Quick answer: 40 native Utah plants have a recorded bloom range that includes September.
40 species
- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa · 8 states
- Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus · 7 states
- 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
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora · 7 states
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · 40 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Creosote bush Larrea tridentata · 6 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata · 14 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Scarlet monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
- Wyoming Indian paintbrush Castilleja linariifolia · 9 states
September in an Utah native garden
September is a quieter month in Utah: 40 of the state's 104 native plants flower in September, compared with 79 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
15 finish in September, including Butterflyweed, Colorado four o'clock and Common yarrow, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
36 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. 16 stay under about 3 feet, including Aspen fleabane and Black-eyed Susan, which suits borders and small yards. For wildlife, 34 support pollinators, 24 provide food or cover for birds and 13 are caterpillar host plants.
24 of the 40 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Apache plume, Black-eyed Susan, Common yarrow: 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