Quick answer: 18 native Idaho plants have a recorded bloom range that includes October.
18 species
- Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus · 7 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · 40 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Wyoming Indian paintbrush Castilleja linariifolia · 9 states
October in an Idaho native garden
October is a quieter month in Idaho: 18 of the state's 79 native plants flower in October, compared with 59 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
14 finish in October, including Aspen fleabane, Big sagebrush and Black-eyed Susan, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
16 of them grow in full or partial sun and 3 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. 6 stay under about 3 feet, including Aspen fleabane and Black-eyed Susan, which suits borders and small yards. For wildlife, 15 support pollinators, 11 provide food or cover for birds and 7 are caterpillar host plants.
12 of the 18 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Shrubby cinquefoil, Switchgrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · Sun · blooms Jul-Oct