Quick answer: 8 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to Montana, 7 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
8 species
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in Montana: what to know
8 of the 78 plants native to Montana in this directory fit this need: 10% of the state's list, below the 15% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through October, with the most in bloom in April. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 8 are also good for birds, 6 are also good for pollinators, 5 are also shade-tolerant.
7 of them grow in full or partial sun and 5 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Seep monkeyflower to trees such as Eastern cottonwood and Gray alder. For wildlife, 6 support pollinators, 8 provide food or cover for birds and 5 are caterpillar host plants.
7 of the 8 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun