Quick answer: 31 native Washington plants have a recorded bloom range that includes August.
31 species
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Bunchberry Cornus canadensis · 18 states
- California bay laurel Umbellularia californica · 3 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Farewell-to-spring Clarkia amoena · 4 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata · 14 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Littleflower penstemon Penstemon procerus · 11 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense · 3 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 monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Western azalea Rhododendron occidentale · 3 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
August in a Washington native garden
August is a quieter month in Washington: 31 of the state's 78 native plants flower in August, compared with 58 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
3 start blooming in August, including Big sagebrush, Rubber rabbitbrush and Scarlet gilia. 9 finish in August, including Bog Labrador tea, Farewell-to-spring and Lewis flax (blue flax), so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
27 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Giant red paintbrush and Lewis flax (blue flax) to trees such as California bay laurel and Smooth sumac. For wildlife, 26 support pollinators, 10 provide food or cover for birds and 5 are caterpillar host plants.
15 of the 31 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Harebell, 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.
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · Sun · blooms Jun-Sep