Native plants · Montana

Native plants of Wibaux County

152 plant species are recorded as native to Montana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wibaux County by USDA PLANTS. 82 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

Wibaux County, Montana

Native species: 152 Typical Montana county: 161 (median of 56 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 82 Typical Montana county: 104
Share by type (all 152 native species): Percent of the 152 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (14)
Shrub 12% (18)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (94)
Grass or grass-like 14% (21)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (14%).

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 zone 4a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 82

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wibaux County, Montana
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American black currant Ribes americanum	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 2b
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 vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cous biscuitroot Lomatium cous	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
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
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	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
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	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
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
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	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
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
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 yellowcress Rorippa sinuata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
tenpetal blazingstar Mentzelia decapetala	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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 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
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
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
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
yellow willow Salix lutea	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a

Other native species recorded here 70

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
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
Carolina draba Draba reptans
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common starlily Leucocrinum montanum
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
lesser spikemoss Selaginella densa
lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
prairie goldenrod Oligoneuron album
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
woolly sedge Carex pellita

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.

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.

Native species counts, Wibaux County and Montana
Measure	Wibaux County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	152	161	1,086
Garden-ready natives	82	104	606
Tree	14	—	71
Shrub	18	—	98
Wildflower (forb)	94	—	609
Grass or grass-like	21	—	246
Vine	3	—	18
Fern	2	—	44

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wibaux County.

Dawson County, MT 100 garden-ready
Fallon County, MT 80 garden-ready
Golden Valley County, ND 159 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: Wibaux County (county FIPS 30109), 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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