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Native plants · Idaho

Native plants of Jefferson County

105 plant species are recorded as native to Idaho in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Jefferson County by USDA PLANTS. 78 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Jefferson County, Idaho

Native species
105 Typical Idaho county: 302 (median of 44 counties)
Garden-ready natives
78 Typical Idaho county: 211
Share by type (all 105 native species)
Percent of the 105 native species in each growth type
Tree 10% (11)
Shrub 15% (16)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (55)
Grass or grass-like 19% (20)
Vine 2% (2)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 4b to 5b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 78

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Jefferson County, Idaho
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
basalt milkvetch Astragalus filipes Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
black sagebrush Artemisia nova Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
bud sagebrush Picrothamnus desertorum Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
bushy bird's beak Cordylanthus ramosus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
foothill deathcamas Zigadenus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Geyer willow Salix geyeriana Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Great Basin calicoflower Downingia laeta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun High Zone 12b
green alder Alnus viridis Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
Hooker's balsamroot Balsamorhiza hookeri Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
longbeak buttercup Ranunculus longirostris Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun High Zone 4b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii Wildflower (forb) 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
sea milkwort Glaux maritima Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun High Zone 4a
shortspine horsebrush Tetradymia spinosa Shrub 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sickle saltbush Atriplex falcata Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
silky lupine Lupinus sericeus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
silverberry Elaeagnus commutata Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
spiny hopsage Grayia spinosa Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
swordleaf rush Juncus ensifolius Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
textile onion Allium textile Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
thickspike wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
threadleaf fleabane Erigeron filifolius Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 6a
Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma Tree 26 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Utah sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
western juniper Juniperus occidentalis Tree 33 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
yellow spiderflower Cleome lutea Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Low Zone 12a
yellow wildrye Leymus flavescens Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
yellow willow Salix lutea Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a

Other native species recorded here 27

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

  • ballhead ipomopsis Ipomopsis congesta
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • Fries' pondweed Potamogeton friesii
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • nodding buckwheat Eriogonum cernuum
  • painted milkvetch Astragalus ceramicus
  • pullup muhly Muhlenbergia filiformis
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
  • sanddune cryptantha Cryptantha fendleri
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • shortray fleabane Erigeron lonchophyllus
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • water mudwort Limosella aquatica
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

Compared with Idaho

The typical county is the median of the 44 Idaho counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Jefferson County and Idaho
MeasureJefferson CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 105 302 975
Garden-ready natives 78 211 591
Tree 11 — 65
Shrub 16 — 97
Wildflower (forb) 55 — 552
Grass or grass-like 20 — 206
Vine 2 — 14
Fern 1 — 41

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Jefferson County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope
Jefferson County (county FIPS 16051), Idaho. 105 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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