The following are a handful of recommended species for typical planting site typologies. One site might have many different microzones for planting so it is important to consider the soil, water, and nutrient regimes across the site. 

Resources: City of Vancouver’s recommended plant list, City of Seattle plants for rain gardens, Metro Vancouver’s urban tree list for a changing climate, Oregon State University northwest native plants for streamside gardens, Pacific Northwest native plants for erosion control list, Perennials/Tree & Shrub Gardening for British Columbia (Beck and Binetti, 2000 – book), Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Pojar and Mackinnon, 1994 – book)

Recommended plants

*specific to the Metro Vancouver region of British columbia

Typology	Recommended herbaceous plants	Recommended shrubs
Dry soil + full sun	Potentilla gracilis var. Gracilis – graceful cinquefoil (N) Lupinus arcticus/polyphullus – arctic lupine + large-leaved lupine (N) Perovskia atriplicifolia – Russian sage Achillea millefolium – common yarrow (N) Anaphalis margaritaceae – pearly everlasting (N)	Mahonia repens – creeping Oregon grape (N) Ilex crenata – Japanese holly Arbutus unedo ‘compacta’ – strawberry tree Ceanothus sanguineus/velutinus – redstem ceanothus or snowbrush (N)
Moist soil + part shade	Astilbe ‘chocolate shogun’ – false spiraea Dicentra formosa – western bleeding heart (N) Asarum caudatum – western wild ginger (N) Vancouveria hexandra – inside out flower (N) Beesia calthifolia – ginger leaf false bugbane Matteuccia struthiopteris – ostrich fern (N)	Oplopanax horridus – devil’s club (N) Sorbus aucuparia – red elderberry (N) Acer circinatum – vine maple (N) Rubus spectabulus – salmonberry (N) Arbuncus dioicus – goat’s beard (N)
Rain garden – wet and tolerant of drought conditions and full sun	Carex obnupta (N) – slough sedge* Juncus acuminatus (N) rush Scirpus microcarpus (N) bullrush* Camassia quamash – camas (N) Nepeta sp. (‘Purple Haze’ recommended) – catmint Mimmulus guttatus – seep monkeyflower (N)	Cornus sericea ‘Kelseyi’ – redtwig dogwood  Ribes sanguinium – red flowering currant (N) Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Coppertina’ – ninebark Symphoricarpos albus – snowberry (N) Kalmia microphylla – western bog laurel (N)
Dry soil and part shade	Epimedium x youngianum ‘Niveum’ – snowy barrenwort Vancouveria chysantha – golden inside out flower (N) Anemone quinquefolia/sylvestris – wood or snowdrop anemone Rubus chamaemorus – cloudberry (N) Mahonia repens – creeping Oregon grape (N)	Hydrangea quercifolia – oakleaf hydrangea Gaultheria shallon – salal (N) Vaccinium ovatum – evergreen huckleberry (N) Rosa nutkana – Nootka rose (N) Mahonia aquifolium – tall Oregon grape (N) Oemleria cerasiformis – oso berry (N)
Part-full sun and some moisture	Alchemilla mollis – lady’s mantle (N) Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hamelin’ – dwarf fountain grass  Acanthus mollis – bear’s breeches Achlys triphylla – vanilla leaf (N) Hellebous x hybridus – hellebore	Stachyrus salicifolius – willow leaf spiketail Fothergilla gardenia – dwarf fothergilla Amelanchier alnifolia – saskatoon (N) Myrica gale – sweetgale (N) Enkianthus campanulatus – enkianthus
Full sun + exposed (well-draining)	Artemisia sp. – mugwort (N) Chamaenerion angustifolium – Fireweed (N) Aquilegia formosa – red columbine (N) Penstemon sp. (N) Sedum (groundcover) Allium acuminatum – Hooker’s onion (N) Collinsia parviflora – Small flowered blue eyed mary (N)	Ceanothus ‘Victoria’ – California lilac Cistus x corbariensis – white rockrose Juniperus conferta ‘Blue Pacific’ – blue pacific juniper Viburnum ellipticum – Oregon viburnum (N) Lavandula x intermedia – lavandin
Steep slope – erosion control	Polystichum munatum – western sword fern (N) Balsamorhiza deltoidea – deltoid balsamroot (N) Festuca roemeri – Roemer’s fescue (N) Anthyrium filix-femina – lady fern (N) Dicentra formosa – Pacific bleeding heart (N)	Salix sp. – willow (N) Smooth sumac Sambucus cerulea – blue elderberry (N) Philadelphus lewisii – Pacific mock orange (N) Gaultheria shallon – salal (N) Spiraea douglasii – Douglas spirea (N)
Maritime, salt tolerant	Argentina pacifica – Pacific silverweed (N) Eryngium planum ‘Sapphire blue’ – Sea holly Euphorbia x martini – Martin’s spurge Sedum spathufolium – broadleaf stonecrop (N) Arctostaphylus uva-ursi – kinnickinnick (N)	Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ – Silktassle (N) Arctostaphylos x media – media manzanita (N) Holodiscus discolor – oceanspray (N) Morella californica – wax myrtle (N) Ceanothus sp.  Arbutus sp.

 

Recommended trees

Site conditions	Recommended trees
Small trees for constrained site (e.g. overhead constraints such as powerlines; limited soil volume)	Crataegus x lavalleei – Lavalle hawthorn Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ – Eastern redbud Cornus mas – Cornelian cherry Stewartia koreana – Korean stewartia Chionanthus retusus/virginicus – fringe tree Acer griseum – paperbark maple Styrax japonica – Japanese snowbell
Urban boulevards with pollution challenges	Quercus phellos – willow oak Parrotia persica – Persian ironwood Acer rubrum ‘Bowhall’ – Bowhall red maple Quercus coccinea – scarlet oak Zelkova serrata – Japanese zelkova Celtis occidentalis – hackberry Phellodendron amurense – Amur cork tree Nothofagus antarctica – Antarctic beech Ulmus propinqua ‘JFS-Bieberich’ – emerald sunshine elm
Large open space (e.g. park, yard)	Maackia amurensis – Amur maackia  Catalpa speciosa – northern catalpa Pinus flexilis – limber pine Calocedrus decurrens – California incense cedar Cedrus deodara – Deodar cedar Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ – cutleaf beech
Dry and well draining soils for restoration	Rhamnus purhsiana – Cascara (N) Quercus garryana – Oregon white oak (N) Alnus rubra – red alder (N)

Toxic Plants

When designing with plants, particularly around playgrounds, its important to understand which plants are toxic. The following is a list of commonly used landscaping plants that can be toxic.

Recourses: City of Vancouver: Childcare Design Guidelines

Botanical Name	Common Name	Toxic Part
Aconitum spp	Monkshood, Wolfbane	all parts
Actaea spp	Baneberry, Cohosh	berries & roots
Aesculus spp	Chestnut, Buckeye
Allium Canadense	Wild Garlic, Wild Onion	bulbs, flowers, stems
Anemone spp	Anemone, Pasque Flower	whole plant
Arisaema spp	Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Bog Onion	whole plant
Atropa belladonna	Deadly Nightshade	whole plant
Aucuba japonica	Aucuba, Japanese Laurel	fruit
Baptisia spp	Wild Indigo, Rattle bush	whole plant
Buxus sempervirens	Boxwood, Box
Calla palustris	Water Arum, Wild Calla	whole plant, esp root
Caltha spp	Marsh Marigold	whole mature plant
Calycanthus spp	Carolina Alspice, Spice bush	seeds
Capsicum spp	Chili Pepper, Bird Pepper	fruit & seeds
Celastrus scandens	Bittersweet	fruit
Clematis spp	Clematis	whole plant
Colchicum spp	Autumn Crocus	whole plant
Convallaria majalis	Lily-of-the-Valley	whole plant
Daphne mezereum	Daphne, February Daphne	whole plant
Datura spp	Jimson Weed	whole plant, esp seeds
Delphinium spp	Larkspur, Delphinium
Dicentra spp	Bleeding Heart
Digitalis purpurea	Foxglove	whole plant
Dirca palustris	Leatherwood	whole plant
Echium spp	Bugloss, Snake Flower	whole plant
Euonymus spp	Burning Bush, Spindle Tree	fruit
Euphorbia spp	Spurge, Gopher Purge	latex
Galanthus nivalis	Snowdrop	bulb
Gelsemium sempervirens	Yellow Jesamine	flowers
Gymnocladus dioicus	Kentucky Coffee Tree	seeds
Hedera spp	English Ivy	berry & leaf
Heliotropium spp	Heliotrope	whole plant
Helleborus niger	Christmas Rose	whole plant
Hyacinthus orientalus	Hyacinth
Hydrangea spp	Hydrangea	flower bud
Ilex spp	Holly, English Holly	fruit
Iris spp	Flag Iris	roots, flowers
Jasminum nudiflorum	Jasmine
Kalmia spp	Mountain Laurel	leaves, nectar
Laburnum spp	Laburnum, Golden Rain Tree	all parts
Lantana camara	Lantana
Leucothoe spp	Pepper Bush, Sweet Bells	leaves, nectar
Ligustrum vulgare	Privet	whole plant
Lobelia spp	Cardinal Flower	whole plant
Lonicera spp	Honeysuckle	possibly berries
Lycoris spp	Spider Lily	bulb
Morus rubra	Red Mulberry
Narcissus spp	Daffodil, Jonquil, Narcissus	bulb
Nerium oleander	Oleander	whole plant
Nicotiana spp	Flowering tobacco	whole plant
Ornithogalum spp	Star of Bethlehem	whole plant
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Virginia Creeper	fruit
Pernettya spp	Pernettya	leaves & nectar
Physalis spp	Chinese or Japanese Lantern	fruit
Pieris spp	Lily-of-the-Valley Bush	leaves & nectar
Podophyllum peltatum	May Apple	whole plant
Quercus spp	Oak
Ranunculus spp	Buttercup	Sap, roots
Rhamnus spp	Buckthorn, Cascara	fruit & bark
Rheum rhabarbarum	Rhubarb	leaves
Rhododendron spp	Azalea, Rhododendron	leaves, nectar
Rhodotypos spp	Jetbead	berries
Rhus vernix	Poison Sumac
Ricinus communis	Castor Bean	seeds
Robinia pseudoacacia	Black Locust	leaves, roots, bark
Sambucus spp	Elderberry	whole plant except cooked berries
Scilla spp	Squill, Star Hyacinth	whole plant
Senecio spp	Groundsel, Ragwort	whole plant
Solanum spp	Nightshade, Potato, Jerusalem Cherry	uncooked sprout, green skin
Sophora spp	Scholar Tree	seeds
Symphoricarpos spp	Snowberry, Waxberry	berries in large quantities
Taxus spp	Yew	most of the plant, but not the red aril around the seed
Wisteria spp	Wisteria
Zantedeschia aethiopeca	Calla Lily	leaves
Zephyranthes atamasco	Zephyr Lily, Rain Lily	bulb