Quick answer: 60 native plants for pollinators are native to Montana, 46 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
60 species
- American plum Prunus americana · 37 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
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale · 40 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Dotted blazing star Liatris punctata · 17 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 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
- Littleflower penstemon Penstemon procerus · 11 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Mule's ears Wyethia amplexicaulis · 8 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Plains coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria · 16 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red baneberry Actaea rubra · 29 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia · 14 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 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
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Wasatch penstemon Penstemon cyananthus · 4 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
Native plants for pollinators in Montana: what to know
60 of the 78 plants native to Montana in this directory fit this need: 77% of the state's list, above the 72% 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 drought-tolerant, 38 are also good for birds, 30 are also deer-resistant.
56 of them grow in full or partial sun and 17 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 American plum and Bearberry. For wildlife, 60 support pollinators, 38 provide food or cover for birds and 23 are caterpillar host plants.
46 of the 60 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