Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Utah · Zones 4–8
Native Plants for Full Sun in Utah
Sun-loving native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs for the hot, bright, open parts of the yard that bake all afternoon. Every species here is genuinely native to Utah and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 4–8 — proven performers for Utah's arid, cold winters, high sun climate across Wasatch Range & Colorado Plateau, not a generic list. Local standouts include Pasque Flower and Rocky Mountain Penstemon. A spot with six or more hours of direct sun is prime real estate for the prairie and meadow natives that evolved in the open — most want exactly that much light to bloom hard and stand up straight. Give them lean, well-drained soil rather than rich and pampered, skip the fertilizer, and they will reward the tough love with more flowers and sturdier stems.
The plants
25 native species for Utah
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–8 · see this collection in other states.
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Jul, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Aug, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Aug, 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Made for open ground — blooms Mar through Oct, 12–18 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Give it full sun and it blooms Jul through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Oct, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Oct
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Made for open ground — flowers in Apr and May, 6–16 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Sep, 15–25 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Sep, 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
A sun-lover that blooms Mar through May, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Made for open ground — blooms May through Oct, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Made for open ground — blooms Apr through Sep, 3–6 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Sep, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Give it full sun and it blooms Apr through Oct, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 2–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Aug, 8–20 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Made for open ground — flowers in Jun and Jul, 1–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A sun-lover that flowers in Apr and May, standing 4–8 in tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A sun-lover that flowers in May and Jun, standing 6–9 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 3–6 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
1 more also qualify: Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Utah
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.