Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Native to Washington 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
Washington · Zones 4–8
Native Plants for Washington
Washington gardens sit in the Pacific Northwest — a landscape of rainy conifer forest, prairie remnants, and the Cascade slope. The plants below evolved with that climate (wet maritime west, dry east) and are hardy through zones 4–8, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.
the Pacific Northwestthe Great Basin
Ecoregion: Puget lowland, Cascades & Columbia Plateau
Collections for Washington
Find the right natives for your yard.
Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Washington. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.
Pollinators
16 native species
For bees
16 native species
Butterflies
6 native species
Hummingbirds
7 native species
For birds
7 native species
Deer-resistant
14 native species
Full sun
16 native species
Drought-tolerant
14 native species
Clay soil
5 native species
Flowering shrubs
6 native species
Low-maintenance
6 native species
Evergreen
5 native species
Notable natives
Plants to know in Washington.
A cross-section of the 17 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
A Washington native at 6–20 ft tall that blooms Mar through May, comfortable in zones 7–10.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
5–9 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 5–8 here.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
1.5–3 ft tall and it blooms May through Aug — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
6–16 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–7 here.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Native to Washington and hardy in zones 4–8; it blooms Aug through Oct and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Native to Washington and hardy in zones 5–9; it blooms Apr through Sep and reaches 3–6 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
A Washington native at 1.5–2.5 ft tall that blooms May through Jul, comfortable in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
6–12 in tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–7 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
A Washington native at 1.5–3 ft tall that blooms Mar through May, comfortable in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
1–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–10 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
3–6 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 5–9 here.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
8–20 in tall and it blooms Jun through Aug — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–10 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A Washington native at 4–8 in tall that flowers in Apr and May, comfortable in zones 2–6.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
2–4 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul — an easy fit for Washington, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Native to Washington and hardy in zones 7–9; it blooms Mar through May and reaches 3–9 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Sourcing
Where to buy Washington 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.