Compiled by Chris Murphy, Idaho Conservation Data Center
Many species also occur on the companion spreadsheet,
Boise_Area_Species_and_Community_List.xls.
- This is not a complete list, especially for riparian areas (see spreadsheet)
- The most important indicator species of different forest types
are highlighted in yellow and would be great in the garden - Most are commercially available
- Species are native from South-Central to Southwest (including Boise Foothills) to West-Central Idaho
- Refer to Key at the bottom of this page: Code to Suggested Planting Guilds
Trees/Tall Shrubs
- Abies grandis (Grand fir) @
- Acer glabrum (Rocky Mountain Maple) – nice foliage # @
- Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry-tall) – berries # @
- Celtis reticulata (Netleaf Hackberry) *
- Juniperus occidentalis (Western Juniper) &
- Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain Juniper) &
- Larix occidentalis (Western Larch) – grow with Abies grandis, deciduous, many cones @
- Pinus contorta (Lodgepole Pine) – grow with Abies grandis @
- Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) #
- Populus tremuloides (Aspen) @
- Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry) – berries * @ %
- Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) # @
- Rhamnus purshiana (Cascara) – excellent bird food plus short tree @ %
Low/Medium Shrubs
- Amelanchier utahensis (Utah Serviceberry) * &
- Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnikinnik) – would look good under existing Pinus contorta # @
- Artemisia arbuscula (Low Sagebrush) * &
- Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata (Basin Big Sagebrush) * &
- Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) * &
- Atriplex canescens (4-Wing Saltbrush) – birds love it and very hardy *
- Berberis repens (Creeping Oregon Grape) – good low shrub cover with berries # &
- Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Gray Rabbitbrush) * &
- Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Green Rabbitbrush) * &
- Cornus sericea (Red-osier Dogwood) @ %
- Eriogonum heracleoides (Wyeth’s Buckwheat) * &
- Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray) – good bird cover/nesting plus nice winter look # @
- Linnaea borealis (Twinflower) – groundcover @
- Lonicera utahensis (Utah Honeysuckle) @ #
- Menziesia ferruginea (False Huckleberry) @
- Paxistima myrsinites (Boxwood, Oregon Boxleaf) # @
- Penstemon fruticosus (Shrubby Penstemon) &
- Penstemon venustus (Blue Mountain Penstemon) * #
- Peraphyllum ramosissimum (“Squaw” Apple) *
- Philadelphus lewisii (Mock-orange) # @
- Physocarpus malvaceus (Ninebark) #
- Prunus emarginata (Bitter Cherry) # @
- Purshia tridentata (Bitterbrush) * & #
- Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) *
- Ribes aureum (Golden Currant) * # %
- Ribes cereum (Wax Currant) * # &
- Rosa gymnocarpa (Baldhip Rose) good low shrub border @
- Rosa woodsii (Wood’s Rose) – good low shrub border plus rosehips %
- Rubus parviflora (Thimbleberry) – good berries @ %
- Sambucus cerulea (Blue Elderberry) # @
- Shepherdia canadensis (Buffaloberry) @
- Sorbus scopulina (Cascade Mountain Ash) @
- Spiraea betulifolia (Birchleaf Spiraea) – good low shrub border, and under conifers # @
- Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry) – good low shrub border, and under conifers # %
- Symphoricarpos oreophilus (Mountain Snowberry) & # %
- Vaccinium globulare or V. membranaceum (Blue Huckleberry) – would be great, especially in fall, under existing Larix occidentalis @
- Vaccinium scoparium (Grouse Whortleberry) – would be great under Pinus contorta
Forbs
- Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) * %
- Arnica cordifolia (Heartleaf Arnica) # @ %
- Arnica sororia (Twin Arnica) * &
- Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot) * &
- Clintonia uniflora (Queen’s Cup Lily) moist sites @
- Dalea ornata (Western Prairieclover) sandy sites * &
- Disporum trachycarpum (Fairy Bells) moist sites @
- Erigeron pumilus (Shaggy Fleabane) sandy sites * &
- Eriogonum strictum (Strict Buckwheat) * &
- Fragaria virginiana or F. vesca (Wild Strawberry) moist sites @
- Geranium viscosissimum (Sticky Geranium) * %
- Geum triflorum (Old Man’s Whiskers, Red Avens) * &
- Lomatium dissectum (Fern-leaved Lomatium) * &
- Lomatium grayii (Gray’s Desertparsley) * &
- Lomatium triternatum (Three-leaved Biscuitroot) * &
- Lupinus argenteus (Lupine) * &
- Oenothera caespitosa (Desert Eveningprimrose) sandy sites * &
- Osmorhiza chilensis (Sweet Cicely) # @ %
- Penstemon glandulosus (Stickystem Penstemon) * #
- Penstemon wilcoxii (Wilcox’s Penstemon) # @
- Phacelia hastata (Silverleaf Phacelia) * &
- Phlox longifolia (Longleaf Phlox) * &
- Potentilla glandulosa (Sticky cinquefoil) &
- Thalictrum occidentale (Western Meadowrue) @ %
- Sedum lanceolatum (Stonecrop) * & #
- Scutellaria angustifolia (Narrowleaf Skullcap) * &
- Smilacina stellata (Starry False Solomon’s Seal) @ %
Grasses
- Agropyron smithii and/or A. dasystachum (Western Wheatgrass-rhizomatous) *
- Agropyron spicatum (Blue-bunch Wheatgrass) * & #
- Agropyron trachycaulum (Slender/Bearded Wheatgrass) * %
- Aristida longiseta or A. purpurea (Three-awn) *
- Bromus carinatus or B. marginatus (California Brome) * %
- Calamagrostis rubescens (Pinegrass) #
- Carex hoodii (Hood’s Sedge) @ %
- Carex geyeri (Elk Sedge) #
- Carex rossii (Ross’s Sedge) @
- Elymus cinereus (Great Basin Wildrye) * &
- Elymus glaucus (Blue Wildrye) @ %
- Elymus triticoides (Creeping Wildrye) *
- Festuca idahoensis (Idaho Fescue) * # &
- Koeleria cristata (Prairie Junegrass) * & #
- Melica bulbosa (Oniongrass) * & #
- Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian Ricegrass) sandy sites * &
- Poa scabrella (Pine Bluegrass) #
- Poa secunda (Sandberg’s Bluegrass) * &
- Poa nevadensis (Nevada Bluegrass) * &
- Sitanion hystrix (Bottlebrush Squirreltail) * &
- Sporobolus cryptandrus (Sand Dropseed) sandy sites * &
- Stipa comata (Needle and Thread) sandy sites * &
- Stipa occidentalis or S. columbiana (Western Needlegrass) * & #
- Stipa thurberiana (Thurber’s Needlegrass) * &
Code to Suggested Planting Guilds:
*
sagebrush-steppe (see spreadsheet:
Boise_Area_Species_and_Community_List.xls, includes Purshia tridentata and Chrysothamnus steppe communities)
#
warmer, drier forest (Pinus ponderosa/Agropyron spicatum, Pinus ponderosa/Festuca idahoensis, Pinus ponderosa/Symphoricarpos oreophilus or S. albus, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Carex geyeri, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Berberis repens,
Pseudotsuga menziesii/Calamagrostis rubescens)
@
cooler, moister forest (Pseudotsuga menziesii/Spiraea betulifolia, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Symphoricarpos albus, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Vaccinium globulare, Pseudotsuga menziesii/Physocarpus malvaceus, Abies grandis/Spiraea betulifolia, Abies grandis/Vaccinium
globulare, Abies grandis/Acer glabrum, Pinus contorta/Vaccinium scoparium)
&
juniper-steppe (similar to sagebrush-steppe communities, just insert juniper savannah into sagebrush-steppe in the spreadsheet and apply similarly)
%
riparian (see spreadsheet for variations)