockeries.
Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' (Korean Fir)
Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' (Korean Fir) is an evergreen conifer of great beauty. It forms a compact pyramid with particularly attractive dark green needles which curl upwards to display their silvery white undersides.
