Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Give it full sun and it blooms Apr through Oct, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Nevada · Zones 4–9
Native Plants for Full Sun in Nevada
Sun-loving native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs for the hot, bright, open parts of the yard that bake all afternoon. Every species here is genuinely native to Nevada and the wider flora of the Great Basin and hardy through zones 4–9 — proven performers for Nevada's arid, wide day-night swings climate across Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, not a generic list. Local standouts include Autumn Sage and Apache Plume. A spot with six or more hours of direct sun is prime real estate for the prairie and meadow natives that evolved in the open — most want exactly that much light to bloom hard and stand up straight. Give them lean, well-drained soil rather than rich and pampered, skip the fertilizer, and they will reward the tough love with more flowers and sturdier stems.
The plants
26 native species for Nevada
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–9 · see this collection in other states.
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
A sun-lover that blooms Apr through Sep, standing 3–6 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
A sun-lover that flowers in Apr and May, standing 6–16 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
A sun-lover that blooms Mar through Oct, standing 12–18 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A sun-lover that blooms May through Aug, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Give it full sun and it blooms Mar through May, 6–20 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
A sun-lover that flowers in Mar and Apr, standing 5–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Made for open ground — blooms May through Sep, 15–25 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Made for open ground — blooms May through Oct, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Made for open ground — blooms Jul through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
A sun-lover that blooms May through Sep, standing 1–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Oct, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Oct
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Sep, standing 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Aug, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
A sun-lover that blooms Mar through Jun, standing 8–18 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Made for open ground — blooms Mar through May, 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
A sun-lover that blooms May through Jul, standing 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Made for open ground — flowers in Apr and May, 4–8 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 3–6 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 8–15 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Aug, 8–20 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
A sun-lover that blooms Mar through May, standing 3–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
2 more also qualify: Sideoats Grama, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Nevada
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.