Quick answer: 46 native plants for birds are native to Idaho, 32 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
46 species
- American plum Prunus americana · 37 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Crevice alumroot Heuchera micrantha · 4 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
- Globe gilia Gilia capitata · 5 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Purple sage (desert sage) Salvia dorrii · 7 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-flowering currant Ribes sanguineum · 4 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus · 6 states
- Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia · 14 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Wasatch penstemon Penstemon cyananthus · 4 states
Native plants for birds in Idaho: what to know
46 of the 79 plants native to Idaho in this directory fit this need: 58% of the state's list, above the 52% share across all species.
Between them they flower from March through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 38 are also good for pollinators, 28 are also drought-tolerant, 22 are also deer-resistant.
41 of them grow in full or partial sun and 15 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Black-eyed Susan and California fuchsia to trees such as American plum and Bearberry. For wildlife, 38 support pollinators, 46 provide food or cover for birds and 16 are caterpillar host plants.
32 of the 46 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Harebell, Switchgrass: 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.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun