Vascular Plants

Includes all flowering plants, conifers, ferns and fern-allies.


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Scientific names beginning with S:
90 genera
333 species, 82 subspecies and varieties
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Index to genera:
Sabulina, Sagina, Sagittaria, Salicornia, Salix, Salsola, Salvia, Sambucus, Samolus, Sandbergia, Sanguisorba, Sanicula, Saponaria, Sarcobatus, Sarracenia, Sasa, Saussurea, Saxifraga, Saxifragopsis, Sceptridium, Schedonorus, Scheuchzeria, Schizachyrium, Schoenoplectus, Scirpus, Scleranthus, Sclerochloa, Sclerolinon, Scleropoa, Scribneria, Scrophularia, Scutellaria, Secale, Securigera, Sedum, Selaginella, Senecio, Sericocarpus, Setaria, Shepherdia, Sherardia, Sibbaldia, Sidalcea, Silene, Silybum, Sinapis, Sisymbrium, Sisyrinchium, Sium, Smelowskia, Smilax, Solanum, Solidago, Soliva, Sonchus, Sorbaria, Sorbus, Sorghum, Sparganium, Spartina, Spartium, Spergula, Spergularia, Sphaeralcea, Sphaerophysa, Sphenopholis, Spinacia, Spinulum, Spiraea, Spiranthes, Spirodela, Sporobolus, Stachys, Stellaria, Stenotus, Stephanomeria, Streptanthella, Streptopus, Strigosella, Struthiopteris, Stuckenia, Suaeda, Subularia, Suksdorfia, Sullivantia, Swertia, Symphoricarpos, Symphyotrichum, Symphytum, Syringa
Sabulina basaltica – basalt sandwort, Olympic sandwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from the northeastern Olympic Mountains in Washington.
Habitat: Rocky outcroppings and exposed areas in the subalpine and alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sabulina macra – slender sandwort, slender stitchwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon.
Habitat: Lowlands, prairies and coastal bluffs.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Sabulina nuttallii – Nuttall's sandwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Sagebrush hills to alpine slopes, especially on gravelly benches or talus.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. fragilis – brittle sandwort, brittle stichwort
• var. nuttallii – Nuttall's sandwort
Sabulina pusilla – annual sandwort, dwarf sandwort, dwarf stitchwort
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest from Klickitat County to the southeastern counties in Washington; southern Washington to California, east to northeastern Oregon and adjacent Idaho.
Habitat: Dry, rocky cliffs and outcroppings in sagebrush desert to ponderosa pine forest openings.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Sabulina rubella – boreal stitchwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains, east across Canada to the northeastern North America.
Habitat: Subalpine to alpine meadows, ridges and talus slopes
Origin: Native
Flowers: June - August
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Sabulina sororia – Twin Sisters sandwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to the Twin Sisters Range in Whatcom County.
Habitat: Rocky outcroppings and exposed areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sagina apetala – annual pearlwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, also occurring in Kansas.
Habitat: Waste ground.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Sagina decumbens – western pearlwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Moist soil at low elevations, but not typically coastal.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. occidentalis – western pearlwort
Sagina maxima – stick-stemmed pearlwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, often along or near the coast; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Moist sand or rocks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
• ssp. crassicaulis – stick-stemmed pearlwort
• ssp. maxima – stick-stemmed pearlwort
Sagina procumbens – bird-eye pearlwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, though more common west of the crest; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Moist areas, often where disturbed, at low elevations; common garden weed.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sagina saginoides – alpine pearlwort, arctic pearlwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and Alberta; east across northern Canada to Greenland.
Habitat: Open areas, typically where at least seasonally moist, from middle elevations to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-September.
Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Sagittaria cuneata – arumleaf arrowhead, northern arrowhead, Sagittaria cuneaire, wapato
Distribution: East of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to New York.
Habitat: Ponds, lake shores and ditches.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sagittaria graminea – grassy arrowhead
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wetlands, ponds, and lakes
Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North America
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. graminea
Sagittaria latifolia – common arrowhead, duck potato, wapato
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; Vancouver Island, British Columbia to central California; central North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Ditches, ponds, lakes, swampy areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sagittaria platyphylla – delta arrowhead
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington and Portland, Oregon area, otherwise south-central U.S., and in scattered locations in central and northeastern U.S., where native.
Habitat: Pond and lake margins.
Origin: Introduced from the southeastern U.S.
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sagittaria rigida – sessile-fruited arrowhead
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; also in western Idaho; otherwise in eastern North America, where native.
Habitat: Pond and lake margins.
Origin: Introduced from eastern North America
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salicornia depressa – low saltwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest ialong the marine coast in Washington; Alaska to California; also along the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Salt marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Salicornia pacifica – woody glasswort, pickleweed
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to Baja California.
Habitat: Salt marshes and beaches along coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salicornia rubra – red glasswort saltwort, saltwort
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon to California, east to the Rocky Mountains Great Plains, and Great Lakes region.
Habitat: Saline or alkaline soil.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Salix amygdaloides – peach-leaf willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon and Nevada, east to the Great Plains, upper midwest, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Wetlands, streambanks, and other riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix arctica – arctic willow
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in northwestern Washington; Alaska to northwestern Washington, east across northern Canada; circumboreal.
Habitat: In wet to dry areas in the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix barclayi – barclay's willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska east to Oregon, east to Northwest Territory, Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming.
Habitat: Lakes, streams, and other riparian areas in subalpine and alpine zone.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix bebbiana – Bebb's willow, gray willow, long-beak willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America, except in the southeastern U.S., to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Lakes, streams, and other riparian areas from low to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix boothii – Booth's willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and Sasketchewan.
Habitat: Wet subalpine meadows, streambanks, lakeshores, and other riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix brachycarpa – short-fruited willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and east across Canada to Quebec.
Habitat: Riparian areas, wetlands, and meadows from middle elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. brachycarpa – short-fruited willow
Salix candida – sage willow, sage-leaf willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Alaska to northeastern Washington, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Lakeshores, pond margins, streambanks, and other riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix cascadensis – Cascade willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Mt. Rainier, also in western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
Habitat: High elevations in the mountains in subalpine and alpine habitats
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix commutata – variable willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Northwest Territory, Sasketchawan, and Montana.
Habitat: Moist areas, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix drummondiana – Drummond's willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, Northwest Territory, and Saskatchewan.
Habitat: Streambanks, lakeshores, floodplains, and other riparian areas in montane and subalpine habitats.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix eastwoodiae – Sierran willow
Distribution: In the mountains of Washington; Washington south to California, east to Montana, Wyoming, and Nevada.
Habitat: Alpine and subalpine meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix exigua – coyote willow, narrow-leaf willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and southern Great Plains.
Habitat: Riparian areas, gravel bars, lake and pond shore margins
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. columbiana – Columbia River willow
• var. exigua – coyote willow, narrow-leaf willow
Salix farriae – Farr's willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Okanogan County; Yukon to northern Washington and northeast Oregon, east to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Habitat: Wet meadows and riparian zones from montane areas to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix fragilis – crack willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, including sand dunes, often where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix geyeriana – Geyer's willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Lowland riparian areas including streambanks and pond and lake margins.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix glauca – gray willow
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to northwestern Washington, east to western Montana.
Habitat: Middle elevations to above timberline in moist places to open slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. villosa – glaucous willow, gray willow
Salix hookeriana – coastal willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Moist, often swamps areas, from the sea coast to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix lasiandra – Pacific willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Riparian areas from the coast to the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. caudata – gland willow, Pacific willow, shining willow
• var. lasiandra – Pacific willow
Salix lasiolepis – arroyo willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas.
Habitat: Riparian corridors from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix maccalliana – Maccalla's willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to Washington, east across northern North America to Quebec.
Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, fens, streambanks and lakeshores from low to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix matsudana – corkscrew willow
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; occurring in scattered locations across North America.
Habitat: Disturbed shorelines, where escaping from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix melanopsis – dusky willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the northern and central Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Riparian zones including streambanks, pond and lake margins, and subalpine meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix monochroma – one-color willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to adjacent Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Montane stream banks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix nivalis – dwarf snow willow
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Subalpine meadows and alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix pedicellaris – bog willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Territory to Oregon, east across Canada and northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Bogs, fens, and similar wet meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix petrophila – alpine willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Alpine areas, often near melting snowbanks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix planifolia – plane-leaf willow, tea-leaved willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Wet meadows, lake margins, streambanks and other riparian areas in the alpine and subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. planifolia – diamondleaf willow
Salix prolixa – Mackenzie's willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Northwest Territories, Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming.
Habitat: Along streams in the lowlands to lower valleys in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix pseudomonticola – false mountain willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in the North Cascades in Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to Quebec.
Habitat: Wet meadows, forested wetlands, and other riparian areas in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix purpurea – purple osier, basket willow, purple willow
Distribution: Occurring in scattered lowland locations west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, also in Utah, and from the central U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Ditches, floodplains, and shores.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix scouleriana – Scouler's willow
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Moist woods and streambanks, lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix ×sepulcralis – weeping willow
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Riparian zones and other wet areas, often where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix sessilifolia – sessile-leaf willow
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon.
Habitat: Riparian corridors at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix sitchensis – Sitka willow
Distribution: Occurring in forested areas on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to western Montana.
Habitat: Moist woods and stream banks, lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. sitchensis – Sitka willow
Salix tweedyi – Tweedy's willow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in north-central Washington; British Columbia to Washington, east to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Habitat: Wet meadows, lake margins, streambanks, and other riparian areas in alpine and subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salix vestita – rock willow
Distribution: Occurring in the North Cascades in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta and in Montana; also in cetnral and eastern Canada.
Habitat: Moist forest opening, streambanks, and other riparian areas in montane and subalpine habitats.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Salsola tragus – Russian thistle, tumbleweed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where widely distributed; southern British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadside, meadows, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Salvia aethiopis – African sage
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: A weed of dry waste places and roadsides.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Biennial
Salvia dorrii – gray ball sage, purple sage
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Utah and Arizona.
Habitat: Dry, open, often sandy or rocky areas in sagebrush plains and foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. incana – fleshy sage, gray-ball sage
Salvia sclarea – cleareye
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; occasionally escaping in parts of western, central, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Biennial
Salvia yangii – Russian sage
Distribution: Reported from east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; south-central British Columbia to central Washington.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sambucus cerulea – blue elderberry
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Forest edge, fields, and roadsides from near sea level to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sambucus nigra – black elderberry
Distribution: Uncommon west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to northern Oregon; eastern North America where S. nigra var. canadensis is native. and var. nigra is more frequently escaped.
Habitat: Disturbed areas where rarely escaping from nearby cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe and eastern North America
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. nigra
Sambucus racemosa – red elderberry
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and eastern North America.
Habitat: A wide variety of habitats, typically in forests, forest edge, fields, and wet areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. arborescens – coast red elderberry, red elderberry
• var. melanocarpa – black elderberry
Samolus parviflorus – water pimpernel
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the Lower Columbia River in southwestern Washington; southwestern Washington to adjacent northwestern Oregon, otherwise in California, east across the southern U.S. to eastern North America.
Habitat: Freshwater intertidal zone.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sandbergia perplexa – puzzling halimolobos
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Douglas County; disjunct in central Washington, otherwise to western Idaho to southwestern Montana.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, typically on lithosol.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sandbergia whitedii – fissurewort, whited's halimolobos fissurewort
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington.
Habitat: Dry scabland, forest openings, talus slopes and alpine meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanguisorba menziesii – Menzies' burnet, small-head burnet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington; Alaska to Washington.
Habitat: Peatlands, wet meadows, shores, generally at middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanguisorba officinalis – garden burnet, great burnet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington; Alaska to California; introduced in eastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Peatlands, wet meadows, marshes, shorelines, and wet forests from the lowlands to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanguisorba stipulata – Sitka burnet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Wet places at middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanicula arctopoides – footsteps-of-spring, bear's-foot sanicle
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Vancouver Island, B.C. south along the coast to California.
Habitat: Maritime species of coastal bluffs, meadows, and balds.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanicula bipinnatifida – purple black-snakeroot, purple sanicle
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Balds, forest edge, and other open to partially shaded areas at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanicula crassicaulis – Pacific sanicle
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Meadows, balds, prairies, and open woods from the coast to low elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. crassicaulis – Pacific sanicle
• var. tripartita – Pacific sanicle
Sanicula graveolens – Sierran black-snakeroot
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana and Wyoming.
Habitat: Common in open woods, balds, and thickets at low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sanicula marilandica – Maryland black-snakeroot
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the northeastern counties in Washington; Eastern British Columbia to northeast Washington, east to the Atlantic coast.
Habitat: Moist, low ground, less often on moist, wooded slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saponaria ocymoides – rock soapwort
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California; also in scattered states in the central and eastern U.S.
Habitat: Old gardens, waste sites and rocky places.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saponaria officinalis – bouncing-bet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Rocky stream corridors, forest edge, roadsides, and other disturbed, open areas from low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sarcobatus vermiculatus – greasewood
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Saline or alkaline, usually heavy soils of the drier regions.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sarracenia flava – yellow pitcher-plant, yellow trumpet
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest, where intentionally planted; native in the southeastern United States.
Habitat: Swamps, bogs and seeps.
Origin: Introduced from southeast United States
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sarracenia leucophylla – white-topped pitcher-plant
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; native to the southeastern United States.
Habitat: Swamps, bogs and seeps.
Origin: Introduced from southeast United States
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sarracenia purpurea – purple pitcher-plant
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington; native to the Great Lakes region and eastern North America.
Habitat: Swamps, bogs and seeps.
Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North America
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. purpurea – northern pitcher-plant, purple pitcher-plant
Sasa palmata – broadleaf bamboo
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; also known from Tennessee.
Habitat: Disturbed lowland areas where escaping from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saussurea americana – American sawwort
Distribution: Occurring in the Olympics and Cascades mountains in Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east to Alberta, Montana, and Idaho.
Habitat: Meadows and open, often rocky slopes, where moist, at mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga adscendens – wedge-leaf saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in northern Washington and possibly in the Olympic Mountains; Alaska to Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Glacial moraines and alpine gravelly meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga austromontana – matted saxifrage, spotted saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to northeast Oregon, east to Montana, and south in Rocky Mountains to New Mexico; circumboreal.
Habitat: Cliff crevices, talus and scree slopes, mid- to high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga cernua – nodding saxifrage
Distribution: Known only east of the Cascades crest in north-central Washington; Alaska south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and across northern Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Among rocks in alpine areas, often where moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga cespitosa – tufted alpine saxifrage, tufted saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to south California, east to the Rocky Mountains; east across Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Ledges, gravelly ridges and scree, near sea level to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga hyperborea – pygmy saxifrage
Distribution: In the Olympic and Cascade mountains of Washington; Alaska south to California, throughout the Rocky Mountains, across northern Canada to the Maritime Provinces.
Habitat: Alpine tundra, often where moist with rocky outcroppings, crevices, and snowmelt.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga mertensiana – Merten's saxifrage, woodland saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana.
Habitat: Wet ledges, shaded seeps on rock faces, and gravelly stream banks from sea level to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifraga oppositifolia – purple saxifrage, twinflowered saxifrage
Distribution: In the Olympic and Cascade mountains of Washington; Alaska south to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains; across northern Canada and northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Alpine slopes and rocky outcroppings
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. oppositifolia – purple mountain saxifrage, purple saxifrage, twinflowered saxifrage
Saxifraga tridactylites – rue-leaved saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to Oregon.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Annual
Saxifraga vespertina – matted saxifrage, spotted saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; western Washington to Oregon.
Habitat: Rocky outcroppings.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Saxifragopsis fragarioides – strawberry saxifrage
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the Wenatchee Mountains in Washington, where disjunct; southwestern Oregon to adjacent California.
Habitat: Rock outcrops and talus slopes at middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sceptridium multifidum – leathery grapefern
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the northeastern counties in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Open or shaded places, including meadows, wetland margins, and forest edge, from low elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schedonorus arundinaceus – tall fescue, tall rye grass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Meadowlands, fallow fields an ditch banks.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schedonorus pratensis – meadow fescue, meadow rye grass
Distribution: Occurring in scattered localities on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Meadows, pastures, roadsides, and other disturbed areas, often where moist
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scheuchzeria palustris – scheuchzeria
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Montana, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and eastern North America.
Habitat: In bogs or on lake margins.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schizachyrium scoparium – broom bluestem, little bluestem
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, but apparently not in Oregon, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. scoparium – broom beardgras, broom bluestem, little bluestem
Schoenoplectus acutus – American bulrush, common tule
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east throughout all of North America except southeastern U.S.
Habitat: Pond and lake margins, wetland and riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus americanus – American three-square bulrush, Olney's three-square bulrush
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Marshes, shores, peatlands, tolerant of alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus ×kuekenthalianus – Kukenthal's bulrush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in southwestern Washington; southwestern Washington to adjacent northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Freshwater intertidal zone.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus mucronatus – ricefield bulrush, rough-seed bulrush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in southwestern Washington; southwestern Washington to the Willamette Valley and California, and in eastern North America.
Habitat: Drying shores, marshes, and ditches.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus pungens – chairmaker's club-rush, common three-square
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast; Europe.
Habitat: Marshes and wet, low ground; tolerent of alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus saximontanus – Rocky Mountain bulrush
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades in eastern Washington; south-central British Columbia, Spokane County in WA, also in California, the southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Great Lakes region.
Habitat: Sloughs and damp lake shores.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus subterminalis – swaying club-rush, water club-rush
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest; Alaska to California, east to Montana, Idaho, and Utah, also from northern Great Plains east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Quiet, shallow water 2-8 dm. deep,
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani – great bulrush, soft-stem bulrush
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast; also in Central and South America.
Habitat: Marshes and muddy shores of lakes and streams at lower elevations; tolerant of alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Schoenoplectus triqueter – stream bank bulrush, triangular club-rush
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington in the lower Columbia River; southwestern Washington to adjacent northwestern Oregon.
Habitat: Freshwater intertidal zone.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scirpus atrocinctus – common woolly sedge
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Jefferson and Whatcom Counties; British Columbia to Washington, east across the northern half of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wet, low ground.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scirpus cyperinus – cotton-grass bulrush
Distribution: Ocurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, east to Idaho and Montana; native from central North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wet areas and riparian zones at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from eastern North America
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scirpus microcarpus – panicled bulrush, small fruited bulrush
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east in Canada and northern United States to New England.
Habitat: Wet ground, ditches, shorelines, streambanks, and other riparian areas from low to moderate elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scirpus pallidus – pale bulrush
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to Oregon, east to the Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Wet, low ground, from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scleranthus annuus – annual knawel
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Saskatchewan, Montana, and Idaho; also from the central U.S. to eastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed soils, waste lots, and cultivated areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. annuus – annual knawel
Sclerochloa dura – common hardgrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Sclerolinon digynum – northwestern yellow-flax
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Meadows and prairies at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Scribneria bolanderi – Scribner's grass
Distribution: Occurring in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; south-central Washington and adjacent Oregon, otherwise southwestern Oregon to California.
Habitat: Dry, sandy to rocky soil, often along roadsides, mostly from the foothills and lower mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Annual
Scrophularia californica – California figwort, Oregon figwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, chiefly in coastal counties; coastal southwestern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Forest margins, prairies, and meadows at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scrophularia lanceolata – lance-leaf figwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of the U.S. and all of Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist forest edges and openings, and meadows at low elevations, but not along the coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scutellaria angustifolia – narrow-leaved skullcap
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho, Utah, and Nevada.
Habitat: Moist and drier sites, moderate to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. angustifolia – narrow-leaved skullcap
• ssp. micrantha – small-flowering narrow-leaved skullcap
Scutellaria galericulata – hooded skullcap, marsh skullcap
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wet meadows and similar habitats at moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Scutellaria lateriflora – madweed, mad-dog skullcap
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Alaska, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist bottomlands and meadows, low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Secale cereale – cultivated rye
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Secale strictum – narrow rye
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Whitman County in Washington; also know from Crook County, Oregon.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Securigera varia – crown vetch, purple crown vetch
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum acre – mossy stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to Oregon, east across Canada, and the central, southeastern, and northeastern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed ground at low elevation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum album – white stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Utah, and in northeastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed, open areas including fields, lawns, parking areas, and rocky outcroppings.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum brevifolium – short-leaved stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington in King County, WA.
Habitat: Cliffs and exposed rock faces.
Origin: Introduced from southern Europe
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum divergens – Pacific stonecrop, spreading stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta.
Habitat: Open, rocky areas, mid- to high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum forsterianum – Forster's stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to western Washington.
Habitat: Roadsides, bluffs, and rocky soil, where escaping from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum lanceolatum – lance-leaved stonecrop
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada.
Habitat: On rocks or gravel in open, dry areas, from sea level to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum leibergii – Leiberg's stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Oregon, east to Montana.
Habitat: Mossy rocks to open, gravelly hillsides, chiefly in canyons.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum oreganum – Oregon stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Rock ledges, talus slopes and gravelly ridges from low elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum rupicola – lance-leaved stonecrop, stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington east to Idaho.
Habitat: Open, exposed places, usually on rocks or in gravelly soil, at moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum spathulifolium – broadleaf stonecrop, spatula-leaf stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Coastal cliffs, ledges, balds, and gravelly soil in the foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sedum stenopetalum – wormleaf stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascade crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the northern Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Grasslands and ponderosa pine forests to sub-alpine ridges, on dry, gravelly benches, rock crevices and talus.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. stenopetalum – wormleaf stonecrop
Sedum thartii – Thart's stonecrop
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Roadsides, and rocky banks.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Selaginella douglasii – Douglas' clubmoss, lesser clubmoss
Distribution: Occurring in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; both sides of the Columbia River Gorge, and also along the Clearwater River in Idaho.
Habitat: Cliffs, banks and tree trunks in humid regions at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Selaginella oregana – festoon spikemoss, Oregon spikemoss
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the outer coast, lower western slopes of the Olympic Mountains and the coast range in Washington, rarely in slope of western Cascades; southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California.
Habitat: Epiphytic or on rocks in humid areas at low elevations along the coast.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Selaginella scopulorum – cliff spikemoss, Rocky Mountain spikemoss
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and Texas.
Habitat: Rock outcroppings and crevices from middle elevations to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Selaginella wallacei – Wallace's spikemoss
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana.
Habitat: Exposed, terrestrial, often rocky sites, such as pocket of soil in ledges and cliffs
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Senecio elmeri – Elmer's ragwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in central and northern Washington; British Columbia to central Washington.
Habitat: Talus slopes and other rocky places in alpine areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Senecio fremontii – dwarf mountain butterweed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest and in the Olympic Mountains in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.
Habitat: Open, rocky slopes at high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. fremontii – dwarf mountain groundsel
Senecio hydrophiloides – sweet marsh butterweed, stout meadow groundsel
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.
Habitat: Wet meadows in the mountains and foothills, but not in alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Senecio hydrophilus – alkali marsh butterweed, water groundsel, alkali marsh ragwort
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Swampy places in the valleys and foothills; tolerant of alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June- September
Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Senecio integerrimus – one-stemmed butterweed, western groundsel
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where widely distributed; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains and Great Lakes region.
Habitat: Meadows and seasonally moist open areas from low elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. exaltatus – one-stemmed butterweed, lambs-tongue groundsel, tall western groundsel
• var. ochroleucus – white western groundsel
Senecio lugens – black-tipped groundsel
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Washington, east to the northern Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Wet meadows, grassy alpine slopes, and rich northern woods.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Senecio neowebsteri – Olympic Mountain ragwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest, where endemic to the Olympic Mountains of Washington.
Habitat: Talus slopes and rocky places.
Origin: Native
Flowers: Aug.-Sept.
Growth Duration: Perennial
Senecio serra – tall butterweed, butterweed groundsel
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Habitat: Meadows and open, moist hillsides, foothills to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. serra – tall butterweed, butterweed groundsel
Senecio sylvaticus – wood groundsel, woodland groundsel, woodland ragwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, forest edge, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Senecio triangularis – arrowleaf groundsel, arrowleaf ragwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Moist places and streambanks from the lowlands to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. triangularis – arrowleaf groundsel, arrowleaf ragwort
Senecio viscosus – sticky ragwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington, east across Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, ditches, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Senecio vulgaris – common groundsel, old man in the spring
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, waste ground, lawns, and other disturbed, open sites.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: February-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Sericocarpus oregonensis – Oregon white-topped aster
Distribution: Occurring in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington to California.
Habitat: Grasslands, forest openings, and savanna.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. oregonensis – Oregon white-topped aster
Sericocarpus rigidus – Columbian white-topped aster, Columbian whitetop aster, rigid white-topped aster, white-topped aster
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland Washington; southern Vancouver Island to southwest Oregon.
Habitat: Prairies and open areas at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Setaria faberi – Chinese foxtail
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from China
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Setaria italica – Italian bristlegrass, foxtail millet
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from China
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Setaria pumila – yellow bristlegrass, yellow foxtail
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. pallide-fusca – cattail grass
• ssp. pumila – yellow foxtail
Setaria verticillata – hooked bristlegrass, rough bristlegrass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Alaska, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Weed of gardens, irrigated areas and wasteland.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Setaria viridis – green bristlegrass, green foxtail
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-October
Growth Duration: Annual
• var. viridis – green bristlegrass, green foxtail
Shepherdia canadensis – russet buffalo-berry, soapberry, soopolallie
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moderately dry, open to wooded areas, sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sherardia arvensis – blue field-madder
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho and Nevada; also in south-central and eastern North America.
Habitat: Weed of prairies, meadows, and other open, disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Mediterranean
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Sibbaldia procumbens – creeping-glow-wort, creeping sibbaldia
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and east across most of Canda to the Atlantic Coasl.
Habitat: Open, dry to moist subalpine and alpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sidalcea campestris – meadow checker-mallow, meadow sidalcea
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where escaped from cultivation; endemic to the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
Habitat: Dry fields and roadsides.
Origin: Introduced from Oregon
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sidalcea hendersonii – Henderson's checker-mallow
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in the coastal counties in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to the Umpqua River area in Oregon.
Habitat: On or adjacent to tidelands, coastal marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sidalcea hirtipes – bristly-stem checker-mallow
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Clark and Lewis counties in Washington; southwestern Washington to Lincoln, Tillamook and Clatsop Counties, Oregon.
Habitat: Coastal mountains to bluffs along the ocean, but not on tideflats.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sidalcea nelsoniana – Nelson's checker-mallow
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in southwestern Washington; southwestern Washington to west-central Oregon.
Habitat: Gravelly, well-drained soil at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sidalcea oregana – Oregon checker-mallow
Distribution: Chiefly east of the Cascades in Washington; Washington south to California, east to Wyoming.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains, meadows and ponderosa pine forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. calva – Oregon checkermallow
• var. oregana – Oregon checkermallow
Sidalcea virgata – virgate checker-mallow, virgate checkerbloom
Distribution: Historically occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where disjunct in Thurston County and now considered extirpated; Yamhill County, Oregon to California.
Habitat: Moist prairies and meadows at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene acaulis – moss campion
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, and east across Canada to northeastern North America; circumboreal.
Habitat: Rock crevices and talus slopes at high elevations in the mountains
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene antirrhina – sleepy catchfly
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Open areas, often where disturbed.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Silene bernardina – Palmer's catchfly
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Yakima County, where disjunct; Lane County, Oregon to California, Nevada, and Mexico, east to western Idaho; disjunct in Yakima County, WA.
Habitat: Grassy slopes to ponderosa pine forest openings at middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene conoidea – conoid catchfly
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington southern British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana; also in Texas and Missouri..
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, and wastelots.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Silene csereii – biennial campion
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington, east across the central and northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed areas including fields, roadsides, and wastelots.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene dichotoma – forked catchfly
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. dichotoma – forked catchfly
Silene dioica – red catchfly
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east across the northern U.S. and southern Canada to northeastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides, and wastelots where escaped from cultivation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene douglasii – Douglas's catchfly, Douglas's silene
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains to mountain slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. douglasii – Douglas's catchfly
• var. rupinae – Douglas's catchfly
Silene gallica – windmill pink
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Weed of disturbed soil and wasteland.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Silene latifolia – white campion, evening catchfly
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, meadows, pastures, irrigation ditches, forest edge, thickets, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas, often where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Biennial, Perennial
Silene menziesii – Menzies's catchfly
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Common in open woods from low elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene noctiflora – night-flowering catchfly
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Grain fields and waste areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Silene oregana – Oregon catchfly
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming, and to northeastern Nevada.
Habitat: Forest openings and meadows from middle elevation to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene paradoxa
Distribution: Occurring on Three Sisters Mountain in Whatcom County in Washington, where intentionally introduced and persists; not known elsewhere in North America.
Habitat: Serpentine and ultramafic substrates in the mountains.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene parryi – Parry's, Parry's silene
Distribution: Widely distributed in the mountainous areas in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming.
Habitat: Open areas, middle to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene scouleri – Scouler's catchfly, Scouler's siliene
Distribution: Occuring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Prairies, forest openings, and meadows from low elevations to the alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. hallii – Hall's catchfly, Hall's silene
• ssp. scouleri – Scouler's catchfly, Scouler's silene
Silene seelyi – Seely's silene
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains of Kittitas and Chelan counties.
Habitat: Cliffs and talus slopes at moderate to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene spaldingii – Spalding's catchfly, Spalding's silene
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the eastern and southeastern counties in Washington; eastern Washington to adjacent northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, also in western Montana.
Habitat: Sagebrush, scabland and ponderosa pine forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene suksdorfii – Cascade catchfly, Suksdorf's catchfly
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; northern Washington to California.
Habitat: Alpine and subalpine slopes, often on talus.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silene vulgaris – bladder campion
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Silybum marianum – milk-thistle
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across Canada and the southwestern U.S. to eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from the Mediterranean region
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Sinapis arvensis – charlock, corn mustard, wild mustard
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Sisymbrium altissimum – Jim Hill mustard, tumble mustard, tall rocket
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Shrub-steppe, grasslands, and waste ground, especially following rangeland fires.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-September
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Sisymbrium linifolium – lava cress, rush mustard, flax-leaved plains mustard, Salmon River plains mustard
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Arizona (not including California), east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Sagebrush-steppe communities, rock crevices.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sisymbrium loeselii – false London rocket, Loesel's tumblemustard
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Nevada, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides and drier disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Sisymbrium officinale – hedge mustard
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Waste ground and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Sisyrinchium californicum – golden blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Vancouver Island, B.C, to southern California.
Habitat: Wet ground, especially at the edges of lakes and bogs, at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-November
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sisyrinchium idahoense – Idaho blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Widely distributed across Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana and New Mexico.
Habitat: Vernally wet areas and marshes, near sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. idahoense – Idaho blue-eyed grass
• var. macounii – Macoun's blue-eyed grass
• var. occidentale – western blue-eyed grass
• var. segetum – cornfield blue-eyed grass, prairie grass
Sisyrinchium littorale – Alaska blue-eyed grass, shore blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in coastal areas in Washington; Alaska to Oregon
Habitat: Coastal moist, sandy or grassy areas, interdunal depressions, edges of streams and lakes
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sisyrinchium montanum – strict blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in north-central Washington; Yukon Territory to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Moist meadows, stream banks, and for openings at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. montanum
Sisyrinchium sarmentosum – Suksdorf's blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in south-central Washington; south-central Washington to north-central Oregon.
Habitat: Moist, grassy areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sisyrinchium septentrionale – northern blue-eyed grass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Northwest Territory to northeastern Washington, east to Saskatchewan.
Habitat: Mesic to dry meadows and stream banks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sium suave – water parsnip, hemlock water-parsnip
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Swampy places and shallow water of lakes, ponds, and backwater channels, from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Smelowskia americana – alpine smelowskia, Siberian smelowskia
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia and Alberta to Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Rocky areas at high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Smelowskia ovalis – short-fruited smelowskia
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Rocky crevices, moraines, ridges and talus slopes in alpine and sup-alpine regions.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solanum americanum – American black nightshade
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east along the southern border of the U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed open areas, roadsides, waste ground.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Solanum carolinense – horse-nettle
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where historically, sporadically introduced; Washington to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, orchards, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from the southeastern U.S.
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solanum dulcamara – felonwort, bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Thickets, clearings and open woods, usually in moist soil
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solanum elaeagnifolium – white horse-nettle, silver-leaf nightshade
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; Washington to California, east across the southern half of the U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Mexico and eastern United States
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solanum lycopersicum – tomato
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Oregon; escaping cultivation but seldom establishing in other areas of North America.
Habitat: Sunny, moist, open, disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from South America
Flowers: May-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Solanum nigrum – European black nightshade
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east in scattered locations across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides and other disturbed sites, especially in moister areas; often in urban and suburban areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-November
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. nigrum – European black nightshade
Solanum physalifolium – hairy nightshade
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, thickets, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from South America
Flowers: May-October
Growth Duration: Annual
• var. nitidibaccatum – ground-cherry nightshade
Solanum rostratum – buffalo bur, horned nightshade
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides and other disturbed areas, often where dry.
Origin: Introduced from central US
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Solanum triflorum – cut-leaf nightshade
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Weedy native in fields and roadsides, often in undisturbed sites at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Introduced from South America
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Solidago altissima – Great Plains goldenrod, late goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Introduced from Alaska to California, otherwise native from Great Plains to Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Disturbed areas in sagebrush desert.
Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North America
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. altissima – late goldenrod
• ssp. gilvocanescens – Great Plains goldenrod, tall goldenrod
Solidago elongata – Cascade Canada goldenrod, West Coast goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California.
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly open areas or thickets at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solidago lepida – western Canada goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and east across Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry to moist areas in meadows and riparian areas, from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. lepida – western Canada goldenrod
• var. salebrosa – Canada goldenrod, meadow goldenrod, Rocky Mountains Canada goldenrod
Solidago missouriensis – Missouri goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; central British Columbia to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and midwestern U.S.
Habitat: Rather dry, open places, from the valleys and plains to fairly high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solidago multiradiata – northern goldenrod, Rocky Mountain goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, east to the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and midwestern U.S.
Habitat: Mountain meadows and open slopes at high elevations
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Solidago simplex – sticky goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Open, slightly moist areas from coastal dunes to alpine meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. nana – dwarf goldenrod
• var. simplex – sticky goldenrod
Solidago spathulata – coast goldenrod, dune goldenrod
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in southwestern Washington; southwestern Washington to California.
Habitat: Coastal sand dunes and headlands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Soliva sessilis – lawn burrweed, common soliva, prickly soliva
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California, also in south-central and southeastern U.S.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides, and lawn areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from South America
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Sonchus arvensis – field sow-thistle, perennial sow-thistle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Balds, prairies, forest edge, stream banks, roadsides, fields, and other disturbed open areas generally at low elevations, often where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. arvensis – corn sow-thistle, field sow-thistle, perennial sow-thistle
• ssp. uliginosus – field sow-thistle, marsh sow-thistle, wet ground sow-thistle
Sonchus asper – prickly sow-thistle, spiny leaf sow-thistle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but more common west of the crest; Alaska to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Forest edge, balds, prairies, roadsides, ditches, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-November
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. asper – prickly sow-thistle
Sonchus oleraceus – common sow-thistle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but more common west of the crest; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Forest edge, balds, prairies, roadsides, ditches, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Sorbus aucuparia – European mountain-ash
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Forest edge, thickets, shorelines, and other generally moist areas where often disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sorbus hybrida – Swedish mountain-ash, Swedish service-tree
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington.
Habitat: Shoreline ledges and thickets at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sorbus scopulina – Greene's mountain ash, Cascade mountain-ash, western mountain-ash
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Open areas, from middle elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sorbus sitchensis – Sitka mountain-ash
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to northern California, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana.
Habitat: Forest openings at mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. grayi – Sitka mountain-ash
• var. sitchensis – Sitka mountain-ash
Sorghum bicolor – sorghum
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Africa
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Sorghum halepense – Johnson grass, Johnsongrass
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Mediterranean
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sparganium angustifolium – floating bur-reed, narrow-leaved bur-reed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Ponds and shallow lakes at moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sparganium emersum – simplestem bur-reed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Colorado.
Habitat: Shallow ponds and marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sparganium eurycarpum – broadfruited bur-reed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Baja, California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Wet meadows to shallow marshes, mostly emersed.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sparganium fluctuans – floating bur-reed, water bur-reed
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Cold, clear water to 2 meters deep.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sparganium natans – arctic bur-reed, small bur-reed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, across the northern half of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Shallow water, mostly in mountain lakes, sometimes completely submersed.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina alterniflora – saltwater cordgrass, smooth cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in southwestern Washington Washington to California; also in eastern North America, where native.
Habitat: Mudflats, tidal sloughs, and salt marshes.
Origin: Introduced from the Atlantic coast of North America
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina anglica – English cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia, Washington, and California.
Habitat: Tidal mudflats and salt marshes.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina densiflora – Chilean cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington;
Habitat: Rocks, gravel, sand, or mud near high tide line.
Origin: Introduced from Chile
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina gracilis – alkali cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Alkaline shores, stream banks, meadows, and marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina patens – saltmeadow cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known from Jefferson County. British Columbia to California; also eastern North America, where native.
Habitat: Coastal salt marsh near high tide line.
Origin: Introduced from the Atlantic Coast of North America
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina pectinata – freshwater cordgrass, prairie cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; northern Washington to Oregon, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Ditches, ponds, and freshwater marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartina ×townsendii – Townsend's cordgrass
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast; southwestern British Columbia to western Washington.
Habitat: Tidal mudflats and salt marshes.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spartium junceum – rush broom
Distribution: West of the Cascades in Washington; Washington south to California
Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides, forest margins.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: April-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spergula arvensis – corn spurry
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Spergularia bocconei – Bocconi's sandspurry
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; western Washington to California.
Habitat: Saltmarshes and sandy places.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Spergularia canadensis – Canada sandspurry
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to California; also in central Canada and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Coastal tidelands and mudflats.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
• var. occidentalis – Canadian sandspurry
Spergularia diandra – alkali sandspurry
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Saskatchewan and Idaho.
Habitat: River shores, often where sandy.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Annual
Spergularia macrotheca – beach sandspurry
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coastal areas in Washington; British Columbia to Baja California.
Habitat: Along the sea shore, often in salt marshes and rock crevices in the splash zone.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. macrotheca – beach sandspurry
Spergularia rubra – red sandspurry
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; also from the Great Lakes region to northeastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, parking areas, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed, open areas from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-October
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Spergularia salina – saltmarsh sandspurry
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington British Columbia to California, east across North America.
Habitat: Saline or brackish areas along the coast, and alkaline areas inland.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial
Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia – gooseberry-leaved globemallow
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central Washington to Nevada, east to southern Idaho and Utah.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert to low elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sphaeralcea munroana – Munro's globemallow, white-stemmed globemallow
Distribution: Widely distributed east of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Habitat: Desert plains to open lower mountain slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sphaerophysa salsula – red bladder-vetch, alkali swainsonpea
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades in Washington, chiefly in the central part of the state; Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Alkaline soil at low elevations, often where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sphenopholis intermedia – slender wedgescale
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, Navada, and Arizona, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist soil areas, sometimes where disturbed.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sphenopholis obtusata – prairie wedgescale
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist soil to standing water, stream and lake margins to grasslands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June--July
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Spinulum annotinum – interrupted clubmoss, stiff clubmoss
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Moist forests, bog edges and rocky areas, lowlands to subalpine
Origin: Native
Spores: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiraea douglasii – Douglas's spiraea, hardhack steeplebush
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Montana and Colorado.
Habitat: Swamps, lake margins and damp meadows, from sea level to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. douglasii – Douglas's spiraea
• var. menziesii – Menzies's spiraea
Spiraea ×hitchcockii – Hitchcock's spiraea
Distribution: Occurring in the Cascades in Washington; northern Washington to Oregon.
Habitat: Forest openings at low to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiraea lucida – shiny-leaf spiraea, shinyleaf spiraea
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Saskatchewan and Wyoming.
Habitat: Stream banks and open to wooded areas, sea level to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiraea ×pyramidata – pyramid spiraea
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: Somewhat dry forest openings, from the lowlands to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiraea splendens – rosy spiraea, subalpine spiraea
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California and Nevada, east to Alberta, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Habitat: Moist forest openings and rocky slopes, middle to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiranthes diluvialis – diluvial ladies'-tresses
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Habitat: Moist to wet meadows, marshes, and riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiranthes porrifolia – western ladies'-tresses
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Moist to swampy areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spiranthes romanzoffiana – hooded ladies'-tresses
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Seasonally moist to swampy areas, sometimes in disturbed areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Spirodela polyrhiza – common duckmeal, duckmeal, greater duckweed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Quiet water, ponds, marshes and slow-moving streams
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sporobolus airoides – alkali sacaton
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California and Mexico, east to the Great Plains; introduced in eastern North America.
Habitat: Mesic or damp slopes and flats, often where alkaline, shores, grasslands, vernal pools, and hot springs at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sporobolus compositus – composite dropseed, tall dropseed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. compositus – rough dropseed
Sporobolus cryptandrus – sand dropseed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to southern California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast except in the extreme southeastern U.S.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, especilly where sandy, to the foothills and grassland.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sporobolus neglectus – small dropseed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington and California, eastward from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Dry pine forest, muddy or sandy riverbanks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Sporobolus vaginiflorus – poverty dropseed
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington and California, east to Idaho and the southwestern U.S.; native from Great Plains east to Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, and other disturbed, open areas.
Origin: Introduced from eastern North America
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. vaginiflorus – poverty dropseed
Stachys arvensis – field hedge-nettle, staggerweed
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California; also along the Gulf Coast and in the northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Weed in disturbed areas, typically where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Stachys byzantina
Origin: Introduced
Stachys cooleyae – Cooley's hedge-nettle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Forest understory, openings, and margins from low to moderate elevations in the mountains; often where moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stachys mexicana – Mexican hedge-nettle
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California.
Habitat: Forest understory, openings, and margins, often where moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stachys pilosa – marsh betony, swamp hedge-nettle
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Swamps, marshes, wetlands and riparian areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. pilosa – marsh betony, swamp hedge-nettle
Stachys rigida – rigid hedge-nettle
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern Washington to California.
Habitat: Stream banks and moist bottom lands, mostly at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria alsine – bog stitchwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington; native to eastern North America; also introduced in Chile.
Habitat: Streambanks, culverts, ditches, and moist forest edges, typically where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Stellaria borealis – boreal starwort, boreal stitchwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, Great Lakes Region, and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Moist or marshy areas from low elevations to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. borealis – boreal starwort
Stellaria calycantha – northern bog starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Moist meadows and steam banks, from low to high elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Stellaria crispa – crisped starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Alberta, Idaho, and Montana.
Habitat: Moist areas from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria graminea – grass-leaf starwort
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and from the southern Great Plains east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, pastures, and lawns.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria humifusa – saltmarsh starwort
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east across Canada to the Atlantic coast; circumboreal.
Habitat: Salt marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria longifolia – long-leaved starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, further east across Canada and the northern Great Plains to eastern North America.
Habitat: Wet meadows, swamps, marshes, forested wetlands from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria longipes – longstalk starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across Canada and the northern Great Plains to eastern North America.
Habitat: Moist streambanks and rocky slopes at mid-elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. longipes – Goldie's starwort
Stellaria media – common chickweed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas, often where moist.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: February-October
Growth Duration: Annual
Stellaria neglecta – greater chickweed
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; Washington, California, and scattered locations in eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas at low elevation.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Stellaria nitens – shiny starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Baja California, east to Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona.
Habitat: Gravelly prairies and stream banks to grassy hillsides at low elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Stellaria pallida – lesser chickweed
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington, also in California, east across the U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, forest edge, and other disturbed areas, often where seasonally moist, at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Annual
Stellaria sitchana – Sitka starwort
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Moist or marshy areas from low elevations to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stellaria umbellata – umbrella starwort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Wetlands, riparian zones, stream banks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stenotus lanuginosus
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho, Montana, and Nevada.
Habitat: Open, dry, often rocky places, from sagebrush desert to ponderosa pine forest openings at middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. lanuginosus
Stephanomeria exigua – small wirelettuce
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known from Douglas County; otherwise central Oregon to California, east to Idaho, Colorado, and Texas.
Habitat: Sandy, open sites, often in sagebrush.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• ssp. exigua – skeletonplant, small wirelettuce
Stephanomeria paniculata – stiff-branched stephanomeria, stiff-branched wirelettuce
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Dry, open places in the plains and foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Stephanomeria tenuifolia – wire lettuce, narrowleaf stephanomeria
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and Texas.
Habitat: Dry, often rocky places, from the foothills and plains to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Streptanthella longirostris – long-beaked fiddle mustard, streptanthella
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in south-central Washington; Washington to California, east to Wyoming and New Mexico.
Habitat: Open desert and sagebrush slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Streptopus amplexifolius – cucumber root, clasp-leaf twisted-stalk, clasping twisted-stalk
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in northeastern North America.
Habitat: Open to dense moist forests from low elevations to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Streptopus lanceolatus – rosy twisted-stalk
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Alberta and Montana (but not Idaho); also from the Great Lakes region east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Streambanks and damp woods at moderate to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Streptopus streptopoides – small twisted-stalk
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Alberta and Idaho.
Habitat: Dense, damp conifer forest, from middle elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Struthiopteris spicant – deer fern
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, also from southeastern British Columbia to southern Idaho.
Habitat: Forest understory, sometimes where moist, sea level to mid-elevations.
Origin: Native
Spores: April-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stuckenia filiformis – slender-leaved pondweed, western pondweed, threadleaf-pondweed
Distribution: Only known from Whatcom County in Washington; Alaska south to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; east across Canada to the Atlantic Coast and Greenland.
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, slow moving waters.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Stuckenia pectinata – fennel-leaved pondweed, sago pondweed, sago-pondweed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Shallow to deep, fresh to brackish water.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Suaeda calceoliformis – paiuteweed, common seablite, horned seablite, pahute weed
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains, and also along the coast of eastern North America.
Habitat: Open, moist to wet areas, typically where saline.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Suaeda linifolia – pin-leaf seepweed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known from Grant County; also known from British Columbia in our region, otherwise known from isolated populations in Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Habitat: Dry, open, often disturbed soil, tolerant of alkali
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Annual
Suaeda nigra – bushy seablite seepweed, seepweed
Distribution: Occurring in Klickitat County in Washington; south-central Washington to California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Alkaline soils in sagebrush flats and valleys.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Suaeda occidentalis – slender seablite, western seepweed
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central Washington to California and Nevada, east to Wyoming and Utah.
Habitat: Saline or alkaline flats and marshes in sagebrush area.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Annual
Subularia aquatica – water awl-wort
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast; circumboreal.
Habitat: Shallow water or mud flats of ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams, tidal flats, wet meadows, and marshes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Annual
• ssp. americana – awlwort
Suksdorfia violacea – violet mock brookfoam
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana and Idaho.
Habitat: Vernally moist mossy banks and rock crevices.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Sullivantia oregana – Oregon coolwort
Distribution: Columbia River Gorge and lower Willamatte Valley, Oregon.
Habitat: On moist cliffs, especially near waterfalls.
Origin: Native
Flowers: Late May - August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Swertia perennis – felwort, alpine bog swertia, swertia
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in west-central Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountains; circumboreal.
Habitat: Streambanks, wet meadows and other moist places, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphoricarpos albus – common snowberry
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest and distributed widely throughout Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains, and further east to northeastern North America.
Habitat: Thickets, forest edge, and open slopes, from the lowlands to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. albus – common snowberry
• var. laevigatus – common snowberry
Symphoricarpos mollis – creeping snowberry
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Nevada, disjunct in north-central Idaho.
Habitat: Slopes and forest edge, often where wet, from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. hesperius – creeping snowberry, spreading snowberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalis – western snowberry, wolfberry
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to Utah, east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Prairies, forest margins, and bottomlands from low to mid-elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphoricarpos rotundifolius – mountain snowberry
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia to California east to Rocky Mountains and Great Plains.
Habitat: Open slopes and dry meadows, from sagebrush desert to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. vaccinioides – mountain snowberry
Symphyotrichum ×amethystinum – amethyst aster, hybrid aster
Origin: Introduced
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum ascendens – intermountain aster, long-leaved aster, western American aster, western aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Meadows, grasslands, and forest openings, often where moist.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum boreale – northern bog aster, rush aster, slender white aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northeastern Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across Canada and the northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Cold bogs.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum bracteolatum – bracted aster, Eaton's aster, Oregon aster
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Moist to wet sunny places, wet thickets, along streams and ditches
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum campestre – western meadow aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Habitat: Dry to moist forest openings, shorelines, and other open areas from low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum chilense – common California aster, Pacific aster
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Coastal, bluffs, grasslands, open slopes, salt marsh margins, and disturbed ground.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum ciliatum – alkali American aster, rayless alkali aster, rayless annual aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in northern Washington; British Columbia to northern Washington, east across Canada and the northern U.S. to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist to dry open forest and meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum ×columbianum – hybrid aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to eastern Oregon.
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum ericoides – heath-leaved aster, tufted white prairie aster
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, and further east across Canada and most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Open, wet or dry places in the valleys and plains; tolerant of alkali.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. pansum – little gray aster, tufted white prairie aster, white heath aster
Symphyotrichum foliaceum – alpine leafybract aster, Canby's leafybract aster, Cusick's American aster, Cusick's aster, Henderson's aster, Kootenai aster, leafy aster, leafy-bracted aster, leafybract aster, Parry's aster
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Open, usually moist areas, low to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum frondosum – alkali aster, short rayed aster, short-rayed alkali aster
Distribution: British Columbia to California, esat to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Habitat: Moist, usually saline soil, often along the shores of lakes and ponds, or in vernally moist, alkaline bottoms.
Origin: Native
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Annual, Perennial
Symphyotrichum hallii – Hall's aster
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Oregon.
Habitat: Dry, open places in the valleys and plains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum jessicae – Jessica's aster, Palouse aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in eastern Washington; eastern Washington to adjacent western Idaho.
Habitat: Streambanks and open places.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum laeve – Geyer's aster, smooth aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in eastern Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Open places in the plains and valleys to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. geyeri – Geyer's smooth aster, smooth aster
Symphyotrichum lanceolatum – marsh aster, western willow aster
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist meadows, sometimes where saline, shores, and open forest at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. hesperium – lance-leaved aster, panicled aster, white panicled aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae – New England aster
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains; native from central North America east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Roadsides and disturbed areas where somewhat moist.
Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North America
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii – New York aster
Habitat: Pond and lake margins at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Introduced from eastern North America
Flowers: August-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum pilosum – hairy aster
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to Washington, otherwise native from the U.S. Great Plains east to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: River cobbles, gravel, disturbed ground, and railroads.
Origin: Introduced from central and eastern North America
Flowers: August-October
Growth Duration: Perennial
• var. pilosum – hairy aster
Symphyotrichum spathulatum – western aster, western mountain aster
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Meadows and forest openings, from middle elevations to the subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphyotrichum subspicatum – Douglas' aster, Douglas's aster
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Montana and Idaho.
Habitat: Moist woods, streambanks and seashores.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphytum asperum – prickly comfrey, rough comfrey
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, and in scattered locations elsewhere in North America.
Habitat: Roadsides and other disturbed habitats.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphytum officinale – common comfrey
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Plains, and eastward from Great Lakes region to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Escaped from cultivation, often found in disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Symphytum ×uplandicum – hybrid comfrey
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, and other disturbed habitats.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Syringa vulgaris – common lilac
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east in scattered locations across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Fields, forest edge, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
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