Villager Nursery, Truckee California

In Truckee we have climatic issues effecting our ability to plant many non-native plants. Many years ago I looked at our native plant palette and decided on species that would be ornamental as well as hardy to plant in our gardens . Many of these species were not being commercially propagated so it took years of trial and error to make them available to sell. (Aspens willows and dogwoods have long been and still are readily available.)

Spirea densiflora, our mountain pink spirea is a very attractive and resilient shrub. It grows about three feet tall and is found in abundance at Donner Lake and on Donner Summit. This shrub is so tough it can be planted close to urban roads and will bounce back after the crushing effect of snow being piled on top of it. With adequate water, it blooms over a two month period and can thrive in sun or part shade. The flowers resemble pink puff balls. Fall color is usually orange. Mountain pink spirea can be propagated from seed or cuttings.

Ribes nevadense or mountain pink currant is another attractive and snow resistant shrub. It is found in many locations along the Truckee River and its tributaries, usually in moist areas with partial shade. It can take sunny conditions in a landscape with adequate water. Pink currant grows up to six feet tall and six feet wide but can be pruned smaller. Its bright pink flowers develop into blue fruits which are being enjoyed by birds and wildlife this month. Fall color is peachy orange. Currants are most easily propagated by seed which often takes two years to germinate in the wild.

One of my favorite Sierra natives is River Birch, Betula occidentalis fontanalis. I first saw this beautiful shrub when climbing to ski in the southern Sierra. It has the unique ability to survive in avalanche paths where Aspen and evergreens are logged off the slope. It grows from 3000 feet in elevation to the Mt. Whitney Portal and north to Mammoth Lakes. A small population occurs on Carson Pass but I have not been able to locate it. It also grows north of here in the Warner Mountains and was found here in the fossil record not long ago. River Birch is happiest in the landscape as an under story plant. It will grow 20-30 feet high and 20 feet wide so it is ideal for use in screening. The multiple stems are coppery and sometimes white. Fall color is bright yellow with some cultivars having magenta tones too. Plants are propagated from seed collected from high elevations and require heavy watering the first few years. Eventually they will tolerate average garden watering.

A very attractive native that thrives in shade is Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus. It is found around the world in the north and at high elevations. In our area, Thimbleberry is common in shady, moist conditions along the south side of Donner Lake, Cabin, Trout and Pole Creeks to name a few. It is now commonly planted in landscapes. A well established patch can be seen on the north side of the Bank of the West (Gateway) and behind US Bank against the office building. Thimbleberry grows 3-4 feet high and has beautiful white flowers followed by tasty red berries in late August and September. In northern Michigan, my family collected the berries and made jam. Unfortunately in Truckee the berries are not abundant enough to make this feasible.

Even though a plant species is native to Truckee, it is necessary and important to water container grown specimens for several years, if not indefinitely. Fertilization with slow releasing organic fertilizers will speed the growth of native plants.


	Native Plants for Your Truckee Garden
	Sarah Trebilcock

	Spirea densiflora
In Truckee we have climatic issues effecting our ability to plant many non-native plants. Many years ago I looked at our native plant palette and decided on species that would be ornamental as well as hardy to plant in our gardens . Many of these species were not being commercially propagated so it took years of trial and error to make them available to sell. (Aspens willows and dogwoods have long been and still are readily available.) Spirea densiflora, our mountain pink spirea is a very attractive and resilient shrub. It grows about three feet tall and is found in abundance at Donner Lake and on Donner Summit. This shrub is so tough it can be planted close to urban roads and will bounce back after the crushing effect of snow being piled on top of it. With adequate water, it blooms over a two month period and can thrive in sun or part shade. The flowers resemble pink puff balls. Fall color is usually orange. Mountain pink spirea can be propagated from seed or cuttings. Ribes nevadense or mountain pink currant is another attractive and snow resistant shrub. It is found in many locations along the Truckee River and its tributaries, usually in moist areas with partial shade. It can take sunny conditions in a landscape with adequate water. Pink currant grows up to six feet tall and six feet wide but can be pruned smaller. Its bright pink flowers develop into blue fruits which are being enjoyed by birds and wildlife this month. Fall color is peachy orange. Currants are most easily propagated by seed which often takes two years to germinate in the wild. One of my favorite Sierra natives is River Birch, Betula occidentalis fontanalis. I first saw this beautiful shrub when climbing to ski in the southern Sierra. It has the unique ability to survive in avalanche paths where Aspen and evergreens are logged off the slope. It grows from 3000 feet in elevation to the Mt. Whitney Portal and north to Mammoth Lakes. A small population occurs on Carson Pass but I have not been able to locate it. It also grows north of here in the Warner Mountains and was found here in the fossil record not long ago. River Birch is happiest in the landscape as an under story plant. It will grow 20-30 feet high and 20 feet wide so it is ideal for use in screening. The multiple stems are coppery and sometimes white. Fall color is bright yellow with some cultivars having magenta tones too. Plants are propagated from seed collected from high elevations and require heavy watering the first few years. Eventually they will tolerate average garden watering. A very attractive native that thrives in shade is Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus. It is found around the world in the north and at high elevations. In our area, Thimbleberry is common in shady, moist conditions along the south side of Donner Lake, Cabin, Trout and Pole Creeks to name a few. It is now commonly planted in landscapes. A well established patch can be seen on the north side of the Bank of the West (Gateway) and behind US Bank against the office building. Thimbleberry grows 3-4 feet high and has beautiful white flowers followed by tasty red berries in late August and September. In northern Michigan, my family collected the berries and made jam. Unfortunately in Truckee the berries are not abundant enough to make this feasible. Even though a plant species is native to Truckee, it is necessary and important to water container grown specimens for several years, if not indefinitely. Fertilization with slow releasing organic fertilizers will speed the growth of native plants.