Using native plants in your landscape supports and enhances local environments and habitat for wildlife, birds and pollinators. Native plants are a great benefit to any landscape: Native plants require minimal or no water once they are established, they do not require additional fertilizers or pesticides, natives increase the biodiversity of an area, and native plants can be planted in place of a lawn, so mowing is not necessary.
Marion Soil & Water Conservation District
Native Plant Program
How can the Marion SWCD help you?
Identification Assistance
Staff from the Marion SWCD can help you identify native plants that may already exist in your landscape.
You can start here by viewing some of the most common native plants in the Willamette Valley.
If you have a question about a particular plant that is growing on your property, bring in a sample of the plant
(with flowers if possible) to the District office, or if you are curious about many plants, contact us
to schedule a site visit to your property.
Landscape Plant Recommendations
Are you interested in adding native plants to your landscape? Need help choosing native plants that would be right for your site
conditions based on the amount of sunlight, moisture and soil type? Here's a few documents to help you get stared choosing plants
for your landscape; upland plants for
wildlife, streamside
plants for wildlife, plants for different conditions, and tips on planting. You can also
view additional information on the plant resource page.
Native Plant Sale
Every year during the second weekend in March the Marion SWCD holds a native plant sale.
Over 90 different species are usually available at the plant sale. Proceeds from the sale go
towards two scholarships for students from Marion County who are studying natural resources at
an Oregon College or University. Visit the plant sale page for more information.
Native Plant Posters
One good way of learning about native plants is by having an informational poster on your wall. The Marion SWCD has 5 different plant identification posters available to the public for only $6.00. The topics of each poster are: PNW Old Growth Forest (36" x 24"), NW Native Conifers (36" x 24"), Rain Gardens (24" x 18"), NW Woodland Wildflowers (36" x 24"), and NW Native Broadleaved Trees (36" x 24"). These posters are available at our office and at the District's Native Plant Sale.