Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–3 ft wide and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Wyoming · Zones 3–5
Easy Native Plants in Wyoming
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. Every species here is genuinely native to Wyoming and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–5 — proven performers for Wyoming's cold, semi-arid, high elevation climate across Rocky Mountain montane & sagebrush steppe, not a generic list. Local standouts include Aromatic Aster and Black-Eyed Susan. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
27 native species for Wyoming
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Plant it and forget it: happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and 12–18 in wide, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A beginner's native — rose-magenta flowers and reaching 20–30 ft, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: white spring lace flowers and spreading 10–20 ft — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant it and forget it: pink flowers and reaching 2–4 ft, no fuss, and it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 2–3 ft wide and rose pink flowers, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 2–4 ft and 1.5–2 ft wide, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 1.5–2 ft and good through zone 9, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
About as hard to kill as a native gets — royal purple flowers and spreading 2–3 ft, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A beginner's native — for sand, rocky, and loam ground and 12–18 in wide, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Plant it and forget it: for rocky and loam ground and 1–2.5 ft tall, no fuss, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
About as hard to kill as a native gets — happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and forgives neglect; it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
A beginner's native — cold-hardy to zone 3 and happy in clay and loam soil, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A beginner's native — cold-hardy to zone 3 and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in clay and loam soil and hardy in zones 3–7, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Plant it and forget it: reaching 8–20 in and good through zone 10, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
A beginner's native — 3–5 ft tall and for sand, clay, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 1.5–2.5 ft wide and violet-blue flowers; it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A beginner's native — spreading 10–20 ft and inconspicuous green flowers, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 1.5–2.5 ft and 3–5 ft tall, flowering as it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Plant it and forget it: 12–18 in wide and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A beginner's native — reaching 6–12 ft and creamy umbels flowers, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–3 ft wide and for clay and loam ground, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 5–10 ft and white to pink flowers, and forgives neglect — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
3 more also qualify: Showy Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Wyoming
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.