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Saponaria ocymoides
  • Common name: Rock Soapwort
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 8" x 12-18"
  • Native to: Europe

Rock Soapwort is a vigorous, mounding plant, covered with small pink flowers in the spring. Beautiful for edging a sunny border or spilling over rock walls or the edges of large planters. To maintain a compact habit, prune plants back hard immediately after blooming. Firewise.

Saponaria x lempbergii
  • Common name: Giant Soapwort
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 5" and sprawling
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Late blooming, vigorous groundcover with large light purple flowers. Large-scale groundcover. Firewise.

Schizachyrium scoparium
  • Common name: Little Bluestem
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2-3 ft. x 1-2 ft.
  • Native to: Idaho

Little Bluestem is a fine-textured, blue-gray warm season bunch grass turning spectacular shades of orange, red and purple in autumn. Dramatic garden accent for four seasons.

Water needs:
Scutellaria resinosa
  • Common name: Prairie Skullcap
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 8 in. x 12 in.
  • Native to: West Central US

Prairie Skullcap has neat mounds with tight, upright stems. Stunning deep lavender-blue flowers dotted with white, May through July.

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Sedum ‘Dragon’s Blood’
  • Common name: Dragon's Blood Sedum
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 2 in. x 18 in.
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Dragon’s Blood Sedum is a deep red creeping groundcover contrasts nicely with green neighbors. Tough and tolerant of some shade. Firewise.

Water needs:
Sedum grisebachii
  • Common name: Grisebach's Sedum
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2" and spreading
  • Native to: Mediterranean

This unusual sedum, with tiny leaves packed on short stems, has a bristly appearance and contrasts nicely with other sedums. Great for rock gardens, edging, pathways. Evergreen. Firewise.

Sedum middendorffianum
  • Common name: Chinese Mountain Stonecrop
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 4 in. and spreading
  • Native to: Asia

Chinese Mountain Stonecrop is an attractive and unique stonecrop and features handsome, evergreen foliage topped by two-tone yellow and orange flowers. Exceptional! Firewise.

Water needs:
Sedum sp.
  • Common name: Green Mound Sedum
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun or Part Shade
  • Height x Width: 8" x 8"
  • Native to: Mediterranean

This compact mounding sedum is very useful in the landscape for small border areas and evergreen structure. Grown for foliage rather than flowers. Firewise.

Water needs: • Bloom period:  
Sedum sp.
  • Common name: Sedum "Large Pink"
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 18" x 18"
  • Native to: Mediterranean

This large, mounding sedum blooms pink in the fall. Earlier in the summer, its handsome mound of succulent leaves is a great addition to any xeriscape. Firewise.

Water needs: • Bloom period:  
Sedum sp.
  • Common name: Pink Edge Sedum
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun/part shade
  • Height x Width: 2" and spreading
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Beautifully sculpted leaves, green with pink edges. Evergreen.

Shepherdia argentea
  • Common name: Silver Buffaloberry
  • Zone: 2
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 6 ft. x 6 ft.
  • Native to: Idaho

Silver Buffaloberry is an attractive mid-size shrub with grey-green foliage, similar to Russian Olive.  It tolerates a wide range of conditions from wet and heavy to dry soils, but to keep growth under control, give very little water. Pollinators: butterflies, bees. Firewise.

Sidalcea neomexicana
  • Common name: New Mexico Checkermallow
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2’ x 1’
  • Native to: Western US, including Idaho

This native Checkermallow is a charming wildflower sporting dozens of small hollyhock-like blooms. Found in the wild in moist meadows, but it does well in moderately irrigated gardens. Supports native pollinators.

Sisyrinchium montanum
  • Common name: Blue-eyed Grass
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun/Part shade
  • Height x Width: 6" x 10"
  • Native to: Idaho

This cheerful little native wildflower produces dainty blue/purple flowers on grassy foliage. It prefers rich, moist soil in spring but tolerates summer dryness. Will gradually spread, creating a little ‘meadow’.

Solidago canadensis
  • Common name: Canada Goldenrod
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun/part shade
  • Height x Width: 2' x 2'
  • Native to: Idaho

This widespread native is an excellent pollinator plant, as well as being extremely drought tolerant once established. Its only drawback is that it spreads by root and can be quite aggressive in a well-watered garden.

Sorghastrum nutans
  • Common name: Indian Grass
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 5 ft. x 1-3 ft.
  • Native to: Western, Central U.S.

Indian Grass is an elegant native warm-season bunchgrass, turning yellow-bronze in fall, great winter accent. Yellow seed heads with whitish hairs shimmer silver and gold in late summer. Tolerates a wide variety of soil types.

Water needs:
Sphaeralcea coccinea
  • Common name: Scarlet Globemallow
  • Zone: 4-5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 6-8" and spreading
  • Native to: Intermountain West, including Idaho

This low-growing Globemallow travels by root and colonizes very dry areas with poor soil. Tolerates clay. Flower color can vary from orange to red. More information here.

Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia
  • Common name: Gooseberry Globemallow
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2-3 ft. x 2-3 ft.
  • Native to: Idaho

Gooseberry Globemallow’s red-orange flowers bloom in spring & summer. Attracts all kinds of native pollinators.

Sphaeralcea munroana
  • Common name: Munro's globemallow
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 1-2 ft. x 1-2 ft.
  • Native to: Idaho

Munro’s globemallow has dark maroon stems with dark-green, cut, lobed leaves and many heads of clear orange flowers.

Symphoricarpos albus
  • Common name: Snowberry
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 4-6 ft. x 4-6 ft.
  • Native to: Idaho

Snowberry’s pink to white flowers in early summer give way to white berries that last all through the winter. Attracts hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators. Firewise.

Tanacetum densum
  • Common name: Partridge Feather
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 6 in. & spreading
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Partridge Feather is a low-growing, no-care tough, grey-green groundcover with lovely feather-shaped leaves. Good for sun or part shade, little water. Evergreen.

Teucrium prostratum
  • Common name: Creeping Germander
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 3 in. x 24 in.
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Creeping Germander has dark evergreen leaves on small woody plant; makes excellent ground cover for sun or part-shade. Tiny lavender flowers mid-summer. Evergreen.

Water needs:
Thymus cv. “Lemon Frost”
  • Common name: Lemon Frost Thyme
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 2 in. x 18 in. (or more)
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Lemon Frost Thyme really lives up to its name. A rapid grower with wonderful lemon scent, it is perfect for covering large segments of ground. White bloom looks like frosting. Very evergreen.

Water needs:
Thymus cv. “Reiter’s”
  • Common name: Reiter's Thyme
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 3 in. x 18 in. (or more)
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Reiter’s Thyme has tight leaves spread quickly to conceal the ground and display brilliant dark pink spring flowers. Fast-growing, continually spreading easy ground cover. Attracts honey bees.

Water needs:
Thymus praecox arcticus cv. “Elfin”
  • Common name: Elfin Thyme
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 1 in. x 6 in.
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Elfin Thyme is a slowly spreading dwarf thyme, perfect for the rock garden. Small leaves tightly blanket the ground. Pink flowers in spring.

Water needs:
Thymus praecox arcticus cv. “Pink Chintz”
  • Common name: Pink Chintz Thyme
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 1 in. and spreading
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Pink Chintz Thyme is a tight, fairly slow-growing groundcover. Pink flowers nestle with the foliage and do not need dead-heading

Water needs:
Thymus praecox arcticus cv. “Woolly”
  • Common name: Woolly Thyme
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun / part shade
  • Height x Width: 2 in. x 18 in. (or more)
  • Native to: Mediterranean

Woolly Thyme is a mostly non-flowering vigorous ground cover, suitable for thyme lawns. Grey-greens leaves acquire purple hues in winter. Easy and gorgeous!

Water needs:
Veronica incana
  • Common name: Silver Speedwell
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 10 in. x 15 in.
  • Native to: Eurasia

Silver Speedwell has deep purple/blue flowers in early summer on 10” flower spikes over attractive gray-green foliage. The evergreen foliage serves as a small-scale groundcover.

Veronica pectinata
  • Common name: Wooly Veronica
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2 in. and spreading
  • Native to: Eurasia

Wooly Veronica is a vigorous xeric ground-cover. Woolly evergreen foliage creates a handsome, dense gray-green carpet, covered in early spring with blue bell-like flowers. Does best in part shade, works well crawling under shrubs.

Yucca angustissima
  • Common name: Narrowleaf Yucca
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 2' x 2'
  • Native to: SW US

Slow-growing, evergreen. Great foundation plant for the xeric garden. Needs no water once established. Do not confuse with the locally common Yucca filamentosa. Firewise and evergreen.

Yucca glauca
  • Common name: Soapweed Yucca
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 3' x 2'
  • Native to: West central U.S.

This handsome yucca has narrow, evergreen, spiky leaves and sends up a tall stalk of fragrant white flowers in late summer. Likes full sun and well-drained, sandy loam. Firewise and evergreen. More information here.

Yucca harrimaniae
  • Common name: Harriman's Yucca
  • Zone: 5
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 1-2' x 1-2'
  • Native to: SW US

Short, chubby Yucca. Great foundation plant for the xeric garden. Needs no water once established. Evergreen. Do not confuse with the locally common  Yucca filamentosa. Firewise.

Yucca toftiae
  • Common name: Toft's Yucca
  • Zone: 3
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 18" x 15"
  • Native to: Utah

Clumps of thin, stiff, leathery white-margined leaves eventually produce flower stalks with creamy white bells. Evergreen. Firewise.

Zinnia grandiflora
  • Common name: Rocky Mountain Zinnia
  • Zone: 4
  • Exposure: Sun
  • Height x Width: 4” x 12”
  • Native to: AZ, NM. CO

This native Southwest wildflower thrives in very rugged terrain. Preferring hot sunny spots with well-drained soil, the plant will delight you with its bright yellow or golden yellow flowers from late summer until fall. Great for edging, in rock gardens and containers. More info here.