Quick answer: 9 native Washington plants have a recorded bloom range that includes October.
9 species
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- California bay laurel Umbellularia californica · 3 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense · 3 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
October in a Washington native garden
October is a quieter month in Washington: 9 of the state's 78 native plants flower in October, compared with 58 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
7 finish in October, including Big sagebrush, Common sunflower and Pacific aster, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
7 of them grow in full or partial sun and 2 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Pacific aster and Pearly everlasting to trees such as California bay laurel. For wildlife, 7 support pollinators, 3 provide food or cover for birds and 1 are caterpillar host plants.
3 of the 9 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Shrubby cinquefoil: common listings for it 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.
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · Sun · blooms Aug-Oct