Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
3–4 ft tall and it flowers in Jul and Aug — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Montana · Zones 3–5
Native Plants for Montana
Montana gardens sit in the Mountain West — a landscape of Rocky Mountain foothills, sagebrush steppe, and montane meadow. The plants below evolved with that climate (cold, semi-arid) and are hardy through zones 3–5, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.
the Mountain Westthe Great Plainsthe Pacific Northwest
Ecoregion: Northern Rockies & Great Plains steppe
Collections for Montana
Find the right natives for your yard.
Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Montana. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.
Pollinators
50 native species
For bees
50 native species
Butterflies
45 native species
Hummingbirds
14 native species
For birds
27 native species
Deer-resistant
42 native species
Full sun
56 native species
Drought-tolerant
39 native species
Clay soil
40 native species
Rain garden
19 native species
Groundcovers
7 native species
Flowering shrubs
10 native species
Grasses
7 native species
Low-maintenance
28 native species
Fall color
10 native species
Fragrant
9 native species
Notable natives
Plants to know in Montana.
A cross-section of the 58 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Native to Montana and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Apr and May and reaches 15–25 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Native to Montana and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Sep and Oct and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Native to Montana 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
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Jun — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms May through Jul — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 4–9 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A Montana native at 2–4 ft tall that flowers in May and Jun, comfortable in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
3–6 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Sep — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 5–9 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Native to Montana 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
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Native to Montana and hardy in zones 3–8; it blooms Jul through Sep and reaches 4–7 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
3–5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A Montana native at 1.5–3 ft tall that blooms Jun through Sep, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
1–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep — an easy fit for Montana, hardy in zones 3–10 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A Montana native at 3–5 ft tall that flowers in Jul and Aug, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
A Montana 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
Sourcing
Where to buy Montana natives
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome 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.