Contact
Directions
How to Buy from Us
Native Plant List
---Availability & Prices
Hardy Bamboo List
---Availability & Prices
Certified Organic Berries & Vegetables
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Blue Heron Farm is located near the town of Rockport, in the wet but enchanting foothills of the upper Skagit Valley. We have been farming here since 1979, and growing bamboo since 1981. We were among the first members of the Northwest Chapter of the American Bamboo Society and Washington Tilth Producers, the organic growers organization. Our food crops include organic raspberries, blueberries, garlic, carrots, potatoes and winter squash. We offer bulk purchases for canning, freezing and winter storage. Please inquire if you are interested. We are devoting more time to building the selection of nursery plants and specialize in hardy bamboo. We also offer an eclectic selection of native plants and permaculture or multipurpose landscape plants. These are largely grown with organic methods, although we do use slow release commercial fertilizer for our potted plants. We sell our nursery stock to both retail and wholesale customers. Visits to our nursery are welcome but must be by appointment. We farm in a couple of locations and aren't always here at the home place. Please call ahead (360-853-8449) to schedule a good time to visit. Contact-- Blue Heron Farm & Nursery LLC
Directions to the nursery-- If you are coming from Skagit or Whatcom County follow Washington State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) east from I-5, 8 miles past the town of Concrete to the town of Rockport. Follow directional signs towards Darrington and Arlington, and turn south at the Rockport Country Store onto State Route 530, also signed as East Sauk Road. Immediately cross over the Skagit River and proceed one mile south. Watch for a sign indicating the Rockport-Cascade Road intersecting from the left (east). Our driveway is after the sign but before the turn. The driveway is on your left. It's easy but you have to watch for it. If you are coming from the south, you have two options. You can continue north past Mount Vernon to Burlington and turn east on SR 20, or you can exit I-5 at Arlington (Exit 208). A sign on I-5 just before the exit gives two route choices for the North Cascade Highway (SR 20). The first one is State Route 530 which will take you right past the nursery. Simply follow the road ≈50 miles to milepost 66. Right after this mile marker, the next right is the Rockport-Cascade Road. Our driveway is the first right just 75' north of the intersection. If you arrive at the SR20 intersection at Rockport, you went too far, turn around and come back. From Seattle allow about two hours travel time, from Mount Vernon it's about one hour. The Upper Skagit Valley is a beautiful place; plan a picnic in Rockport State Park, hike up Sauk Mountain or just make some time to sit next to the river. Once again, you will need to call ahead for an appointment so we can be sure someone is there to talk with you. How to Buy from Us-- All the prices shown are retail, based on you picking up your plants at our nursery. Washington State sales tax here is 8.0%. Please inquire if you require plants shipped to you, or if you are seeking wholesale or quantity discounts. We appreciate your interest in our plants and are always happy to answer your questions. We have instructions for planting,
care and control of bamboo available. Anne Schwartz & Michael Brondi
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Trees- Conifer Abies grandis (Grand Fir) Slow-growing true fir suited to large gardens, preferring sunny open habitat with well-drained soil. Handsome and well adapted tree, uniformly spaced branch whorls on a symmetrical base- Tsuga mertensiana (Mountain Hemlock) Though naturally a high-elevation evergreen, it is successfully used at low elevations. its growth form is irregular and compact, with dense bluish-gray-green foliage, ideally suited to borders, rookeries and containers as well as groupings or drifts in a garden. Shrubs Amelanchier alnifoliia (Serviceberry) Deciduous dark green 4-6 foot shrub flowering early in spring with clusters of white petals. Leaves turn showy red or yellow in fall with dark purple berries for birds or "Saskatoon" pie. Dry site adapted, likes sun--partial to full. Makes a good border plant. Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian Plum) Deciduous shrub grows to 8 feet. First to-flower in early march with clusters of white flowers. Olive-size fruit progresses from pale green through rich peach colors maturing at purple. Favored by birds and wildlife. Deciduous, adaptable, to either moist or dry conditions. Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange) Very fragrant, long-lasting white flowers cover this multi-stem shrub. Deciduous, with light green leaves, it grows to 8 feet or so, and is adapted to a variety of sites from forest edge to open, drier sites. Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark) Deciduous tall shrub with clusters of creamy white pincushion blooms, and bark that shreds and peels in layers. Likes moist sites. Cornus stolonifera (Red Osier Dogwood) Multi-stemmed shrub with white flat cluster flowers in mid-late spring. Leaves showy in fall, part of them turning red. Stems remain bright red through winter. Grows 6-9' tall Viburnum edule (High Bush Cranberry) Has edible berries-after mid-spring blooms of white flowers in large flat clusters. Grows 2-9' tall.
All seed stock is local, collected from the Skagit watershed, low elevation sites. Plants
in containers and grow bags are available immediately.
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| Blue Heron Farm &
Nursery 2009 Native Plant Availability & Prices |
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| Species | Size | Height | Price | ||
| Abies grandis (Grand Fir) |
5 gallon B&B |
4-6' | $15-20 | ||
| Tsuga mertensiana (Mountain Hemlock) |
B&B | 5-8' | $75-150 | ||
| Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry) |
1-2 gal | 2-4' | $5-8 | ||
| Oemieria cerasiformis (Indian Plum) |
1-2 gal | 3-5' | $5-8 | ||
| Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Oranage) |
1-2 gal | 3-5' | $6-10 | ||
| Physocarpus capitatus (Ninebark) |
B&B | 3-5' bushy | $7-10 | ||
| Cornus stolonifera (Red Osier Dogwood) |
B&B | 3-5' bushy | $7-12 | ||
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Bamboo is an amazing plant; a grass that can be mowed occasionally with your lawn mower. or tower 50' in the air. You can eat it, build and weave with it, feed it to livestock, and it remains green year-round in your landscape. There is a spot for bamboo in every garden; either as a ground cover in the shade of other trees and shrubs, or as a two story evergreen hedge that whispers in the breeze and surrounds you like a forest. Some grow and spread very fast. Others take several years to reach their mature size. We have listed our bamboo in three categories by height and maturity: small (less than 8 feet), medium (10-30') and timber (over 30'). We recommend root barrier for low maintenance control of bamboo, especially near sidewalks, gardens and close neighbors. This is a tough vinyl material, 24" wide that can be buried in the ground to prevent bamboo rhizomes from spreading beyond desired boundaries.
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| Small Bamboo These are useful ground covers, as they remain green through most winters and are low maintenance. If they start to look tattered during the winter, simply mow back to the ground and in the spring they will come back with lush green growth. We custom dig these by order and can sell bare root or in 1-2 gallon pots | |||
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Arundinaria humilis Dwarf, bright green ground cover, excellent for steep banks |
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Pleioblastus argenteostriata Dwarf with white striated leaves, prefers shady locale, attractive ground cover |
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P. chino vaginatus variagatus Small, narrow, white striated leaves. Becomes a thick, attractive shrub-like plant |
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P. viridistriata Dwarf with yellow striped leaves, very attractive ground cover, does best in sunny locale with afternoon shade |
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Sasa palmatta (Sushi leaf Bamboo) Exotic and tropical appearance, makes a nice screen, does well in pots, very vigorous |
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Sasaella masamuneana albostriata An attractive variegated bamboo; thick leaves have white or cream stripes |
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| Clumping Bamboo These varieties spread very slowly
because the rhizomes don't spread horizontally, and they are therefore
more easily contained than other bamboos. We have several
varieties of the Genus Fargesia as well as a new Chusquea.
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Fargesia
Dracocephala A delicate and graceful bamboo, the culms are covered with a bluish-white powder when young; originally from the Himalayas, it thrives in Pacific Northwest gardens; shade and cold tolerant, it is slow growing, attaining a mature height of 15' and forming a clump over several years time; makes hard garden stakes; plant in a location protected from the afternoon sun. |
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Fargesia Rufa Noted for it's red hued culms, reaches a mature height of 8-10' |
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Fargesia murieliae A good stout clumper, reaches a mature height of 10-12'. Has a nice blue cast to the culms, very winter hardy, wants some afternoon shade. |
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| Medium Bamboo These
varieties make excellent hedge or screen plants; evergreen, they can be
pruned to desired height; all varieties have edible shoots and make
useful poles
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Phyllostachys aureosulcata, & P. a. alata (Yellow Groove Bamboo) Very vigorous; excellent edible shoots, one of our most hardy bamboos |
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P. bissettii An exceptionally hardy and beautiful bamboo with dark green leaves and culms |
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P. flexuosa An attractive bamboo with tops that bend gracefully; beautiful screen or hedge, very hardy; good edible roots and strong culms |
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P. humilis One of our most aggressive bamboos (and that's saying something!); this variety should rapidly provide a dense hedge and visual barrier |
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P. purpurata (heteroclada) Very hardy, useful for garden stakes; makes a graceful screen; the most tolerant of of wet sites of all the bamboos we grow |
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Semiarundinaria fastuosa Forms a dense hedge; erect and useful stems, stately appearance; tolerates wind and salt water sites; culms turn reddish-brown as they age |
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S. okuboi Similar form to fastuosa but leaves are much wider compared with other bamboos; makes and excellent hedge |
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Bashania fargesia An unusual and somewhat rare variety that resists the bamboo mite, makes excellent poles and is very attractive as a landscape plant or hedge |
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| Timber Bamboo These are varieties which may be
expected to grow to 30' and more. Several of these bamboos
have been in the Pacific Northwest for decades and have achieved true
timber proportions. We have large plants available and priced
individually.
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Phyllostachys nigra (Black Bamboo)
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P. nigra 'Bory'
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P. nigra 'Henon'
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P. nigra 'Meguruchiku'
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P. nuda
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P. rubromarginata
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P. viridis 'Robert Young'
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P. bambusoides 'Madake' (Japanese Timber Bamboo)
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We have over 100
varieties of hardy bamboo. |
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| Blue Heron Farm &
Nursery 2009 Bamboo Availability & Prices |
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| Species | height | Culm dia | temp | Size | Price | |
| Arundinaria humilis | 4' | 1/4" | 0 | bare root or1 gal | $3-8 | |
| Pleioblastus argenteostriata | 3' | 1/4" | 10 | bareroot or1 gal | $3-8 | |
| P. chino vaginatus variagatus | 6' | 1/4" | 0 | bareroot or1 gal | $3-10 | |
| P. viridistriata | 3' | 1/4" | 0 | bareroot or 1 gal | $3-8 | |
| Sasa palmatta | 9' | 1/2" | 0 | 3 gal 5gal |
$8-20 | |
| Sasaella masamuneana albostriata | 6' | 1/4" | 0 | 1 gal 3 gal |
$3-10 | |
| Fargesia genus, all are very hardy | 12' | 1/2" | -20 | 6-16' | $25-45 | |
| Phyllostachys aureosulcata, & P. a. alata | 26' | 1-2" | -10 | 3-20 gal | $25-75 | |
| P. bissettii | 20' | 1" | -10 | 3-10 gal | $25-50 | |
| P. humilis | 20' | 1" | 0 | 3-10 gal | $25-50 | |
| P. purpurata (heteroclada) | 18' | 3/4" | 0 | 3-7 gal | $25-40 | |
| Semiarundinaria fastuosa | 25' | 1-2" | 10 | 5-15 gal | $25-75 | |
| S. okuboi | 25' | 1-1½" | 0 | 3-5 gal | $12-18 | |
| Bashania fargesia | 25' | 1" | 0 | 5 gal | $30-50 | |
| Phyllostachys nigra | 30' | 2" | 0 | 3-10 gal | $30-75 | |
| P. nigra 'Bory' | 50' | 3" | 0 | 3-5 gal | $25-50 | |
| P. nigra 'Henon' | 50' | 3" | 0 | 3-10 gal | $25-75 | |
| P. nigra 'Meguruchiku' | 50' | 3" | 0 | 3-10 gal | $25-75 | |
| P. nuda | 35' | 1-2" | -20 | 3-10 gal | $25-60 | |
| P. rubromarginata | 55' | 2-3" | 0 | 3-10 | $25-75 | |
| P. viridis 'Robert Young' | 40' | 3" | -5 | custom order | ||
| P. bambusoides "Madake" Japanese Timber | 40' | 3-4" | 0 | custom order | ||
| --We have other varieties in smaller quantities. Please ask if you are looking for varieties. | ||||||
| Root Barrier, per foot | 24" wide | $1.50 | ||||