Quick answer: 19 native Montana plants have a recorded bloom range that includes October.
19 species
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · 40 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Dotted blazing star Liatris punctata · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 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
October in a Montana native garden
October is a quieter month in Montana: 19 of the state's 78 native plants flower in October, compared with 56 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
13 finish in October, including Big sagebrush, Black-eyed Susan and Blue grama, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
18 of them grow in full or partial sun and 3 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. 7 stay under about 3 feet, including Black-eyed Susan and Buffalograss, which suits borders and small yards. For wildlife, 18 support pollinators, 14 provide food or cover for birds and 10 are caterpillar host plants.
16 of the 19 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Indiangrass, Shrubby cinquefoil: 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
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Aug-Nov