Quick answer: 50 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Montana, 36 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
50 species
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- Antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata · 12 states
- Arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata · 12 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 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
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 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
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii · 5 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 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
Drought-tolerant native plants in Montana: what to know
50 of the 78 plants native to Montana in this directory fit this need: 64% of the state's list, well above the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 39 are also good for pollinators, 27 are also good for birds, 26 are also deer-resistant.
48 of them grow in full or partial sun and 12 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Arrowleaf balsamroot and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and Bearberry. For wildlife, 39 support pollinators, 27 provide food or cover for birds and 17 are caterpillar host plants.
36 of the 50 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