Chokecherry – Prunus virginiana Native
Native in 41 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 25 ft for full sun, with mid-spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Montana native plants
USDA PLANTS records 232 plants as native to Montana (MT) and routinely sold by nurseries. Each one is mapped by county, so you can see which grow wild where you live.
Montana native plant list
This list has 232 Montana natives that nurseries routinely sell: 34 trees, 55 shrubs, 68 wildflowers, 72 grasses and sedges, 1 fern and 2 vines. The most widespread include Great Blanket Flower, Prairie Sagewort and Red Osier Dogwood, each recorded as native in at least 48 of Montana's 56 counties. Checked against USDA PLANTS on June 13, 2026.
Prairie Sagewort – Artemisia frigida Native
Native in 53 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 2 ft for sun or part shade.
Great Blanket Flower – Gaillardia aristata Native
Native in all 56 of Montana’s counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with spring flowers.
Fowl Bluegrass – Poa palustris Native
Native in 44 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for sun or part shade.
Field Horsetail – Equisetum arvense Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A horsetail for sun or part shade.
Western Virgin's Bower – Clematis ligusticifolia Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A vine for sun or part shade, with midsummer flowers.
Eastern Cottonwood – Populus deltoides Native
Native in 39 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 190 ft for full sun and wet soil, with showy fruit.
Red Osier Dogwood – Cornus sericea sericea Native
Native in 48 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 12 ft for full sun and wet soil, with spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Mexican Hat – Ratibida columnifera Native
Native in 47 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with midsummer flowers and showy fruit.
Softstem Bulrush – Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Native
Native in 25 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Riverbank Grape – Vitis riparia Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A vine for sun or part shade.
Plains Cottonwood – Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera Native
Native in 39 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 85 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Red-Barked Dogwood – Cornus alba Native
Native in 48 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 12 ft for full sun and wet soil, with spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Wild Mint – Mentha arvensis Native
Native in 43 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with spring flowers.
Toad Rush – Juncus bufonius Native
Native in 20 of Montana’s 56 counties. An annual rush for full sun and wet soil.
Quaking Aspen – Populus tremuloides Native
Native in 33 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 65 ft for full sun.
Redosier Dogwood – Cornus sericea sericea Native
Native in 48 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 12 ft for full sun and wet soil, with spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Dotted Blazing Star – Liatris punctata Native
Native in 42 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with midsummer flowers.
Nebraska Sedge – Carex nebrascensis Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Balsam Poplar – Populus balsamifera Native
Native in 32 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 80 ft for full sun.
Western Snowberry – Symphoricarpos occidentalis Native
Native in 41 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft for sun or part shade, with showy fruit.
Wild Bergamot – Monarda fistulosa Native
Native in 41 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade and wet soil, with summer flowers.
Common Spikerush – Eleocharis palustris Native
Native in 18 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Black Cottonwood – Populus balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 100 ft for full sun.
Russet Buffaloberry – Shepherdia canadensis Native
Native in 39 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 6 ft for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Cinquefoil – Potentilla gracilis Native
Native in 36 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with early summer flowers.
Green Needlegrass – Nassella viridula Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Black Cottonwood – Populus trichocarpa Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 100 ft for full sun.
Big Sagebrush – Artemisia tridentata Native
Native in 38 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 4 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Giant Goldenrod – Solidago gigantea Native
Native in 36 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with showy flowers and fall colour.
Salt Grass – Distichlis spicata Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun and wet soil.
Green Ash – Fraxinus pennsylvanica Native
Native in 26 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 80 ft that tolerates shade, with fall colour.
Rabbit Brush – Chrysothamnus nauseosus Native
Native in 38 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 4 ft for full sun, with late summer flowers.
Sticky Purple Geranium – Geranium viscosissimum Native
Native in 34 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower that tolerates shade, with mid-spring flowers and showy fruit.
Blue Grama – Bouteloua gracilis Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Box Elder – Acer negundo Native
Native in 24 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 60 ft that tolerates shade, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Skunkbush Sumac – Rhus trilobata Native
Native in 38 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 4 ft for sun or part shade, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Arrowleaf Balsam Root – Balsamorhiza sagittata Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Canada Wildrye – Elymus canadensis Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade.
Mountain Maple – Acer glabrum Native
Native in 24 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 30 ft for sun or part shade, with fall colour.
Silver Buffaloberry – Shepherdia argentea Native
Native in 37 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 18 ft for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Silverweed – Potentilla anserina Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with spring flowers.
Indian Rice Grass – Stipa hymenoides Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Peachleaf Willow – Salix amygdaloides Native
Native in 23 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 60 ft for full sun.
Kinnikinnick – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Native
Native in 36 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 6 in for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Silverweed Cinquefoil – Argentina anserina Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with spring flowers.
Indian Ricegrass – Achnatherum hymenoides Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Ponderosa Pine – Pinus ponderosa Native
Native in 22 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 223 ft for full sun.
Silver Sagebrush – Artemisia cana Native
Native in 35 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 5 ft for full sun.
Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa Native
Native in 30 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with early summer flowers and showy fruit.
June Grass – Koeleria macrantha Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade.
Narrowleaf Cottonwood – Populus angustifolia Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 60 ft for full sun, with spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Winterfat – Krascheninnikovia lanata Native
Native in 35 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 2 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Downy Paintedcup – Castilleja sessiliflora Native
Native in 26 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with mid-spring flowers.
Needle and Thread – Hesperostipa comata comata Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun, with showy fruit.
Water Birch – Betula occidentalis Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 25 ft for sun or part shade.
Western Service Berry – Amelanchier alnifolia Native
Native in 33 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 15 ft for sun or part shade, with early summer flowers and showy fruit.
Common Cowparsnip – Heracleum maximum Native
Native in 25 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with early summer flowers.
Needle and Thread Grass – Stipa comata Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun, with showy fruit.
Sandbar Willow – Salix interior Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 30 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Golden Currant – Ribes aureum Native
Native in 32 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 10 ft for sun or part shade, with mid-spring flowers and showy fruit.
Utah Sweetvetch – Hedysarum boreale Native
Native in 25 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with late spring flowers.
Western Wheatgrass – Pascopyrum smithii Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Beach Pine – Pinus contorta Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 99 ft for full sun.
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat – Eriogonum umbellatum Native
Native in 32 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 1 ft for full sun, with early summer flowers.
Canada Goldenrod – Solidago canadensis Native
Native in 23 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with late summer flowers.
California Field Sedge – Carex praegracilis Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
American Elm – Ulmus americana Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 120 ft for sun or part shade, with fall colour.
Creeping Barberry – Mahonia repens Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 2 ft that tolerates shade, with mid-spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Darkthroat Shootingstar – Dodecatheon pulchellum Native
Native in 23 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade and wet soil, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
Swordleaf Rush – Juncus ensifolius Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Rocky Mountain Juniper – Juniperus scopulorum Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 50 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Narrowleaf Willow – Salix exigua Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 10 ft for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Water Knotweed – Polygonum amphibium Native
Native in 23 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for full sun and wet soil.
Torrey's Rush – Juncus torreyi Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for full sun.
Thinleaf Alder – Alnus incana Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 25 ft for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Woods' Rose – Rosa woodsii Native
Native in 31 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
Arumleaf Arrowhead – Sagittaria cuneata Native
Native in 22 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun and wet soil, with showy flowers.
Longstyle Rush – Juncus longistylis Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Pacific Willow – Salix lucida subsp. lasiandra Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 53 ft for full sun and wet soil, with fall colour.
Wax Currant – Ribes cereum Native
Native in 29 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft for full sun, with early summer flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Common Selfheal – Prunella vulgaris Native
Native in 22 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with midsummer flowers.
Smallwing Sedge – Carex microptera Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Paper Birch – Betula papyrifera Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 70 ft for full sun, with mid-spring flowers and fall colour.
Gardner's Saltbush – Atriplex gardneri Native
Native in 28 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 4 ft for full sun.
Seep Monkeyflower – Mimulus guttatus Native
Native in 22 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower that tolerates shade, with mid-spring flowers.
Beaked Sedge – Carex rostrata Native
Native in 12 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Engelmann Spruce – Picea engelmannii Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 120 ft that tolerates shade.
Common Juniper – Juniperus communis Native
Native in 25 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 10 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Broadleaf Cattail – Typha latifolia Native
Native in 21 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for sun or part shade and wet soil, with showy fruit.
Bluebunch Wheatgrass – Pseudoroegneria spicata spicata Native
Native in 12 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Mackenzie's Willow – Salix prolixa Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 45 ft for full sun and wet soil, with early spring flowers and showy fruit.
Creeping Juniper – Juniperus horizontalis Native
Native in 23 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 4 ft for full sun.
Sticky Cinquefoil – Potentilla glandulosa Native
Native in 21 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Knotted Rush – Juncus nodosus Native
Native in 12 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for full sun.
Subalpine Fir – Abies lasiocarpa Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 90 ft that tolerates shade.
Gooseberry Currant – Ribes montigenum Native
Native in 21 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 1 ft for sun or part shade, with early summer flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Lyall's Angelica – Angelica arguta Native
Native in 20 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade and wet soil, with mid-spring flowers.
Needle Spikerush – Eleocharis acicularis Native
Native in 11 of Montana’s 56 counties. A sedge for full sun.
Western White Pine – Pinus monticola Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 200 ft for sun or part shade.
Yellow Rabbitbrush – Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft for full sun, with spring flowers and showy fruit.
Nuttall's Sunflower – Helianthus nuttallii Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with midsummer flowers and showy fruit.
Golden Sedge – Carex aurea Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Burr Oak – Quercus macrocarpa Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 100 ft for sun or part shade, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Twinberry – Lonicera involucrata Native
Native in 18 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 10 ft that tolerates shade, with summer flowers and showy fruit.
Woolly Yarrow – Achillea tomentosa Native
Native in 19 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Mertens' Rush – Juncus mertensianus Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Pin Cherry – Prunus pensylvanica Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 30 ft for full sun, with mid-spring flowers and showy fruit.
Shadscale Saltbush – Atriplex confertifolia Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft for full sun.
American Speedwell – Veronica americana Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with midsummer flowers.
Sand Dropseed – Sporobolus cryptandrus Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga menziesii Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 200 ft for sun or part shade.
Black Hawthorn – Crataegus douglasii Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 15 ft for sun or part shade, with mid-spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Canadian Milkvetch – Astragalus canadensis Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with midsummer flowers.
Poverty Rush – Juncus tenuis Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade.
Western Hemlock – Tsuga heterophylla Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 170 ft that tolerates shade.
Western Labrador Tea – Ledum glandulosum Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 5 ft that tolerates shade, with early spring flowers.
Nodding Beggartick – Bidens cernua Native
Native in 17 of Montana’s 56 counties. An annual wildflower for sun or part shade, with late summer flowers and fall colour.
Prairie Cordgrass – Spartina pectinata Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun and wet soil.
Alberta Spruce – Picea glauca Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen tree up to 100 ft for sun or part shade.
American Plum – Prunus americana Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 24 ft for full sun, with mid-spring flowers and showy fruit.
Lewis Flax – Linum lewisii Native
Native in 16 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with showy flowers.
Sideoats Grama – Bouteloua curtipendula Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Bigtooth Maple – Acer grandidentatum Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 38 ft for sun or part shade, with spring flowers.
Sitka Alder – Alnus viridis subsp. sinuata Native
Native in 12 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 16 ft for sun or part shade, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Largeleaf Avens – Geum macrophyllum Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers.
Slenderbeak Sedge – Carex athrostachya Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Common Hackberry – Celtis occidentalis Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 60 ft that tolerates shade, with fall colour.
Antelope Bitterbrush – Purshia tridentata Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 6 ft for sun or part shade, with showy fruit.
Subalpine Fleabane – Erigeron peregrinus Native
Native in 15 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Tall Cottongrass – Eriophorum angustifolium Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil, with fall colour.
Honey Locust – Gleditsia triacanthos Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 70 ft for full sun, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany – Cercocarpus ledifolius Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 20 ft for sun or part shade, with early spring flowers.
Cutleaf Coneflower – Rudbeckia laciniata Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with late summer flowers and fall colour.
Water Sedge – Carex aquatilis Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Pussy Willow – Salix discolor Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A tree up to 40 ft that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Drummond's Willow – Salix drummondiana Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 12 ft for sun or part shade.
Elephanthead Lousewort – Pedicularis groenlandica Native
Native in 14 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Alkali Cordgrass – Spartina gracilis Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Thinleaf Alder – Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 20 ft for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Tanseyleaf Tansyaster – Machaeranthera tanacetifolia Native
Native in 13 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower for full sun, with late spring flowers.
Drummond's Rush – Juncus drummondii Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade.
Yellow Willow – Salix lutea Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 16 ft for sun or part shade.
American Alpine Speedwell – Veronica wormskjoldii Native
Native in 12 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with summer flowers.
Wheat Sedge – Carex atherodes Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Alderleaf Buckthorn – Rhamnus alnifolia Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 3 ft that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Arrowleaf Ragwort – Senecio triangularis Native
Native in 11 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade and wet soil, with midsummer flowers.
Awlfruit Sedge – Carex stipata Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Eightpetal Mountain-Avens – Dryas octopetala Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 4 in for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
Common Sneeze Weed – Helenium autumnale Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with fall flowers.
Colorado Rush – Juncus confusus Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Shining Willow – Salix lucida Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 13 ft for sun or part shade.
Rainier Pleated Gentian – Gentiana calycosa Native
Native in 10 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with late summer flowers.
Nuttall's Alkaligrass – Puccinellia nuttalliana Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun and wet soil.
Fourwing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 4 ft for full sun, with showy fruit.
Greater Creeping Spearwort – Ranunculus flammula Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with midsummer flowers.
Alkalai Sacaton – Sporobolus airoides Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Mountain Snowberry – Symphoricarpos oreophilus Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 5 ft for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
Littleleaf Buttercup – Ranunculus abortivus Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A plant that tolerates shade.
Bebb's Sedge – Carex bebbii Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Utah Honeysuckle – Lonicera utahensis Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 5 ft that tolerates shade, with early summer flowers and showy fruit.
Rocky Mountain Pond-Lily – Nuphar lutea subsp. polysepala Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with spring flowers.
Meadow Barley – Hordeum brachyantherum Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun and wet soil.
Rose Spirea – Spiraea douglasii Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 7 ft for full sun and wet soil, with midsummer flowers.
Scarlet Gilia – Ipomopsis aggregata aggregata Native
Native in 9 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower for full sun, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
Prairie Sandreed – Calamovilfa longifolia Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Geyer Willow – Salix geyeriana Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 15 ft that tolerates shade, with spring flowers and fall colour.
Camas – Camassia quamash Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with mid-spring flowers.
Little Green Sedge – Carex viridula Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Hollyleaved Barberry – Mahonia aquifolium Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 8 ft that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Common Duckweed – Lemna minor Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for full sun and wet soil.
Softleaf Sedge – Carex disperma Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Oregon Grape – Berberis aquifolium Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. An evergreen shrub up to 8 ft that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Golden Tickseed – Coreopsis tinctoria Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers.
Switchgrass – Panicum virgatum Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Smooth Sumac – Rhus glabra Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 12 ft for full sun, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Purple Avens – Geum rivale Native
Native in 8 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with mid-spring flowers.
Panicled Bulrush – Scirpus microcarpus Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Bog Blueberry – Vaccinium uliginosum Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 2 ft for sun or part shade, with early summer flowers and showy fruit.
American Water Horehound – Lycopus americanus Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Silvery Sedge – Carex canescens Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Booth's Willow – Salix boothii Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 24 ft that tolerates shade.
Western Polemonium – Polemonium occidentale Native
Native in 7 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade and wet soil, with late spring flowers.
Blue Wildrye – Elymus glaucus Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Squashberry – Viburnum edule Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 2 ft that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Alpine Mountainsorrel – Oxyria digyna Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for sun or part shade.
Cloaked Bulrush – Scirpus pallidus Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun and wet soil.
Utah Service Berry – Amelanchier utahensis Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 15 ft for sun or part shade, with late spring flowers and showy fruit.
White Marsh Marigold – Caltha leptosepala Native
Native in 6 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with late spring flowers.
Fowl Mannagrass – Glyceria striata Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Whitestem Gooseberry – Ribes inerme Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 8 ft that tolerates shade, with showy fruit and fall colour.
Broadleaf Arrowhead – Sagittaria latifolia Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun and wet soil, with late spring flowers.
Inland Rush – Juncus interior Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade.
American Black Elderberry – Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 7 ft for full sun, with spring flowers, showy fruit and fall colour.
Buckbean – Menyanthes trifoliata Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade and wet soil, with mid-spring flowers.
Northern Reedgrass – Calamagrostis stricta subsp. inexpansa Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for sun or part shade and wet soil, with fall colour.
Leadplant – Amorpha canescens Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub up to 4 ft that tolerates shade, with early summer flowers.
Columbian Monkshood – Aconitum columbianum Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for sun or part shade, with early summer flowers.
Analogue Sedge – Carex simulata Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Sitka Willow – Salix sitchensis Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A shrub or small tree up to 23 ft for full sun.
Coon's Tail – Ceratophyllum demersum Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Basin Wild Rye – Elymus cInereus Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Philadelphia Daisy – Erigeron philadelphicus Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower for sun or part shade, with mid-spring flowers.
Basin Wildrye – Leymus cinereus Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Star Duckweed – Lemna trisulca Native
Native in 5 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for full sun and wet soil.
Big Bluestem – Andropogon gerardii Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Longbeak Buttercup – Ranunculus longirostris Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers.
Bluejoint – Calamagrostis canadensis Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun and wet soil.
Rydberg's Penstemon – Penstemon rydbergii Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with midsummer flowers and fall colour.
Columbian Sedge – Carex aperta Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun.
Spreading Phlox – Phlox diffusa Native
Native in 4 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade, with late spring flowers.
Fox Sedge – Carex vulpinoidea Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade.
Broadfruit Bur-Reed – Sparganium eurycarpum Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Green Bulrush – Scirpus atrovirens Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for full sun.
Nodding Waternymph – Najas flexilis Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. An annual for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Little Bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Pennsylvania Buttercup – Ranunculus pensylvanicus Native
Native in 3 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower that tolerates shade, with midsummer flowers.
Slender Wheatgrass – Elymus trachycaulus trachycaulus Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Alpine Sweetvetch – Hedysarum alpinum Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower for full sun, with early summer flowers and fall colour.
Thickspike Wheatgrass – Elymus lanceolatus lanceolatus Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Dotted Smartweed – Polygonum punctatum Native
Native in 2 of Montana’s 56 counties. A wildflower for full sun and wet soil, with summer flowers.
Alpine Timothy – Phleum alpinum Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for sun or part shade.
Arctic Raspberry – Rubus arcticus Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial for full sun.
Broom Sedge – Carex scoparia Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge that tolerates shade and wet soil.
Oregon Checkerbloom – Sidalcea oregana Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial wildflower that tolerates shade and wet soil, with late spring flowers.
Common Rush – Juncus effusus Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for full sun.
Pennsylvania Smartweed – Polygonum pensylvanicum Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. An annual wildflower for full sun, with spring flowers.
Fringed Brome – Bromus ciliatus Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade.
Glaucous Bluegrass – Poa glauca Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass for full sun.
Jointleaf Rush – Juncus articulatus Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial rush for sun or part shade and wet soil.
Sweet Woodreed – Cinna arundinacea Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial grass that tolerates shade.
Three-Way Sedge – Dulichium arundinaceum Native
Native in 1 of Montana’s 56 counties. A perennial sedge for sun or part shade.
No plant on this page matches that.
USDA records 190 of these 232 plants as native in fewer than half of Montana’s counties. The map on each card shows where. A county with no record may never have been surveyed for that plant, so look at the counties around yours too, or use the county checker for an address-level answer.
Montana’s own list regulates 40 plants. None of them is on this page. Montana noxious weeds has each one, with the rule cited.
Want to check a plant by photo or county?
Use our “Is it native” tool for free.Compiled from USDA PLANTS, retrieved June 13, 2026. If you spot a plant we have wrong, tell us at [email protected].
The same list as a table
| Plant | Scientific name | Type | Light | Native counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Spruce | Picea glauca | Tree | Sun or part shade | 1 of 56 |
| Alderleaf Buckthorn | Rhamnus alnifolia | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 9 of 56 |
| Alkalai Sacaton | Sporobolus airoides | Grass | Full sun | 6 of 56 |
| Alkali Cordgrass | Spartina gracilis | Grass | Full sun | 8 of 56 |
| Alpine Mountainsorrel | Oxyria digyna | Perennial | Sun or part shade | 6 of 56 |
| Alpine Sweetvetch | Hedysarum alpinum | Wildflower | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Alpine Timothy | Phleum alpinum | Grass | Sun or part shade | 1 of 56 |
| American Alpine Speedwell | Veronica wormskjoldii | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 12 of 56 |
| American Black Elderberry | Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| American Elm | Ulmus americana | Tree | Sun or part shade | 13 of 56 |
| American Plum | Prunus americana | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 13 of 56 |
| American Speedwell | Veronica americana | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 17 of 56 |
| American Water Horehound | Lycopus americanus | Perennial | Tolerates shade | 7 of 56 |
| Analogue Sedge | Carex simulata | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 2 of 56 |
| Antelope Bitterbrush | Purshia tridentata | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Arctic Raspberry | Rubus arcticus | Perennial | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Arrowleaf Balsam Root | Balsamorhiza sagittata | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 31 of 56 |
| Arrowleaf Ragwort | Senecio triangularis | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 11 of 56 |
| Arumleaf Arrowhead | Sagittaria cuneata | Wildflower | Full sun | 22 of 56 |
| Awlfruit Sedge | Carex stipata | Sedge | Tolerates shade | 7 of 56 |
| Balsam Poplar | Populus balsamifera | Tree | Full sun | 32 of 56 |
| Basin Wild Rye | Elymus cInereus | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Basin Wildrye | Leymus cinereus | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Beach Pine | Pinus contorta | Tree | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Beaked Sedge | Carex rostrata | Sedge | Tolerates shade | 12 of 56 |
| Bebb's Sedge | Carex bebbii | Sedge | Tolerates shade | 6 of 56 |
| Big Bluestem | Andropogon gerardii | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Big Sagebrush | Artemisia tridentata | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 38 of 56 |
| Bigtooth Maple | Acer grandidentatum | Tree | Sun or part shade | 1 of 56 |
| Black Cottonwood | Populus balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa | Tree | Full sun | 31 of 56 |
| Black Cottonwood | Populus trichocarpa | Tree | Full sun | 31 of 56 |
| Black Hawthorn | Crataegus douglasii | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 14 of 56 |
| Blue Grama | Bouteloua gracilis | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Blue Wildrye | Elymus glaucus | Grass | Tolerates shade | 3 of 56 |
| Bluebunch Wheatgrass | Pseudoroegneria spicata spicata | Grass | Full sun | 12 of 56 |
| Bluejoint | Calamagrostis canadensis | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Bog Blueberry | Vaccinium uliginosum | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 2 of 56 |
| Booth's Willow | Salix boothii | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 2 of 56 |
| Box Elder | Acer negundo | Tree | Tolerates shade | 24 of 56 |
| Broadfruit Bur-Reed | Sparganium eurycarpum | Perennial | Sun or part shade | 3 of 56 |
| Broadleaf Arrowhead | Sagittaria latifolia | Wildflower | Full sun | 5 of 56 |
| Broadleaf Cattail | Typha latifolia | Perennial | Sun or part shade | 21 of 56 |
| Broom Sedge | Carex scoparia | Sedge | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Buckbean | Menyanthes trifoliata | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 5 of 56 |
| Burr Oak | Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | Sun or part shade | 3 of 56 |
| California Field Sedge | Carex praegracilis | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 14 of 56 |
| Camas | Camassia quamash | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 8 of 56 |
| Canada Goldenrod | Solidago canadensis | Wildflower | Full sun | 23 of 56 |
| Canada Wildrye | Elymus canadensis | Grass | Tolerates shade | 15 of 56 |
| Canadian Milkvetch | Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower | Full sun | 17 of 56 |
| Chokecherry | Prunus virginiana | Tree | Full sun | 41 of 56 |
| Cinquefoil | Potentilla gracilis | Wildflower | Full sun | 36 of 56 |
| Cloaked Bulrush | Scirpus pallidus | Sedge | Full sun | 3 of 56 |
| Colorado Rush | Juncus confusus | Rush | Sun or part shade | 7 of 56 |
| Columbian Monkshood | Aconitum columbianum | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 5 of 56 |
| Columbian Sedge | Carex aperta | Sedge | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Common Cowparsnip | Heracleum maximum | Wildflower | Full sun | 25 of 56 |
| Common Duckweed | Lemna minor | Perennial | Full sun | 8 of 56 |
| Common Hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | Tree | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Common Juniper | Juniperus communis | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 25 of 56 |
| Common Rush | Juncus effusus | Rush | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Common Selfheal | Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 22 of 56 |
| Common Sneeze Weed | Helenium autumnale | Wildflower | Full sun | 10 of 56 |
| Common Spikerush | Eleocharis palustris | Sedge | Full sun | 18 of 56 |
| Coon's Tail | Ceratophyllum demersum | Perennial | Sun or part shade | 5 of 56 |
| Creeping Barberry | Mahonia repens | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 31 of 56 |
| Creeping Juniper | Juniperus horizontalis | Shrub | Full sun | 23 of 56 |
| Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany | Cercocarpus ledifolius | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Cutleaf Coneflower | Rudbeckia laciniata | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 14 of 56 |
| Darkthroat Shootingstar | Dodecatheon pulchellum | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 23 of 56 |
| Dotted Blazing Star | Liatris punctata | Wildflower | Full sun | 42 of 56 |
| Dotted Smartweed | Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Douglas Fir | Pseudotsuga menziesii | Tree | Sun or part shade | 2 of 56 |
| Downy Paintedcup | Castilleja sessiliflora | Wildflower | Full sun | 26 of 56 |
| Drummond's Rush | Juncus drummondii | Rush | Sun or part shade | 8 of 56 |
| Drummond's Willow | Salix drummondiana | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Eastern Cottonwood | Populus deltoides | Tree | Full sun | 39 of 56 |
| Eightpetal Mountain-Avens | Dryas octopetala | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 9 of 56 |
| Elephanthead Lousewort | Pedicularis groenlandica | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 14 of 56 |
| Engelmann Spruce | Picea engelmannii | Tree | Tolerates shade | 6 of 56 |
| Field Horsetail | Equisetum arvense | Horsetail | Sun or part shade | 8 of 56 |
| Fourwing Saltbush | Atriplex canescens | Shrub | Full sun | 8 of 56 |
| Fowl Bluegrass | Poa palustris | Grass | Sun or part shade | 44 of 56 |
| Fowl Mannagrass | Glyceria striata | Grass | Tolerates shade | 3 of 56 |
| Fox Sedge | Carex vulpinoidea | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 2 of 56 |
| Fringed Brome | Bromus ciliatus | Grass | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Gardner's Saltbush | Atriplex gardneri | Shrub | Full sun | 28 of 56 |
| Geyer Willow | Salix geyeriana | Shrub or small tree | Tolerates shade | 4 of 56 |
| Giant Goldenrod | Solidago gigantea | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 36 of 56 |
| Glaucous Bluegrass | Poa glauca | Grass | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Golden Currant | Ribes aureum | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 32 of 56 |
| Golden Sedge | Carex aurea | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Golden Tickseed | Coreopsis tinctoria | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 8 of 56 |
| Gooseberry Currant | Ribes montigenum | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 21 of 56 |
| Great Blanket Flower | Gaillardia aristata | Wildflower | Full sun | 56 of 56 |
| Greater Creeping Spearwort | Ranunculus flammula | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 9 of 56 |
| Green Ash | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | Tolerates shade | 26 of 56 |
| Green Bulrush | Scirpus atrovirens | Sedge | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Green Needlegrass | Nassella viridula | Grass | Full sun | 17 of 56 |
| Hollyleaved Barberry | Mahonia aquifolium | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 3 of 56 |
| Honey Locust | Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Indian Rice Grass | Stipa hymenoides | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Indian Ricegrass | Achnatherum hymenoides | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Inland Rush | Juncus interior | Rush | Sun or part shade | 3 of 56 |
| Jointleaf Rush | Juncus articulatus | Rush | Sun or part shade | 1 of 56 |
| June Grass | Koeleria macrantha | Grass | Tolerates shade | 15 of 56 |
| Kinnikinnick | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 36 of 56 |
| Knotted Rush | Juncus nodosus | Rush | Full sun | 12 of 56 |
| Largeleaf Avens | Geum macrophyllum | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 15 of 56 |
| Leadplant | Amorpha canescens | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Lewis Flax | Linum lewisii | Wildflower | Full sun | 16 of 56 |
| Little Bluestem | Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Little Green Sedge | Carex viridula | Sedge | Full sun | 5 of 56 |
| Littleleaf Buttercup | Ranunculus abortivus | Plant | Tolerates shade | 9 of 56 |
| Longbeak Buttercup | Ranunculus longirostris | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 4 of 56 |
| Longstyle Rush | Juncus longistylis | Rush | Sun or part shade | 13 of 56 |
| Lyall's Angelica | Angelica arguta | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 20 of 56 |
| Mackenzie's Willow | Salix prolixa | Tree | Full sun | 6 of 56 |
| Meadow Barley | Hordeum brachyantherum | Grass | Full sun | 6 of 56 |
| Mertens' Rush | Juncus mertensianus | Rush | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Mexican Hat | Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower | Full sun | 47 of 56 |
| Mountain Maple | Acer glabrum | Tree | Sun or part shade | 24 of 56 |
| Mountain Snowberry | Symphoricarpos oreophilus | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 7 of 56 |
| Narrowleaf Cottonwood | Populus angustifolia | Tree | Full sun | 19 of 56 |
| Narrowleaf Willow | Salix exigua | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 31 of 56 |
| Nebraska Sedge | Carex nebrascensis | Sedge | Full sun | 19 of 56 |
| Needle and Thread | Hesperostipa comata comata | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Needle and Thread Grass | Stipa comata | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Needle Spikerush | Eleocharis acicularis | Sedge | Full sun | 11 of 56 |
| Nodding Beggartick | Bidens cernua | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 17 of 56 |
| Nodding Waternymph | Najas flexilis | Annual | Sun or part shade | 3 of 56 |
| Northern Reedgrass | Calamagrostis stricta subsp. inexpansa | Grass | Sun or part shade | 3 of 56 |
| Nuttall's Alkaligrass | Puccinellia nuttalliana | Grass | Full sun | 7 of 56 |
| Nuttall's Sunflower | Helianthus nuttallii | Wildflower | Full sun | 19 of 56 |
| Oregon Checkerbloom | Sidalcea oregana | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Oregon Grape | Berberis aquifolium | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 3 of 56 |
| Pacific Willow | Salix lucida subsp. lasiandra | Tree | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Panicled Bulrush | Scirpus microcarpus | Sedge | Full sun | 4 of 56 |
| Paper Birch | Betula papyrifera | Tree | Full sun | 7 of 56 |
| Peachleaf Willow | Salix amygdaloides | Tree | Full sun | 23 of 56 |
| Pennsylvania Buttercup | Ranunculus pensylvanicus | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 3 of 56 |
| Pennsylvania Smartweed | Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Philadelphia Daisy | Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 5 of 56 |
| Pin Cherry | Prunus pensylvanica | Tree | Full sun | 3 of 56 |
| Plains Cottonwood | Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera | Tree | Full sun | 39 of 56 |
| Ponderosa Pine | Pinus ponderosa | Tree | Full sun | 22 of 56 |
| Poverty Rush | Juncus tenuis | Rush | Sun or part shade | 9 of 56 |
| Prairie Cordgrass | Spartina pectinata | Grass | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Prairie Sagewort | Artemisia frigida | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 53 of 56 |
| Prairie Sandreed | Calamovilfa longifolia | Grass | Full sun | 6 of 56 |
| Purple Avens | Geum rivale | Wildflower | Full sun | 8 of 56 |
| Pussy Willow | Salix discolor | Tree | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Quaking Aspen | Populus tremuloides | Tree | Full sun | 33 of 56 |
| Rabbit Brush | Chrysothamnus nauseosus | Shrub | Full sun | 38 of 56 |
| Rainier Pleated Gentian | Gentiana calycosa | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 10 of 56 |
| Red Osier Dogwood | Cornus sericea sericea | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 48 of 56 |
| Red-Barked Dogwood | Cornus alba | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 48 of 56 |
| Redosier Dogwood | Cornus sericea sericea | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 48 of 56 |
| Riverbank Grape | Vitis riparia | Vine | Sun or part shade | 4 of 56 |
| Rocky Mountain Juniper | Juniperus scopulorum | Tree | Full sun | 13 of 56 |
| Rocky Mountain Pond-Lily | Nuphar lutea subsp. polysepala | Wildflower | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Rose Spirea | Spiraea douglasii | Shrub | Full sun | 5 of 56 |
| Russet Buffaloberry | Shepherdia canadensis | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 39 of 56 |
| Rydberg's Penstemon | Penstemon rydbergii | Wildflower | Full sun | 4 of 56 |
| Salt Grass | Distichlis spicata | Grass | Full sun | 17 of 56 |
| Sand Dropseed | Sporobolus cryptandrus | Grass | Full sun | 10 of 56 |
| Sandbar Willow | Salix interior | Tree | Full sun | 17 of 56 |
| Scarlet Gilia | Ipomopsis aggregata aggregata | Wildflower | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Seep Monkeyflower | Mimulus guttatus | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 22 of 56 |
| Shadscale Saltbush | Atriplex confertifolia | Shrub | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Shining Willow | Salix lucida | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 9 of 56 |
| Showy Milkweed | Asclepias speciosa | Wildflower | Full sun | 30 of 56 |
| Sideoats Grama | Bouteloua curtipendula | Grass | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Silver Buffaloberry | Shepherdia argentea | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 37 of 56 |
| Silver Sagebrush | Artemisia cana | Shrub | Full sun | 35 of 56 |
| Silverweed | Potentilla anserina | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 31 of 56 |
| Silverweed Cinquefoil | Argentina anserina | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 31 of 56 |
| Silvery Sedge | Carex canescens | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 4 of 56 |
| Sitka Alder | Alnus viridis subsp. sinuata | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 12 of 56 |
| Sitka Willow | Salix sitchensis | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 1 of 56 |
| Skunkbush Sumac | Rhus trilobata | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 38 of 56 |
| Slender Wheatgrass | Elymus trachycaulus trachycaulus | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Slenderbeak Sedge | Carex athrostachya | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 9 of 56 |
| Smallwing Sedge | Carex microptera | Sedge | Full sun | 13 of 56 |
| Smooth Sumac | Rhus glabra | Shrub or small tree | Full sun | 3 of 56 |
| Softleaf Sedge | Carex disperma | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 5 of 56 |
| Softstem Bulrush | Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Sedge | Full sun | 25 of 56 |
| Spreading Phlox | Phlox diffusa | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 4 of 56 |
| Squashberry | Viburnum edule | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 2 of 56 |
| Star Duckweed | Lemna trisulca | Perennial | Full sun | 5 of 56 |
| Sticky Cinquefoil | Potentilla glandulosa | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 21 of 56 |
| Sticky Purple Geranium | Geranium viscosissimum | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 34 of 56 |
| Subalpine Fir | Abies lasiocarpa | Tree | Tolerates shade | 5 of 56 |
| Subalpine Fleabane | Erigeron peregrinus | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 15 of 56 |
| Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat | Eriogonum umbellatum | Shrub | Full sun | 32 of 56 |
| Sweet Woodreed | Cinna arundinacea | Grass | Tolerates shade | 1 of 56 |
| Switchgrass | Panicum virgatum | Grass | Full sun | 5 of 56 |
| Swordleaf Rush | Juncus ensifolius | Rush | Sun or part shade | 14 of 56 |
| Tall Cottongrass | Eriophorum angustifolium | Sedge | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Tanseyleaf Tansyaster | Machaeranthera tanacetifolia | Wildflower | Full sun | 13 of 56 |
| Thickspike Wheatgrass | Elymus lanceolatus lanceolatus | Grass | Full sun | 2 of 56 |
| Thinleaf Alder | Alnus incana | Tree | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Thinleaf Alder | Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
| Three-Way Sedge | Dulichium arundinaceum | Sedge | Sun or part shade | 1 of 56 |
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | Rush | Full sun | 20 of 56 |
| Torrey's Rush | Juncus torreyi | Rush | Full sun | 14 of 56 |
| Twinberry | Lonicera involucrata | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 18 of 56 |
| Utah Honeysuckle | Lonicera utahensis | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 7 of 56 |
| Utah Service Berry | Amelanchier utahensis | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 2 of 56 |
| Utah Sweetvetch | Hedysarum boreale | Wildflower | Full sun | 25 of 56 |
| Water Birch | Betula occidentalis | Tree | Sun or part shade | 19 of 56 |
| Water Knotweed | Polygonum amphibium | Perennial | Full sun | 23 of 56 |
| Water Sedge | Carex aquatilis | Sedge | Full sun | 9 of 56 |
| Wax Currant | Ribes cereum | Shrub | Full sun | 29 of 56 |
| Western Hemlock | Tsuga heterophylla | Tree | Tolerates shade | 2 of 56 |
| Western Labrador Tea | Ledum glandulosum | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 14 of 56 |
| Western Polemonium | Polemonium occidentale | Wildflower | Tolerates shade | 7 of 56 |
| Western Service Berry | Amelanchier alnifolia | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 33 of 56 |
| Western Snowberry | Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 41 of 56 |
| Western Virgin's Bower | Clematis ligusticifolia | Vine | Sun or part shade | 31 of 56 |
| Western Wheatgrass | Pascopyrum smithii | Grass | Full sun | 15 of 56 |
| Western White Pine | Pinus monticola | Tree | Sun or part shade | 4 of 56 |
| Wheat Sedge | Carex atherodes | Sedge | Full sun | 8 of 56 |
| White Marsh Marigold | Caltha leptosepala | Wildflower | Full sun | 6 of 56 |
| Whitestem Gooseberry | Ribes inerme | Shrub | Tolerates shade | 2 of 56 |
| Wild Bergamot | Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 41 of 56 |
| Wild Mint | Mentha arvensis | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 43 of 56 |
| Winterfat | Krascheninnikovia lanata | Shrub | Full sun | 35 of 56 |
| Woods' Rose | Rosa woodsii | Shrub | Sun or part shade | 31 of 56 |
| Woolly Yarrow | Achillea tomentosa | Wildflower | Sun or part shade | 19 of 56 |
| Yellow Rabbitbrush | Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus | Shrub | Full sun | 19 of 56 |
| Yellow Willow | Salix lutea | Shrub or small tree | Sun or part shade | 10 of 56 |
Where this comes from
- Native range
- USDA PLANTS county distribution layer, the same records behind the county checker.
- Sold by nurseries
- USDA PLANTS plant characteristics, Commercial Availability “Routinely Available”. It is a national flag, so a plant here can still be hard to find at a garden centre near you.
- Plant details
- USDA PLANTS: growth habit and duration from the plant profile; shade and wet-soil tolerance, bloom period, mature height and showy flowers, fruit or fall colour from the plant characteristics.
- Left out
- Any plant a state regulates as invasive or noxious, or that GRIIS flags as invasive in the lower 48, even where it is native. So is any species USDA records as both native and introduced in the lower 48, because the form nurseries sell is usually the introduced one.
- Photos
- Public domain, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-SA, credited under each photo.
- Citation
- USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov), retrieved June 13, 2026. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Questions
What plants are native to Montana?
This page lists the 232 plants that USDA PLANTS records as native to Montana and routinely available from nurseries: 34 trees, 55 shrubs, 68 wildflowers, 72 grasses and sedges, 1 fern and 2 vines. They are a small part of Montana's native flora, chosen because you can buy them. Each one carries a map of the Montana counties where USDA records it growing wild.
What trees are native to Montana?
This page lists 34 trees native to Montana that nurseries routinely sell. The most widespread include Chokecherry, Eastern Cottonwood and Plains Cottonwood, each recorded as native in at least 39 of Montana's 56 counties.
What shrubs are native to Montana?
This page lists 55 shrubs native to Montana that nurseries routinely sell. The most widespread include Prairie Sagewort, Red Osier Dogwood and Red-Barked Dogwood, each recorded as native in at least 48 of Montana's 56 counties.
What wildflowers are native to Montana?
This page lists 68 wildflowers native to Montana that nurseries routinely sell. The most widespread include Great Blanket Flower, Mexican Hat and Wild Mint, each recorded as native in at least 43 of Montana's 56 counties.
Is my plant native to Montana?
Search this page by common or scientific name. A plant missing from it can still be native to Montana: the page lists only natives that nurseries routinely sell, and it leaves out any plant a state regulates as invasive. For a county-level answer on any plant, enter its name in Ezina's checker. Every answer links the record it came from.
Is a plant native to Montana native everywhere in Montana?
Not necessarily. USDA records nativity county by county, and 190 of the 232 plants on this page are recorded as native in fewer than half of Montana's 56 counties. A county with no record may simply never have been surveyed for that plant, so read each card's map as where the plant is known to grow wild rather than as a boundary.
Grow natives easily with Ezina
How it works
We provide the tools you need to succeed.
010.1Identify
Add a plant
Snap a photo or type the name. Ezina matches it to a library of about 40,000 species and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.
010.2Care
Get a care plan
A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.
010.3Plan
Explore new options
Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.
Add a plant
Snap a photo or type the name. Ezina matches it to a library of about 40,000 species and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.
Get a care plan
A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.
Explore new options
Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.
Compiled from peer-reviewed research, USDA documentation,
and direct scientific observation across the United States.