Quick answer: 51 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Idaho, 33 with a live listing as of 24 Oct 2026.
51 species
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- Antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata · 12 states
- Arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata · 12 states
- Aspen fleabane Erigeron speciosus · 7 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata · 16 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis · 12 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Globe gilia Gilia capitata · 5 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii · 5 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Purple sage (desert sage) Salvia dorrii · 7 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus · 6 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea · 17 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus · 10 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Wasatch penstemon Penstemon cyananthus · 4 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in Idaho: what to know
51 of the 79 plants native to Idaho in this directory fit this need: 65% of the state's list, well above the 56% 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: 37 are also good for pollinators, 28 are also good for birds, 26 are also deer-resistant.
49 of them grow in full or partial sun and 9 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Arrowleaf balsamroot and Aspen fleabane to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and Bearberry. For wildlife, 37 support pollinators, 28 provide food or cover for birds and 12 are caterpillar host plants.
33 of the 51 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Common yarrow, Harebell: 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