Quick answer: 59 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Wyoming, 43 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
59 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 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
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- California fuchsia Epilobium canum · 8 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common gaillardia (blanketflower) Gaillardia aristata · 11 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 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
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Garrett's firechalice Zauschneria garrettii · 4 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis · 12 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana · 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
- Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus · 5 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
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in Wyoming: what to know
59 of the 87 plants native to Wyoming in this directory fit this need: 68% 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: 45 are also good for pollinators, 33 are also good for birds, 29 are also deer-resistant.
54 of them grow in full or partial sun and 16 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, 45 support pollinators, 33 provide food or cover for birds and 21 are caterpillar host plants.
43 of the 59 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