Quick answer: 42 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Washington, 23 with a live listing as of 24 Oct 2026.
42 species
- Antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata · 12 states
- Arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata · 12 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata · 14 states
- Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata · 16 states
- California poppy Eschscholzia californica · 6 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
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Deerbrush Ceanothus integerrimus · 5 states
- Globe gilia Gilia capitata · 5 states
- Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula · 9 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
- Miniature lupine Lupinus bicolor · 4 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 9 states
- Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis · 6 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Oregon white oak Quercus garryana · 3 states
- Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense · 3 states
- Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii · 3 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
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus · 10 states
- Sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum · 10 states
- Tall Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium · 3 states
- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa · 15 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in Washington: what to know
42 of the 78 plants native to Washington in this directory fit this need: 54% of the state's list, close to the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through October, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 30 are also good for pollinators, 17 are also good for birds, 17 are also deer-resistant.
39 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Arrowleaf balsamroot and Bluebunch wheatgrass to trees such as Bearberry and Chokecherry. For wildlife, 30 support pollinators, 17 provide food or cover for birds and 6 are caterpillar host plants.
23 of the 42 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Harebell: common listings for it 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
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun