A native evergreen fern with leathery dark blue-green fronds in upright vase-shaped clumps. Among the most drought-tolerant native ferns — useful for drier-shade settings where most other ferns fail. The "marginal" name refers to sori (spore clusters) carried at the leaflet margins. Evergreen through winter in zones 5+; reliably long-lived (20-30+ years).

A low, clump-forming native woodland violet of eastern North America, grown for its early spring blue-to-purple flowers with conspicuous white throats held over glossy, heart-shaped leaves. It does not run, but self-seeds freely — to the point of being weedy in rich, moist ground. A larval host for fritillary butterflies and a nectar source for early bees and butterflies; the leaves are high in vitamins A and C.

A spectacular tall vase-shaped native fern with broad upright sterile fronds (resembling ostrich plumes — hence the name) and distinctive contrasting fertile fronds that emerge brown + persistent through winter. The traditional edible fiddlehead source — young curled fronds harvested in early spring are sold seasonally as a delicacy. Spreads vigorously via rhizomes in moist soils; provides good groundcover-scale presence.

A Pacific Northwest evergreen fern with dark-green leathery fronds reaching 3-5 feet long — among the most iconic Pacific Northwest understory plants. Long-lived (decades), shade-tolerant, and one of the most reliable evergreen ferns for cool moist climates.

A native cool-to-warm-season grass forming graceful upright clumps with distinctive flat oat-like seed heads that dangle decoratively from the stems through summer + fall. Often called sea oats (though true sea oats are Uniola paniculata, a coastal species). Among the few native grasses that tolerates significant shade — useful for woodland-edge plantings. Self-seeds vigorously in moist soils; manage seedheads in formal settings.

A clump-forming aromatic native perennial of eastern North America, grown as much for its silvery floral bracts as its bloom — the upper leaves below each flower head turn a frosted, dusty-mint color in summer. Dense flat-topped clusters of tiny two-lipped pinkish-white flowers cover the plant from mid to late summer and are a magnet for bees and butterflies. Unlike the true mints (Mentha), it spreads only modestly by rhizome and is not invasive.