Green Shores | Resources
Native Plants for Shorelines in BC and Washington
Are you planning a Green Shores project? Do you want to enhance your shoreline using native plants? Reintroducing native plants can offer many advantages. Native plants are hardy and rarely require irrigation. They provide food and substantial habitat benefits for birds, beneficial insects, and fish.
Use this guide to help you select hardy, native plants to ensure your riparian and foreshore plant communities protect your investment by reducing erosion.
Freshwater Plants
Many of the plants on this list, like Oregon grape and mock-orange, can be found at any nursery. Others will only be available through nurseries that specialize in native plants. For an up-to-date list of native plant retailers, please contact the Washington Native Plant Society.
Lake Plants | Trees
| Latin name | Common name | Exposure | Moisture | height (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abies procera | noble fir | sun / part shade | dry/moist | 61 |
| Acer circinatm | vine maple | part shade/ shade | dry/moist | 8 |
| Acer macrophyllum | bigleaf maple | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 32 |
| Alnus rubra | red alder | sun/ part shade | moist/wet | 21 |
| Betula papyrifera | paper birch | sun | moist | 24 |
| Crataegus douglasii | black hawthorn | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 8 |
| Crataegus suksdorfii | Suksdorf’s hawthorn | sun / part shade | dry/moist | 6 |
| Fraxinus latifolia | Oregon ash | sun/ part shade | moist/wet | 21 |
| Malus fusca | Pacific crabapple | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 12 |
| Picea sitchensis | Sitka spruce | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 61 |
| Populus balsamifera | black cottonwood | sun | moist | 30 |
| Populus tremuloides | trembling aspen | sun | dry/moist | 23 |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas fir | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 61 |
| Rhamnus purshiana | cascara | sun / part shade | dry/moist | 9 |
| Salix spp. | willow | sun / part shade | moist/wet | 2 to 12 |
| Thuja plicata | Western red cedar | part shade/ shade | moist/wet | 61 |
| Tsuga heterophylla | Western hemlock | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 55 |
Lake Plants | Ground cover
| Latin name | Common name | Exposure | Moisture | height (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achlys triphylla | vanilla leaf | part shade/ shade | moist | 0.3 |
| Allium cernuum | nodding onion | sun | dry/moist | 0.3 |
| Asarum caudatum | wild ginger | part shade/ shade | moist | 0.2 |
| Camassia quamash | common camas | sun/ part shade | dry/moist | 0.3 |
| Cornus canadensis | bunchberry | part shade/ shade | moist | 0.2 |
| Fragariachiloensis | beach strawberry | sun / part shade | dry | 0.3 |
| Mahonia nervosa | low Oregon grape | sun /shade | dry/moist | 0.6 |
| Maianthemum dilatatum | false lily-of-the-valley | part shade/ shade | dry/moist | 0.3 |
| Vancouveria hexandra | inside-out flower | part shade/ shade | moist | 0.3 |
Marine Plants Sources and Further Reading
The marine riparian zone supports a mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs. Disturbance from shoreline processes such as wave erosion is rare.
Marine Plants | Trees
| Latin Name | Common Name | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas-fir | Marine riparian zone |
| Picea sitchensis | Sitka spruce | Marine riparian zone |
| Pinus contorta | shore pine | Marine riparian zone |
| Alnus rubra | red alder | Marine riparian zone |
| Acer macrophyllum | big-leaf maple | Marine riparian zone |
| Salix lucida | Pacific willow | Marine riparian zone |
| Rhamnus purshiana | cascara | Marine riparian zone |
| Salix hookeriana | Hooker’s willow | Marine riparian zone |
| Acer douglasii | Douglas maple | Marine riparian zone |
| Salix scouleriana | Scouler’s willow | Marine riparian zone |
| Malus fusca | Pacific crab apple | Marine riparian zone |
Marine Plants | Shrubs
| Latin Name | Common Name | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Rosa nutkana | Nootka rose | Marine riparian zone |
| Holodiscus discolor | oceanspray | Marine riparian zone |
| Ribes sanguineum | red flowering currant | Marine riparian zone |
| Syphoricarpus albus | snowberry | Marine riparian zone |
| Philadelphus lewisii | mock-orange | Marine riparian zone |
| Myrica californica | sweet gale | Marine riparian zone |
| Gaultheria shallon | salal | Marine riparian zone |
| Mahonia nervosa | Oregon-grape | Marine riparian zone |
| Rubus parviflorus | timbleberry | Marine riparian zone |
| Rubus spectabilis | salmonberry | Marine riparian zone |
| Oemelaria cerasiformis | Indian-plum | Marine riparian zone |
| Lonicera involucrata | black twinberry | Marine riparian zone |
| Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | kinnickinnick | Marine riparian zone |
| Physocarpus capitatus | Pacific ninebark | Marine riparian zone |
Additional Resources
Adams, M.A. 2002. Shoreline Structures Environmental Design: a Guide for Structures along estuaries and large rivers. Stewardship Series. https://stewardshipcentrebc.ca/bc-stewardship-series/
This resource contains a chapter on methods for successfully establishing vegetation and an illustrated Appendix of common riparian plants (mostly freshwater).
Washington Native Plant Society www.wnps.org
Information on where to purchase native plants in Washington State, plus so much more about using native plants at home.
BC Native Plant Society www.npsbc.wordpress.com/
Information on where to purchase native plants in British Columbia plus so much more about using native plants at home.
Washington State Department of Ecology. Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control Using vegetation. https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/documents/9330.pdf
