NPSO 2022 Annual Meeting

May 20 - 22     Spirit Mountain Lodge, Grand Ronde, Oregon

Field Trips

Friday May 20, 2022    1 - 4 p.m.                    Field Trip # 1

Difficulty:     Easy - A walk on sidewalks and paths around one building

Elevation:     None

Trip Description:     In this mature native plant garden at McMinnville Public Library, see a large selection of species for your home landscape. Its eleven natural-looking beds represent various ecological niches, from full sun to complete shade. In each well-designed section, interpretive signage explores ecological relationships. The garden demonstrates how native plants can be used at home without chemicals, little water, and minimal maintenance.

Surrounding the Carnegie Building, itself is a landmark of architectural design, the garden is now 23 years old. From its beginning in 1983 with a few containers of native plants, Master Gardeners expanded the garden to five raised beds in 1988. In 1999, the newly formed NPSO Cheahmill Chapter joined the Master Gardeners to form the Native Plant Garden Coalition. Today, Cheahmill Chapter sponsors monthly work parties to maintain the garden.

Native species in the garden are individually labeled and encompass specimens native to the Willamette Valley and up to 400 feet in elevation in the Cascade and Coast ranges. Your leader will share practical tips on how to care for these specimens, propagation techniques and interesting tidbits of ethnobotany.

Among the 80 species represented in the garden are trees, such as incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) and Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia); shrubs, including ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), and three species of Ceanothus; and forbs, including Nelson's checkermallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana), wild ginger (Asarum caudatum), shooting star (Dodecatheon hendersonii), and pink and white fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum and E. revolutum).

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 1 leaves at 1 p.m. from Spirit Mountain Lodge entrance. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time to meet your group and arrange carpools.

Alternate Meeting:     Participants may also meet the trip at 1:30 p.m at the undercover entrance of Carnegie Room, McMinnville Public Library, 225 SW Adams St. (Highway 99W), McMinnville, Oregon 97128. If you choose this option, be sure to notify your trip leader in advance.

Driving Miles and Time from Spirit Mountain Lodge:     23 miles, 29 minutes to the library

Driving Directions:     Trip leader will provide detailed driving instructions.

Leader:       Rob Tracey

Founding member of the Native Plant Garden, lead gardener for 22 years, Cheahmill Chapter.

Plant Lists and Other Information:     Clink on the links below for more information about this trip.

Photo: Jim Culbert
Oregon fawn lily (Erythronium oreganum)

Photo: Marna Porath
Common camas (Camassia quamash)

Photo: Marna Porath
Adams Street entrance to Native Plant Garden with red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) and tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium)