Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)

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Botanical name: Eriophyllum lanatum • Bloom season: Late spring to summer • Bloom color: Golden yellow over silver foliage • Pollinator value: Reliable early-summer nectar and pollen for native bees • Host plant: Northern checkerspot

Golden yellow daisies over woolly silver foliage, so the color contrast does most of the work even from a distance. It blooms in late spring and early summer, bridging the gap between the spring penstemons and the high-summer flowers, which is a genuinely useful slot in a Great Basin garden. It provides reliable nectar and pollen for native bees and serves as a host plant for the northern checkerspot.

Botanical name: Eriophyllum lanatum • Bloom season: Late spring to summer • Bloom color: Golden yellow over silver foliage • Pollinator value: Reliable early-summer nectar and pollen for native bees • Host plant: Northern checkerspot

Golden yellow daisies over woolly silver foliage, so the color contrast does most of the work even from a distance. It blooms in late spring and early summer, bridging the gap between the spring penstemons and the high-summer flowers, which is a genuinely useful slot in a Great Basin garden. It provides reliable nectar and pollen for native bees and serves as a host plant for the northern checkerspot.

Size:

Plant Characterisics

Botanical Name: Eriophyllum lanatum

Common Name: Oregon Sunshine

Native: Native

Native Region: California Floristic Province; Klamath-Siskiyou; Cascade Range; Pacific Northwest; Great Basin; Northern Rockies

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

Bloom Time: Late spring to summer

Bloom Color: Golden yellow

Pollinators: Bees; Butterflies

Host Plant: Northern checkerspot

Deer Resistant: Yes

Mature Size: W 1'-2' x H 1'-2'

Soil: Sharply drained; lean, rocky soil

Pollinator Value: Reliable early-summer nectar and pollen for native bees

Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial

USDA Zones: 4 to 9

Spread Habit: Clumping; self-sows

Available As: Live plant

Growing Notes

Full sun and sharply drained, lean, rocky soil. The silver foliage is an adaptation to heat and drought, and it looks its best when the plant is grown hard. Space about 18 inches apart. Rich ground and regular water make it floppy and short-lived.

  • Water: Low

  • Sun: Full Sun

  • Soil: Sharply drained; lean, rocky soil

  • Mature size: 1 to 2 ft by 1 to 2 ft

Maintenance

Shear it back by about a third after flowering to keep it compact and to encourage a second, lighter flush. Leave the growth through winter and tidy in early spring. It is naturally short-lived, so let some seed drop to keep the planting going. No fertilizer.