Which wild PNW plants bloom in early spring?

Yesterday was the first official day of spring here in the northern hemisphere, but the plants have been telling us that spring is here for a while now. Read on to find out which wild plants have already started blooming in Pacific Northwest forests!

🕓 Time to read:

2 minutes

Indian Plum

Oemleria cerasiformis
Rose Family
Native to PNW

Indian plum (also known as osoberry) is always the first plant to return in the spring, with new buds peeking out as early as December.

False Hellebore

Veratrum viride
Bunchflower Family
Not native to PNW

False hellebore (also known as corn lily or Indian corn) rises from the ground very early in the spring. It starts as a tightly wound stalk of leaves before slowly opening into what resembles a stalk of corn. Please be careful, though, because this plant is poisonous!

Salmonberry

Rubus spectabilis
Rose Family
Native to PNW

Salmonberry starts putting out tiny leaf buds in the spring, as well as its first flowers. Keep an eye on these hot-pink blooms, because they’ll turn into edible berries by early summer.

Oxeye Daisy

Leucanthemum vulgare
Sunflower Family
Not native to PNW

These tiny flowers are iconic symbols of spring. Growing in lawns and open fields, they’ve long been used to make daisy-chains and flower crowns!

Douglas’ Spirea

Spirea douglasii
Rose Family
Native to PNW

Douglas’ spirea (also known as hardhack or steeplebush) starts to get its first leaves in early spring. By mid-summer, its bright pink flowers will return as well, which is great news for pollinators.

Oregon Grape

Berberis aquifolium
Barberry Family
Native to PNW

In addition to being a native plant, Oregon grape is also Oregon’s state flower. Its holly-like leaves have been around all winter, but its yellow flowers are just starting to return.

Red-Osier Dogwood

Cornus sericea
Dogwood Family
Native to PNW

Red-osier dogwood is named for its red branches, which add a pop of color to winter forests. Now that it’s spring, its leaves are coming back, sporting the classic deep leaf-veins of the dogwood family.