Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wyoming · Zones 3–5
Native Pollinator Plants in Wyoming
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. 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 Anise Hyssop and Aromatic Aster. A garden that feeds pollinators all season needs something in bloom from the first warm days of spring through the last of fall. Aim for at least three species flowering at any given time, plant in generous drifts of one kind rather than singletons so foragers can work efficiently, and leave seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter to shelter the next generation.
The plants
48 native species for Wyoming
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees while it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, native bees, and seed-eating birds as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
24 more also qualify: Butterfly Weed, Prairie Smoke, Wild Columbine, Dense Blazing Star, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Golden Alexanders, Cup Plant, Buttonbush, Foxglove Beardtongue, Oregon Grape, Compass Plant, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Bearberry, Rattlesnake Master, Blue Vervain, Stiff Goldenrod, New Jersey Tea, American Elderberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Common Boneset, Ninebark, Showy Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac.
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.