Native plants · Montana
Native plants of Carter County
214 plant species are recorded as native to Montana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Carter County by USDA PLANTS. 111 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Carter County, Montana
- Native species
- 214 Typical Montana county: 161 (median of 56 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 111 Typical Montana county: 104
- Share by type (all 214 native species)
-
Percent of the 214 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (63%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (14%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 111
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American speedwell Veronica americana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata | Tree | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| blanketflower Gaillardia aristata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blue grama Bouteloua gracilis | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| bluntseed sweetroot Osmorhiza depauperata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| broadbeard beardtongue Penstemon angustifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae | Shrub | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Colorado rush Juncus confusus | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum | Wildflower (forb) | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common juniper Juniperus communis | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| creeping barberry Mahonia repens | Shrub | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| dotted blazing star Liatris punctata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Douglas' sedge Carex douglasii | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| foothill arnica Arnica fulgens | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| fowl bluegrass Poa palustris | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Gardner's saltbush Atriplex gardneri | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green needlegrass Nassella viridula | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Shrub | 6 in | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Lewis flax Linum lewisii | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| nodding microseris Microseris nutans | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| northern bedstraw Galium boreale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| northern water-starwort Callitriche hermaphroditica | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| pale agoseris Agoseris glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa | Tree | 223 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| poverty rush Juncus tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| purple milkvetch Astragalus agrestis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| quaking aspen Populus tremuloides | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| russet buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 1a |
| sagebrush buttercup Ranunculus glaberrimus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| 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 |
| Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia | Tree | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 1a |
| scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| shadscale saltbush Atriplex confertifolia | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| silver sagebrush Artemisia cana | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| soapweed yucca Yucca glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spreading phlox Phlox diffusa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| textile onion Allium textile | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| wax currant Ribes cereum | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Woods' rose Rosa woodsii | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| woolly groundsel Packera cana | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| woolly plantain Plantago patagonica | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
| woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii | Wildflower (forb) | 7 in | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 103
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
- annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
- ballhead ipomopsis Ipomopsis congesta
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bigleaf lupine Lupinus polyphyllus
- brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
- brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
- Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
- Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common starlily Leucocrinum montanum
- cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- fleshy hawthorn Crataegus succulenta
- Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
- foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
- Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
- lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
- large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
- Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
- lesser spikemoss Selaginella densa
- lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
- long-stolon sedge Carex inops
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
- northern water plantain Alisma triviale
- Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- plains springparsley Cymopterus acaulis
- poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
- povertyweed Iva axillaris
- prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
- prairie plantain Plantago elongata
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
- Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
- rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
- rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
- shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
- silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
- slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
- spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
- spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
- spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
- Texas bergia Bergia texana
- tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
- tower rockcress Arabis glabra
- veiny dock Rumex venosus
- veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
- velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- water mudwort Limosella aquatica
- water whorlgrass Catabrosa aquatica
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
- whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
- woodland draba Draba nemorosa
- yellow avens Geum aleppicum
Also listed as native and introduced here 4
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.
- biennial wormwoodArtemisia biennis
- common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
- white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana
Compared with Montana
The typical county is the median of the 56 Montana 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.
| Measure | Carter County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 214 | 161 | 1,086 |
| Garden-ready natives | 111 | 104 | 606 |
| Tree | 19 | — | 71 |
| Shrub | 23 | — | 98 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 134 | — | 609 |
| Grass or grass-like | 29 | — | 246 |
| Vine | 5 | — | 18 |
| Fern | 4 | — | 44 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Carter County.
- Custer County, MT 107 garden-ready
- Fallon County, MT 80 garden-ready
- Powder River County, MT 115 garden-ready
- Butte County, SD 64 garden-ready
- Harding County, SD 161 garden-ready
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
- Carter County (county FIPS 30011), Montana. 214 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