Quick answer: 22 native Washington plants have a recorded bloom range that includes September.
22 species
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 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
- 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
- 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
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
September in a Washington native garden
September is a quieter month in Washington: 22 of the state's 78 native plants flower in September, compared with 58 at the June peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
13 finish in September, including Bunchberry, California poppy and Common gaillardia (blanketflower), so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
20 of them grow in full or partial sun and 4 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Giant red paintbrush and Narrowleaf milkweed to trees such as California bay laurel. For wildlife, 18 support pollinators, 9 provide food or cover for birds and 3 are caterpillar host plants.
10 of the 22 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.
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · Sun · blooms Jun-Sep
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · Sun, Part Shade · blooms May-Sep