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Native plants · Montana

Native plants of Chouteau County

152 plant species are recorded as native to Montana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Chouteau County by USDA PLANTS. 92 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Chouteau County, Montana

Native species
152 Typical Montana county: 161 (median of 56 counties)
Garden-ready natives
92 Typical Montana county: 104
Share by type (all 152 native species)
Percent of the 152 native species in each growth type
Tree 11% (17)
Shrub 11% (16)
Wildflower (forb) 70% (106)
Grass or grass-like 6% (9)
Vine 3% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (70%), followed by trees (11%).

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 4a to 4b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 92

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

Garden-ready native plants of Chouteau County, Montana
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High 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
arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera Tree 80 ft Sun High Zone 1a
beaked sedge Carex rostrata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 4b
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis Shrub 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
cous biscuitroot Lomatium cous Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 4b
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Drummond's mountain-avens Dryas drummondii Shrub 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
Eschscholtz's buttercup Ranunculus eschscholtzii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
gooseberry currant Ribes montigenum Shrub 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
grouse whortleberry Vaccinium scoparium Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
limber pine Pinus flexilis Tree 66 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta Tree 99 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Lyall's angelica Angelica arguta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
MacKenzie's willow Salix prolixa Tree 45 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Nebraska sedge Carex nebrascensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
nineleaf biscuitroot Lomatium triternatum Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata Shrub 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
prickly currant Ribes lacustre Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Raynolds' sedge Carex raynoldsii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago multiradiata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Ross' avens Geum rossii Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 10a
Ross' sedge Carex rossii Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
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
showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
silky lupine Lupinus sericeus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silver sagebrush Artemisia cana Shrub 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
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
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
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
western stoneseed Lithospermum ruderale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun High Zone 4b
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
woolly groundsel Packera cana Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Sun Low Zone 4a
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 60

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.

  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bitter fleabane Erigeron acris
  • bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
  • Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
  • carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
  • Carolina draba Draba reptans
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
  • desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
  • elkweed Frasera speciosa
  • erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • long-stolon sedge Carex inops
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
  • narrowleaf minerslettuce Montia linearis
  • needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
  • plains springparsley Cymopterus acaulis
  • pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
  • spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
  • velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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 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.

Native species counts, Chouteau County and Montana
MeasureChouteau CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 152 161 1,086
Garden-ready natives 92 104 606
Tree 17 — 71
Shrub 16 — 98
Wildflower (forb) 106 — 609
Grass or grass-like 9 — 246
Vine 4 — 18
Fern 0 — 44

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Chouteau 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
Chouteau County (county FIPS 30015), Montana. 152 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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