Native Plants

Native Plant List – Montana and Wyoming

This is a "starter" list of native plants for Montana and Wyoming. It is intended for residential or commercial landscapers who want to create attractive and varied native landscapes.

Montana and Wyoming Trees

Common Name Scientific Name Sun Soil Moisture Heights
Paper Birch Betula papyrifera F W-A 25'-35'
Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis P-F A 15'-20'
Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica P-F A-D 20'-30'
Honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos F A 15'-20'
Black Cottonwood P. balsamif. trichocarpa F W-A 40'-50'
Plains Cottonwood P. deltoides - monilifera F W-A 40'-50'
Colorado Spruce Picea pungens P-F A 16'-20'
Limber Pine Pinus flexilis F A 12'-20'
Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa F W-A 16'-20'
Narrowleaf Cottonwood Populus angustifolia F W-A 30'-40'
Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides F W-A 15'-20'
Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii P-F A 12'-18'
Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa F A 18'-25'
Western Mountain Ash Sorbus sitchensis P-F A 10'-15'

Montana and Wyoming Shrubs

Common Name Scientific Name Sun Soil Moisture Heights
Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia P-F A 6'-8'
Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata F D 3'-6'
Fourwing Saltbush Atriplex X aptera F D 1'-3'
Curlleaf Mt. Mahogany Cerocarpus ledifolius P-F D 4'-8'
Redosier Dogwood Corn. sericea - servicea P-F H 6'-8'
Shrubby Cinquefoil Dasiphora floribunda P-F A 1'-3'
Silverberry Elaeagnus commutata P-F A 4'-8'
Common Juniper Juniperus communis F A 3'-5'
Rocky Mountain Juniper Juniperus scopulorum F D 10'-12'
Winterfat Krascheninn. lanata F D 1'-3'
Lewis' Mockorange Philadelphus lewisii P-F A 3'-6'
Mallow Ninebark Physocarpus malvaceus P-F A 2'-3'
American Plum Prunus americana P-F A 8'-10'
Western Sandcherry Prun. pumila v. besseyi F A 3'-5'
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana P-F A 10'-12'
Skunkbush Sumac Rhus trilobata P-F D 3'-6'
Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina P-F D 8'-10'
Golden Current Ribes aurenum P-F A 3'-5'
Woods' Rose Rosa woodsii P-F A 4'-5'
Silver Buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea F D 6'-12'
Canada Buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis P-F A 3'-5'
Common Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus P-F A 1'-3'

Montana and Wyoming Ground Cover and Vines

Common Name Scientific Name Sun Soil Moisture Heights
Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Juniperus horizontalis S-P-F A 3"-6"
Horizontal Juniper Mahonia repens F A 6"-18"
Oregon Grape Pertheno. quinquefolia P-F A 6"-12"
Virginia Creeper Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Juniperus horizontalis P-F A

Montana and Wyoming Wildflowers

Common Name Scientific Name Sun Soil Moisture Heights
Common Yarrow Achillea millefolium P-F D 1'-2'
Pearlyeverlasting Anaphalis margaritacea P-F D 1'-2'
Little Pussytoes Antennaria microphylla F A 1'
White Prarieclover Dalea candida F A 1'-3'
Purple Prarieclover Dalea purpurea P-F A 1'-2'
Echinacea Echinacea angustifolia F A 2'-3'
Sulphur Buckwheat Erigonum umbellatum F D 1'
Blanket Flower Gaillardia aristata F D 3'
Sticky Geranium Gerani. viscosissimum P-F A 2'-3'
Boreale Sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale F A 1'-2'
Maximilian Sunflower Helianthus maximiliani F A 4'-6'
Showy Goldeneye Heliomeris multiflora F A 3'
Dotted Gayfeather Liatris punctata F D 1'-2'
Lewis Flax Linum lewisii P-F D 1'-2'
Lupine Lupinus S-P-F A 1'-2'
Wildbergamot Beebalm Monardo fistulosa P-F A 2'-4'
Plains Pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha F D
Beardtongue Penstemon S-P-F D 1'-4'
Silverleaf Phacelia Phacelia hastata F D 1'-2'
Spiny Phlox Phlox hoodii F D
Woolly Cinquefoil Potentilla hippiana F A 1'-2'
Prarie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera F D 1'-3'
Scarlet Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea F D 1'
Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichum laeve P-F A 2'-3'
Prarie Thermopsis Thermopsis rhombifolia F D 1'-2'
American Vetch Vicia americana F D 1'
Soapweed Yucca Yucca glauca F D 1'-2'

Montana and Wyoming Grasses—Ground Cover and Lawns

Common Name Scientific Name Drought Toler. Trample Resist. Mowing Toler. Comments
Streamb. Wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus Good Fair Fair Similar to Thickspike, good seedling vigor
Thickspike Wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus Good Fair Fair Finer than W. Wheatgrass, good vigor
Green Needlegrass Nassella viridula Mod. Fair Fair Best in a mix w/ other cool-season grasses
Westerm Wheatgrass Pascopyrum Mod. Good Good Forms open sod, bluish in color
Buffalograss Bouchloe dactyloides Good Excel. Good Short stature; infrequent mowing
Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula Mod. Fair Poor Short stature; infrequent mowing
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis Excel. Excel. Good Tallest of grama grasses

Montana and Wyoming Grasses - Landscape Accent

Common Name Scientific Name Height Fall Color Comments
Indian Ricegrass Achn. hymenoides 1'-2' Yellow Bunchgrass; seeds used by birds & mammals
Basin Wildrye Leymus cinereus 5'-8' Tan Bunchgrass; tall stature-good background plant
Bluebunch Wheatgrass Pseudoro. spicata 1'-2' Yellow Bunchgrass; MT state grass; attractive plant
Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha 6"-18" Yellow Bunchgrass; small stature; blue-green leaves
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii 5'-7' Red-blue Bunchgrass; tall stature; good border plant
Little Bluestem Schizachyr. scoparium 2'-3' Reddish Bunchgrass; shorter bunches with red fall color
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum 3'-5' Gold Bunchgrass; seeds used by birds & mammals
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans 4'-6' Bronze Bunchgrass; tall stature; good border plant
Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula 1'-2' Yellow Bunchgrass; unique seed head
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis 6"-12" Yellow Bunchgrass; excellent drought tolerance
Prairie Sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia 5'-7' Yellow Rhizomatous; prefers sandy soil
Sun Exposure Soil Moisture Drought Tolerance
F = Full Sun W = Wet E = Excellent
P = Part Sun A = Average G = Good
S = Shade D = Dry M = Moderate
P = Poor

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