Regional Garden
  1. Home
  2. By state
  3. Idaho
Idaho · Zones 4–6

Native Plants for Idaho

Idaho gardens sit in the Mountain West — a landscape of Rocky Mountain foothills, sagebrush steppe, and montane meadow. The plants below evolved with that climate (semi-arid to montane) and are hardy through zones 4–6, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.

the Mountain Westthe Pacific Northwestthe Great Basin

Ecoregion: Columbia Plateau & Northern Rockies

Collections for Idaho

Find the right natives for your yard.

Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Idaho. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.

Pollinators

18 native species

For bees

18 native species

Butterflies

11 native species

Hummingbirds

8 native species

For birds

9 native species

Deer-resistant

18 native species

Full sun

20 native species

Drought-tolerant

18 native species

Clay soil

9 native species

Groundcovers

5 native species

Flowering shrubs

5 native species

Low-maintenance

9 native species

Notable natives

Plants to know in Idaho.

A cross-section of the 21 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.

Perennial wildflower

Pasque Flower

Pulsatilla patens

6–12 in tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Idaho, hardy in zones 3–7 here.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 6–12 in
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Perennial wildflower

Blanketflower

Gaillardia aristata

An Idaho native at 1–2.5 ft tall that blooms Jun through Sep, comfortable in zones 3–10.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 1–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

An Idaho native at 1.5–3 ft tall that blooms May through Aug, comfortable in zones 3–9.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms May–Aug
Shrub

Red-Flowering Currant

Ribes sanguineum

An Idaho native at 5–9 ft tall that flowers in Mar and Apr, comfortable in zones 5–8.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 5–9 ft
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Perennial wildflower

Douglas Aster

Symphyotrichum subspicatum

An Idaho native at 2–4 ft tall that blooms Aug through Oct, comfortable in zones 4–8.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Oct
Perennial wildflower

Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa

Native to Idaho and hardy in zones 4–8; it blooms Apr through Jul and reaches 1.5–3 ft.

  • Part shade
  • Average
  • 1.5–3 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Anise Hyssop

Agastache foeniculum

Native to Idaho and hardy in zones 4–9; it blooms Jun through Sep and reaches 2–4 ft.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Sep
Shrub

Apache Plume

Fallugia paradoxa

3–6 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Sep — an easy fit for Idaho, hardy in zones 5–9 here.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 3–6 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Prairie Smoke

Geum triflorum

Native to Idaho and hardy in zones 3–7; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 6–16 in.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry
  • 6–16 in
  • Blooms Apr–May
Perennial wildflower

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

An Idaho native at 2–4 ft tall that blooms Jun through Aug, comfortable in zones 3–9.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Ornamental grass

Sideoats Grama

Bouteloua curtipendula

1.5–2.5 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul — an easy fit for Idaho, hardy in zones 4–9 here.

  • Full sun
  • Dry
  • 1.5–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul
Evergreen shrub

Oregon Grape

Berberis aquifolium

3–6 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Idaho, hardy in zones 5–9 here.

  • Sun to shade
  • Dry–average
  • 3–6 ft
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Perennial wildflower

Showy Milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

2–4 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul — an easy fit for Idaho, hardy in zones 3–9 here.

  • Full sun
  • Dry–average
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul

Browse the full plant guide

Sourcing

Where to buy Idaho natives

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.