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Native plants · Montana

Native plants of Sanders County

178 plant species are recorded as native to Montana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sanders County by USDA PLANTS. 127 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Sanders County, Montana

Native species
178 Typical Montana county: 161 (median of 56 counties)
Garden-ready natives
127 Typical Montana county: 104
Share by type (all 178 native species)
Percent of the 178 native species in each growth type
Tree 14% (25)
Shrub 19% (33)
Wildflower (forb) 60% (107)
Grass or grass-like 4% (8)
Vine 3% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by shrubs (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 6a to 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 127

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

Garden-ready native plants of Sanders County, Montana
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alderleaf buckthorn Rhamnus alnifolia Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alpine leafybract aster Symphyotrichum foliaceum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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 vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera Tree 80 ft Sun High Zone 1a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigflower agoseris Agoseris grandiflora Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Blue Mountain buckwheat Eriogonum strictum Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Cascara buckthorn Frangula purshiana Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
creeping barberry Mahonia repens Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
dwarf rose Rosa gymnocarpa Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Gardner's saltbush Atriplex gardneri Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
grand fir Abies grandis Tree 150 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green alder Alnus viridis Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
hollyleaved barberry Mahonia aquifolium Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Shrub 6 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Low Zone 5a
largeflower triteleia Triteleia grandiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta Tree 99 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
low pussytoes Antennaria dimorpha Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Lyall's beardtongue Penstemon lyallii Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
mallow ninebark Physocarpus malvaceus Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Mertens' sedge Carex mertensii Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
mountain hemlock Tsuga mertensiana Tree 125 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
nineleaf biscuitroot Lomatium triternatum Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
nodding microseris Microseris nutans Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern black currant Ribes hudsonianum Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor Shrub 12 ft Sun High Zone 8a
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
paper birch Betula papyrifera Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 1a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
pinkfairies Clarkia pulchella Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata Shrub 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
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
prickly rose Rosa acicularis Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
redstem ceanothus Ceanothus sanguineus Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rose spirea Spiraea douglasii Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Ross' sedge Carex rossii Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper Wildflower (forb) 2.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
roundleaf alumroot Heuchera cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
rush pussytoes Antennaria luzuloides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun 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
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
shiny chickweed Stellaria nitens Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12a
Siberian springbeauty Claytonia sibirica Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
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
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
small camas Camassia quamash Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
sticky currant Ribes viscosissimum Shrub 3.5 ft Sun — Zone 3b
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
streambank wild hollyhock Iliamna rivularis Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
tapertip hawksbeard Crepis acuminata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
thinleaf huckleberry Vaccinium membranaceum Shrub 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
thinleaved owl's-clover Orthocarpus tenuifolius Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 12b
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
umbrella starwort Stellaria umbellata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
water birch Betula occidentalis Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
western Labrador tea Ledum glandulosum Shrub 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
western larch Larix occidentalis Tree 200 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
western redcedar Thuja plicata Tree 150 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 white pine Pinus monticola Tree 200 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
whitebark raspberry Rubus leucodermis Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
Wilcox's penstemon Penstemon wilcoxii Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
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
yellow fritillary Fritillaria pudica Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
yellow penstemon Penstemon confertus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 51

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.

  • American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
  • Apocynum ×floribundum Apocynum ×floribundum
  • Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
  • liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
  • narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
  • narrowleaf hawkweed Hieracium umbellatum
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • roughfruit fairybells Prosartes trachycarpa
  • Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
  • western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • woodland pinedrops Pterospora andromedea
  • woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
Also listed as native and introduced here 5

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, Sanders County and Montana
MeasureSanders CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 178 161 1,086
Garden-ready natives 127 104 606
Tree 25 — 71
Shrub 33 — 98
Wildflower (forb) 107 — 609
Grass or grass-like 8 — 246
Vine 5 — 18
Fern 0 — 44

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Sanders 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
Sanders County (county FIPS 30089), Montana. 178 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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