Plant Database
For information on plant criteria, how to search the plant database and in-depth descriptions of each of the search categories, please scroll down. Otherwise, go directly to the database.
CRITERIA USED TO SELECT PLANTS
- Generally hardy in the Okanagan
- Well-adapted to the Okanagan hot dry summers
- Pest and disease-resistant when grown in the plant’s desired moisture, light, and soil conditions.
- Generally found in Okanagan nurseries. If your local nursery does not have something, ask for it – more demand creates more availability.
- Not on the OASSIS invasive plant list (Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society)
- All information provided is to the best of our knowledge through both personal experience and using reputable references.
HOW TO SEARCH THE DATABASE
Please check back frequently as we continuously add plants and plant images to the database.
TO SEARCH FOR INFORMATION ON A SPECIFIC PLANT–
Type the plant name in the “Keywords” box and press enter on your keyboard.
TO SEARCH FOR PLANT SUGGESTIONS–
Click on as many search categories as you wish to be included in your search.
Multiple tick boxes may be selected under any category.
Plants included in the search results will:
- Match all bloom months, bloom colours, foliage colours and special features that you have selected.
- Match any types, heights, spread, and water/light categories that you have selected.
- If a zone is selected, the search will include all plants from Zone 1 up to and including the selected zone.
Click the search button to get the plant list fitting your criteria. Your search may be refined at any time by selecting or deselecting criteria.
Now with your search results, you can:
- Click on the Latin Name header to sort search results alphabetically by Latin name.
- Click on a plant name to get the full details and plant photos.
- Click on a photo to enlarge it.
TO BEGIN A NEW SEARCH, click on “‘Start new search” at the top of the page.
To create a printable version of your search results, right-click on the Search button and select “print.”
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE DATABASE
LATIN NAME:
When buying a plant, it is wise to use the full Latin name to ensure you are getting the exact plant that you want because common names can apply to more than one plant. Often there are several varieties/cultivars of one species. For example, with the common name “Yarrow,” Achillea is the Genus, millefolium is the species, and examples of cultivars are “‘Cerise Queen” and “Paprika” which have different colours and growth habits.
TYPE:
Plants in the database can appear in more than one category. For example, a ground cover might also be a shrub or a vine or an ornamental grass. Plants designated as perennials, ground covers and grasses mostly die back with frost and re-grow from their roots the following spring. The foliage on those listed as evergreen does not die back during winter.
HEIGHT AND SPREAD:
The figures given are an average depending on the amount of moisture, the type of soil, and the weather. For grasses, the height is when they are in bloom. Spring bulb height is when the plants are in bloom. They will die back to the ground after blooming leaving room for other plants to grow.
FLAMMABILITY:
The plants that are noted as being flammable in our database come from a listing of highly flammable plants on the BC FireSmart publications. They should be treated with caution and not be placed near buildings.
AVAILABILITY:
This is a very tricky subject. On one hand, we don’t want to frustrate users by enticing them with plants they cannot find. On the other hand, some plants are sufficiently worthy of taking extra effort to locate them. More demand creates more availability.
Here are a few helpful hints:
- If we state that a plant is “Available in speciality nurseries” that indicates you may have trouble obtaining this plant. If the plant is a native plant, try a native plant nursery.
- It is quite common for certain plants to be unavailable at certain times of the year. Generally, nurseries will stock plants when they are looking their best and flowering so, for example, you may have difficulty finding Lenten roses at the nurseries in the fall or asters in the spring.
- Some perennials and grasses are most commonly grown from seed because it is easy and cheap. Often these plants are self-seeders. Nurseries often seem to avoid stocking these plants.
- Although you might be able to find the species of plant, you may well have trouble locating the particular variety you want. Unfortunately, plant varieties go in and out of fashion depending on a lot of external factors.
WATER:
On average, the Central Okanagan receives about 12 inches (28cm) natural precipitation annually (Vernon, about 15 inches and Penticton, 11 inches).
The amount of supplemental water a plant will need in the growing season will be affected by the type of soil it is growing in and whether or not the soil has been covered by mulch. The water recommendations shown in the database are for mulched, average, well-drained soil with good organic content. Plants in sandy soils will need a bit more water and plants in clay soils will do much better with less than the suggested supplementation.
It is important to water deeply and less often, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings. The water will soak down into the soil encouraging growth of deep plant roots as they follow the water. A deep watering would be an application of one inch. (Measure how long that takes by putting out tuna cans in the watering zone and timing how long it takes to fill them.) Most of the supplemental water is needed in the dry summer months.
The suggested amount of supplemental watering per year is:
1 raindrop 0-3” (7.5cm) 
2 raindrops 4”-7” (10-18cm) 
3 raindrops 8”-11” (20-28cm) 
LIGHT:
Full sun– at least six hours of sunlight, preferably including the hot midday and afternoon sun.
Part sun– areas that receive sunlight in the morning and/or late in the day with shade or filtered light during the midday and afternoon.
Shade– areas that do not get direct sunlight but may have dappled sunlight from deciduous trees.
LIGHT AND WATER:
Some plants will grow in more than one light condition. Generally their water needs are reduced in less sunlight. To reflect this we have combined the information for light and water in the plant profiles.
ZONE:
The zone rating on the plants is the coldest USDA zone they will survive in. For plants that need good drainage, being in sodden, wet soil may be more likely to kill them than cold temperatures. Plant Hardiness zones vary in the Okanagan – see Okanagan Plant Hardiness
BLOOM MONTHS:
Bloom time is approximate and will vary with garden conditions as well as from year to year depending on the weather. If you want to find plants that bloom over a longer period, select all the months you want a plant to bloom in.
COLOUR:
Colours in the list are general, while colour descriptions in the plant profile are more detailed.
FOLIAGE:
More detailed foliage colour is given in the plant profiles. Burgundy includes red and bronze foliage; chartreuse includes yellow and lime green foliage; and silver includes silver, blue/green, grey/blue.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Edible– only plants known to be safe to eat have this designation.
Poisonous– plants other than those designated may also be poisonous. Please let us know if you have further information.
Deer-proof/resistant– in general plants with aromatic foliage, or hairy foliage/stems or sticky sap are deer-proof. Deer do not usually feed on ornamental grasses. What deer eat varies from one year/season to the next. It depends on how heavy the deer population is in a given area and how much easily-accessible food there is in their territory. If they are really hungry, they eat almost any vegetation.
We have designated plants to be deer-resistant if they are rarely damaged by deer and also flagged those plants that are frequently damaged. Take deer-proof lists from other areas with a grain of salt – your local resident deer may not have read that publication!
Spreader/self-seeder– These plants tend to produce lots of viable seed, but are easy to control by removing spent flowers before they set seed, by mulching after seed has dropped and before it germinates, or by pulling out unwanted babies.
Aggressive Spreader– These plants are fast spreaders – generally by roots, sometimes also by excessive seeding. This quality can make them excellent choices for erosion control or a mass weed-suppressing ground cover. Be aware of their habit and be careful of where you plant them. 
Although many gardeners will refer to these plants as invasive, they are not listed on the OASISS site as being a threat.