Native Plant Alternatives to English Ivy

Benefits of native plants

Many native plants are drought tolerant and do not require irrigation once established.
Native plants provide food and habitat for native wildlife.
Native plants do not require fertilizer or pesticides, which protects our water quality and soil health.
Native plants can be as ornamental and functional as non-native plants; many are better at stabilizing soil and slopes that the shallow-rooted English ivy.
Native plants do not pose a threat of escaping and becoming economic or ecological pests.

The following native plants are adaptable, require little or no maintenance, and provide an evergreen canopy that is disease and pest resistant.

Plants:	Growing conditions
Pacific blackberry (Rubus ursinus)	tolerates full sun, part sun, clay, and seasonal flooding (not recommended for home landscaping)
sword fern (Polystichum munitum)	sun or shade; dry to moist (clean up in March to look fresh)
salal (Gaultheria shallon)	sun to partial shade; dry to moderate moisture (needs to be brush cut periodically)
California honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)	tolerates full sun, part sun, full shade, clay, seasonal flooding, and deer
low Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa)	likes part shade. and is tolerant of deep shade
tall Oregon grape (Mahonia acquifolium) (particularly low growing selections	sun or shade, drought tolerant, dry to moist well drained sites
kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) (especially "Vancouver Jade" & Arctostaphylos media)	sun, some shade: well drained soil
slough sedge (Carex obnupta)	moist shade (needs mowing in March to stay fresh)
beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)	sun to partial shade; dry to moderate moisture
thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)	sun to shade, moist to dry

The following native plants plus the above plants can be the elements of a diverse ground cover planting that can be an ivy substitute.

Climbers:	Growing conditions
Western trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa)	partial to full shade
Groundcovers:
bunchberry, Canadian dogwood (Cornus unalaschkensis)	partial to full shade; humus rich soil
Dewey sedge (Carex deweyana)	sun to partial shade; moist to dry
Hendeson sedge (Carex hendersonii)	partial shade to shade: moist
fringe cup (Tellima grandiflora)	moist shade to partial shade
foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)	partial shade to shade; moist soil
inside-out flower (Vancouveria hexandra)	sun to shade; moist to moderate moisture
large-leaved-avens (Geum macrophyllum)	sun to partial shade
piggy-back plant, youth-on-age (Tolmiea menziesii)	partial shade to shade; moist soil
slough sedge (Carex obnupta)	moist shade
twinflower (Linnaea borealis)	partial to full shade
vanilla leaf (Achlys triphylla)	partial sun; dry to moist soil
wild-ginger (Asarum caudatum)	shade; moist soil
wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana)	shade; wet or dry soil
Ferns:
oak fern (Gynmocarpium dryopteris)	shade or partial shade; dry to moist
lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)	sun to shade: moist soil
Subshrubs and shrubs:
common juniper (Juniperus communis)	sun to partial shade; dry to moist soil

See the WNPS web site for images and gardening information for these native plants.