Create a natural landscape in your yard that needs less watering and fewer chemicals and is resistant to pests and diseases. Native plants also attract birds, butterflies, and beneficial wildlife to your yard while reducing erosion and protecting water quality.
Plan Your Planting
- Remove Non-Native Invasive Plants
- Use a Native Plant Finder to choose appropriate plants.
- Plant at these density standards to establish a healthy plant community:
- square footage x 0.01 = number of trees
- square footage x 0.05 = number of shrubs
Check out the Stream Care Guide (PDF) to learn how you can further enhance your property and protect local streams. Want to add a private water quality facility to your yard? Explore these resources to get your project started.
Request a Poster
Download this Gardening with Native Plants poster with 50 Northwest natives with their growing conditions, a list of native plant nurseries, educational workshops, annual native plant sales, and a reference guide. For a free full-size print, email us at askus@cleanwaterservices.org, or call 503.681. 3600.
Free Native Plants
Add native plants to your landscape with the Annual Plant Event — Hosted by Tree for All. Check back in the fall for information on the 2023 event, happening at the Tualatin River Farm (4490 SW Minter Bridge Road, Hillsboro). No advanced registration is required.
You must live within CWS’ service area to be eligible for the five free plants. Check out our Plant List to see what might be available. Quantities are subject to availability.
People living within Clean Water Services’ service area are eligible for five free plants, such as:
| Species Name | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Abies grandis | Grand fir |
| Acer circinatum | Vine maple |
| Acer macrophyllum | Bigleaf maple |
| Alnus rubra | Red alder |
| Amelanchier alnifolia | Serviceberry |
| Carex obnupta | Slough sedge |
| Cornus sericea | Red-osier dogwood |
| Crataegus douglasii | Black hawthorn |
| Gaultheria shallon | Salal |
| Holodiscus discolor | Oceanspray |
| Juncus patens | Spreading rush |
| Lonicera involucrata | Black twinberry |
| Mahonia aquifolium | Tall Oregon grape |
| Mahonia nervosa | Dull Oregon grape |
| Malus fusca | Western crabapple |
| Oemleria cerasiformis | Osoberry |
| Philadelphus lewisii | Mock orange |
| Physocarpus capitatus | Ninebark |
| Pinus ponderosa (W.v.) | Ponderosa Pine |
| Polystichum minutum | Sword fern |
| Populus trichocarpa | Black cottonwood |
| Psuedotsuga menziesii | Douglas fir |
| Quercus garryana | Oregon White Oak |
| Rhamnus purshiana | Cascara |
| Ribes sanguineum | Red flowering currant |
| Rosa pisocarpa | Swamp Rose |
| Rubus parviflorus | Thimbleberry |
| Rubus spectabilis | Salmonberry |
| Salix geyeriana | Geyer willow |
| Salix lasiandra | Pacific willow |
| Salix scouleriana | Scouler willow |
| Sambucus cerulea | Blue elderberry |
| Sambucus racemosa | Red elderberry |
| Scirpus microcarpus | Small fruited bulrush |
| Spiraea douglasii | Douglas spiraea |
| Symphoriocarpus albus | Common snowberry |
| Thuja plicata | Western red cedar |
How To
- Remove any non-native, invasive species before planting.
- Visit the Native Plant Finder to learn what might work best in your space.
- Review the plant list above to plan your planting and choose plants. You will be able to request preferred plants at the Annual Plant Event. No advanced registration is required.
All plant requests are subject to inventory availability changes. CWS staff will recommend substitutions based on similar growing conditions and plant type.