10 Native Plants for Your Seattle Home

While the most important factor in curb appeal is usually the house itself, the property around it plays a big part in catching the eyes of potential buyers. With the summer months upon us, now’s the time of year people really start appreciating yards and outdoor spaces. And that definitely applies to people looking to buy a new home, as well. You’ve no doubt got a yard to be proud of, but you may be thinking of sprucing it up—pun intended—with some new plant life. There are a lot of beautiful native plants for your Seattle home, from shrubs to trees, that can give your property an extra dash of greenery and color.

Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii

There’s probably no tree more familiar to residents of the Pacific Northwest than the Douglas fir. Like many other hardy trees, they don’t need much care unless you’re trying to keep it below a certain size—the Douglas fir grows relatively quickly as far as trees go—which means it’s a low-stress way to add some big greenery to your property. So if you’ve got the space for a tree or two—or more—on your property, consider adding some of these mighty evergreens.

Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum

With its bright and lovely smelling flowers, it’s no wonder this northwestern native is popular in gardens all over the world. And its berries are used in all sorts of edible goodies like pies, jams, and even infused liquors. So in addition to it being a beautiful plant, it’s one with fun uses any potential home buyer can appreciate. It does best in cooler climates with plenty of moisture—you know, places like Seattle.

Oregon Sunshine, Eriophyllum lanatum

It may bear the name of a neighboring state, but these little sunflowers grow all along the Pacific coast from Baja to British Columbia. Though much smaller than common sunflowers—with stems usually shorter than two feet and flowers under two inches wide—they look similar and bloom all throughout the spring and summer. If your yard has a lot of sunshine, these are the perfect flowers to fill it with a lovely shade of yellow.

Pacific Bleeding Heart, Dicentra formosa

While similar in appearance to a fern, this perennial sports clusters of pink, red, or white heart-shaped flowers when in bloom. They provide a lovely, subtle splash of color amid the green leaves. If you want to add some flowers to your yard but don’t want it to look too busy, this is the perfect choice. They’re fairly easy to tend to; they grow just fine in shadier areas and are drought-resistant. (Not that you’ll likely see many droughts in Seattle.)

Pacific Rhododendron, Rhododendron macrophyllum

When most of us think of evergreens, we tend to picture large pine-type trees, but this lovely shrub—and its clumps of pink flowers—belongs in that broad category of plants as well. That means it will add greenery to your yard year-round in addition to a lovely display of springtime flowers. It also happens to be the state flower of Washington, so you can show some local pride by adding this native plant to your Seattle home.

Shooting Star, Primula sect. Dodecatheon

There are over a dozen species of this particular flower, most of which naturally grow right here in the Pacific Northwest, and they all feature lovely flowers in various shades of purple—magenta, lavender, etc. They require bees for pollination, so if you’re not excited by the thought of those fuzzy little stingers on your property, you may want to go with a different flower. But they are lovely and they grow well in moist soil, so you’ll get plenty of spring blooms if you plant shooting stars in your garden.

Western Azalea, Rhododendron occidentale

Another lovely species of rhododendron, these large shrubs sprout numerous bright, little flowers ranging from snowy white to pink. They can grow even in poorer types of soil, although the western azalea requires more sunshine and moisture than the pacific rhododendron. So if you want to fill up a sun-drenched yard or garden with greenery and flowers, the western azalea is a good choice.

Western Beaked Hazelnut, Corylus cornuta var. californica

A subspecies of the beaked hazelnut, this vibrant green shrub grows all along the West Coast from California to Alaska. And yes, it does grow hazelnuts, though not as many as the hazel tree and shrub species of Europe. Still, it’ll offer a regular crop of nuts for snacking and cooking, which is a nice bonus!

Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata

Another choice only for those with a lot of property, these charming aromatic trees grow to an impressive size in the wild. Seriously, they can grow over 200 feet in height! They’re truly beautiful trees and they do well even in the shade, so you can plant them on parts of your property that don’t see much direct sunlight.

Western Trillium, Trillium ovatum

A flower that’s beautiful on its own but is also especially suited to make a lovely addition to any already diverse lawn or garden, the western trillium naturally grows closely alongside larger plants and shrubs, including towering trees like Douglas firs. Its flowers bloom a lovely white in early spring and slowly change color to pink or red over time. So if you want to add some bright colors to a property already sporting a wide array of different flora, this can give the place some unique curb appeal.

Choosing Native Plants for Your Seattle Home

In a place like Seattle, a city nestled in the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest, picking eye-catching plants is one of the best ways to improve the curb appeal of any house. And choosing native plants for your Seattle home means that your yard will fit in perfectly with the ecosystem. Whether you’ve got the open space for some massive trees, a small garden for some sweet-smelling flowers, or an average-sized lawn with room for a little bit of everything, there are plenty of native plant options to make your property look its best.

If you need help or advice on choosing the right plants for your home (or on curb appeal in general), just reach out to us by clicking here.