Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Montana

Native plants of Sweet Grass County

159 plant species are recorded as native to Montana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sweet Grass County by USDA PLANTS. 106 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Sweet Grass County, Montana

Native species
159 Typical Montana county: 161 (median of 56 counties)
Garden-ready natives
106 Typical Montana county: 104
Share by type (all 159 native species)
Percent of the 159 native species in each growth type
Tree 6% (9)
Shrub 12% (19)
Wildflower (forb) 72% (115)
Grass or grass-like 9% (15)
Vine <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (72%), followed by shrubs (12%).

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 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 106

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

Garden-ready native plants of Sweet Grass County, Montana
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American alpine speedwell Veronica wormskjoldii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun 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
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
bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
bush penstemon Penstemon fruticosus Shrub 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Columbian sedge Carex aperta Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 5b
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 mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 2.8 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
cous biscuitroot Lomatium cous Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 4b
cutleaf daisy Erigeron compositus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Douglas aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 6b
Douglas' dustymaiden Chaenactis douglasii Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Drummond's rush Juncus drummondii Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
Engelmann's aster Eucephalus engelmannii Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Eschscholtz's buttercup Ranunculus eschscholtzii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade 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
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
giant mountain aster Canadanthus modestus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
gooseberry currant Ribes montigenum Shrub 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
high northern buttercup Ranunculus hyperboreus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
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
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 3a
limber pine Pinus flexilis Tree 66 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
longstalk clover Trifolium longipes Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
Lyall's angelica Angelica arguta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
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
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
oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low 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
Parry's rush Juncus parryi Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
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 milkvetch Astragalus agrestis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Raynolds' sedge Carex raynoldsii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade High 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
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa Shrub 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
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
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
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
smallwing sedge Carex microptera Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
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
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
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
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
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
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
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
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
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
woolly groundsel Packera cana Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 53

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.

  • alpine lewisia Lewisia pygmaea
  • American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • common starlily Leucocrinum montanum
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
  • giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
  • Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
  • Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
  • long-stolon sedge Carex inops
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • moss campion Silene acaulis
  • narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
  • Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
  • Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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, Sweet Grass County and Montana
MeasureSweet Grass CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 159 161 1,086
Garden-ready natives 106 104 606
Tree 9 — 71
Shrub 19 — 98
Wildflower (forb) 115 — 609
Grass or grass-like 15 — 246
Vine 1 — 18
Fern 0 — 44

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Sweet Grass 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
Sweet Grass County (county FIPS 30097), Montana. 159 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.