Propagating Pacific Northwest Native Plants from Cuttings

There are a wide variety of Pacific Northwest Natives that can be grown by planting cuttings directly into the ground or into a pot.  We have described a few below along with a link to the product listings for that plant. For more information on how to propagate these hardwood cuttings, visit our post on Propagating Trees and Shrubs from Hardwood Cuttings.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea, C. stolonifera)

Red Osier dogwood is a medium-sized deciduous flowering shrub that grows native in much of North America. It is commonly used as an ornamental due to it's bright red stems in winter. However, it is also a source of food and cover for many species that eat both its small white berries and new growth. It most commonly grows in wetlands and is tolerant of flooding but can also be found in drier areas.

Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp trichocarpa)

Black Cottonwood is a fast growing tree native to the northwest United States and British Columbia. It is the largest Poplar species in North and South America growing to a height of 100-150 ft. It grows best in riparian or wetland environments and once established can form large colonies. In drier areas it is restricted to streambeds and next to ponds.

Hooker Willow (Salix hookeriana)

Hooker willows are small trees growing up to 26ft. They are native to the American northwest coast. They tend to grow in places such as beaches, marshes, floodplains, and canyons. The catkins of the Hooker Willow can grow to be quite long.

MacKenzie Willow (Salix mackenzieana, Salix prolixa)

MacKenzie willow is most commonly found in the interior Pacific Northwest and Canada. It is generally found in drier areas east of the cascades. It grows to 6 to 30 feet tall and is relatively long lived. It can be used for revegetation or restoration in native areas and is also a source of food for many herbivores.

Pacific Willow (Salix lucida ssp lasiandra)

The Pacific Willow is generally a short lived shrub or tree but can become very tall at up to 60 ft.  Like many willows it prefers locations next to bodies of water at low to mid elevations. It is commonly used for stabilizing stream banks and has a history of being used for medicinal purposes.

Scouler’s Willow (Salix scouleriana)

Scouler’s willow is also known as the western pussy willow. It is the most common upland willow in it’s native range of the Northwest United States and Western Canada. It grows as a shrub in drier environments and at higher elevations but can reach 50 feet tall in good growing conditions. It can be found on the edges of disturbed areas of forest.

Sitka Willow (Salix sitchensis)

The Sitka Willow can be found from Alaska to northern California to Montana. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to northern California and east to Montana. It is a common to abundant plant in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitats, such as marshes, riverbanks, swamps, coastal sand dunes, and mountain springs.

For a list of these species and more, see the Pacific Northwest Natives Products on our website.

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