Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wyoming · Zones 3–5
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Wyoming
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. Every species here is genuinely native to Wyoming and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–5 — proven performers for Wyoming's cold, semi-arid, high elevation climate across Rocky Mountain montane & sagebrush steppe, not a generic list. Local standouts include Anise Hyssop and Aromatic Aster. Drought-tough natives earn their reputation with deep roots, so the secret is patience: water them through the first season while those roots reach down, then taper off and let them fend for themselves. Plant in fall or early spring, give them sharp drainage and full sun, and resist the urge to coddle — overwatering kills more of these than any heat wave.
The plants
38 native species for Wyoming
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 6–12 in tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 1.5–3 ft tall and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 1–2 ft tall and blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 5–8 ft tall and blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 3–6 ft tall, and blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–3 ft tall and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1–2.5 ft tall and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–2 ft tall, and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 6–16 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 3–6 ft tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — holding up in dry clay where other perennials wilt — 5–9 ft tall, and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 8–20 in tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 4–8 in tall, and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
14 more also qualify: Rattlesnake Master, Virginia Creeper, Stiff Goldenrod, New Jersey Tea, Sideoats Grama, Purple Prairie Clover, Ninebark, Showy Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Wyoming
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.