The Rocky Mountain Maple is a deciduous shrub, small dwarf tree or clump. Very ornamental; dark red twigs, fruit tinged red, yellow fall color. Drought and partial shade tolerance. Firewise.
A lovely slow-growing, multi-stemmed maple native to the Intermountain West, including SE Idaho. Related to the Eastern Sugar Maple, Big Tooth has beautiful fall color. Tolerant of shade and many different soil types. More information here.
True to its name, Nodding Onion produces lovely drooping clusters of pale white or purple flowers in mid-summer. Supports butterflies and native bees. Deer resistant. Foliage is evergreen. Firewise.
Lilac balls of color over charming, swirling clumps of gray-green leaves. Deer resistant.
Rocky Mountain Columbine: Glorious light to deep blue and white flowers. An excellent border perennial, grand for cutting, in bloom for several weeks and will grow in sun or light shade. Pollinators: bumblebees, hawk moths. Tolerates clay. Firewise. More info here.
An all-white variation on our native Rocky Mtn. columbine. Lovely in shadier areas.
Lovely red and yellow bell-like flowers hang like tiny lanterns. Attracts hummingbirds and long-tongued insects. Best in part shade. Firewise. More information here.
Golden-spurred Columbine, a native of the canyons of the Southwest produces fragrant cheerful yellow flowers with long outward-curving spurs In late spring. The fragrant blooms rise on slender stems above beautiful blue-green, fernlike foliage. Tolerates clay. Firewise. More information here.
Showy Milkweed was once common, but modern agricultural techniques have largely eradicated this crucial pollinator plant. Milkweed provides larval food for the dwindling Monarch butterfly. It is tall and beautiful, but spreads through the garden by root–so choose the planting site with care!
False Aster is a vigorous perennial that comes back from its roots every year to produce a cloud of white blossoms in late fall. Hundreds of white, aster-like flowers provide late season food for bees. Does not spread readily by seed.
Harebells is a lovely little wildflower is a native to most of the U.S., including Idaho. Its nodding blue flowers are held on wiry stems above attractive basal foliage. Great for borders, rock gardens. Pollinators: native bees. Firewise.
Northern Sea Oats’ upright bamboo-like foliage produces unique drooping, flat panicles or seed-heads. The foliage turns a beautiful bronze in the fall and remains highly ornamental throughout winter. Seed heads are great for dried bouquets.
The stems of Red Twig Dogwood (Red Osier Dogwood) turn brilliant red in the fall and are gorgeous all winter. Turning back to green in the spring, the shrub leafs out and then produces clumps of small white blossoms that are popular with pollinators. Tolerates a range of conditions. Can be pruned for shape. Nectar and pollen source for native bees and butterflies. More information here.
This tap-rooted perennial is found in open, dry prairies of the Midwest, and is prized for its medicinal value. It is also highly ornamental, with lovely purple coneflowers floating above narrow-leaved stalks. Good nectar plant for butterflies and bees.
Thin purple petals of this Conflower drape delicately from a bold brown center. It is lovely in a bouquet and also great for naturalizing en masse in the garden. Its deep taproot allows it to thrive in dry soils. Nectar plant for Monarch and other butterflies. Tolerates clay. Pollinators: bees, butterflies.
This is the only Coneflower with yellow rather than purple flowers. Its drooping yellow petals surround large, coppery-brown cones. Nectar plant for Monarch and other butterflies. Tolerates clay.
Grassy Bells, an ideal rock garden plant with small tufts of grassy leaves covered in bell-like flowers. The blossoms are violet-blue, on short, outspreading stems. Perfect for edging or containers.
This is a miniature European version of our beautiful native Fireweed. We have been reluctant to offer Fireweed itself as it can be very invasive. Alpine Willowherb is much smaller and promises to be better behaved in the garden. Supports honeybees.
This short, squat Sea Holly produces intense blue thistle-like flowers in mid-summer.
Sticky Purple Geranium makes a lovely addition to informal meadow-like landscapes. Native to higher elevations in Idaho and across the mountain west, it thrives in moist to dry settings. Blooming in mid-spring, it attracts a variety of native pollinators and honeybees. Firewise.
Prairie Smoke has early summer blooms, followed by distinctive feathery pink seed heads. Appreciates moderate water and does best in part shade, except at higher elevations, where it thrives in full sun. Pollinators: native bees. Firewise. More info here.
Utah Sweetvetch is a low, sprawling plant with beautiful pea-like blossoms. Winds in and around larger plants. Supports native pollinators and fixes Nitrogen in the soil.
Large yellow daisies pop out on this mountain meadow plant in early summer.
This vigorous native perennial grows as large as a shrub then dies back to the ground each winter. Its atrractive maple-like leaves are accented with many beautiful hollyhock-like pink flowers. More information here.
Tall spikes of pink flowers late summer. Nice cut flower. Nectar for butterflies. Firewise.
Dense Blazing Star: With showy spikes of pink flowers over grass-like foliage, Dense Blazing Star will add stunning variety, texture & beauty to your border or meadow. Excellent cut flower. Nectar plant for butterflies. Firewise.
Bradbury’s Beebalm is shorter and earlier blooming than the more common Monarda fistulosa. This more compact beebalm will work well as an edging plant or at the front of a bed. Tolerates poor soil and dry conditions. Can spread gradually by root.
Beebalm or Wild Bergamot is a widespread native wildflower with clusters of tufted lavender flower, an important food source for native bees and butterflies. A long-lived, clump-forming perennial, it is attractive at the back of a border or in a meadow-like setting. Firewise. More information here.
Stunning pink Seedheads on SE native grass. Needs good drainage.
Ruby Muhly erupts in a cloud of reddish seedheads in the fall. Stunning!
A substantial penstemon with spikes of white to pale pink flowers in June. Unlike most penstemons, it prefers slightly moist, well-drained soil in full sun or part shade. Firewise.
One of the showiest of all North American native Penstemons, Penstemon grandiflorus can reach heights of three feet with stunning pink to purple flowers. The plant’s beautiful vertical structure and succulent gray-green foliage, make it a very unique Penstemon. Firewise. More information here.
Clumps of bright purple flowers arise from dense tufts of linear leaves. Occurs in the wild at higher elevations in Colorado, but given some irrigation it tolerates cultivation in lower, warmer climates
Syringa or Mock Orange is a deciduous shrub with lovely four petaled flowers, incredible fragrance. In the wild, Syringa grows in variety of habitats, from streambanks to lava flows. Can adjust to very low water sites. Idaho state flower. Firewise. More information here.
Golden Currant is a deciduous shrub with fragrant, golden yellow flowers in early spring. Small, bright green maple-like leaves with lovely fall color. Widespread in Boise foothills. Tolerates a wide variety of conditions. Firewise. More information here.
Wax Currant is a dense native shrub well adapted to shade or part shade locations. Small pinkish white blossoms in spring. Good bird habitat. Firewise.
Woods Rose has fragrant, pink rose flowers which profusely bloom. A freely suckering native. Can bloom in full shade as well as full sun.
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.
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.
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’.