A Note about Utah Native Plants
Utah has a wide range of native plants that grow in uniquely different conditions, from cool alpine meadows to arid desert basins. Some are Xeric, while others are riparian and require more frequent watering. Research a plant’s native range and conditions to know where it will thrive in your landscape.
The Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Front are located at the intersection of a number of ecoregions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau. Because Utah’s boundaries are human-drawn, there are some species listed that are regionally native, either east into Colorado and New Mexico, south into Arizona and Nevada, or north into Idaho and Wyoming.
About this list
This is not a comprehensive list of native plants, but representative of more well-known species, which is generally congruent with those most commonly grown for sale in retail nurseries.
- Plants in “ Quotations ” are cultivars of native plants, also known as Nativars.
- Native trees cultivated for retail sales may be grown on another species’ rootstock for more predictable growth and/or hardiness, which may or may not be ideal for Utah soils.
- Plants with an asterisk are not commonly grown for commercial cultivation and difficult to find in the Nursery setting.
- There are thousands of species, especially herbaceous perennials, native to Utah. Some are found throughout the Intermountain West, some are also native to much of the United States, while others are found only in tiny populations in remote areas of Utah. This list is meant to be a fairly comprehensive of what is available in the Nursery trade, and not an exhaustive list of all Utah Native species by any means.
Deciduous Shrubs and Small Trees
- Antelope Bitterbrush – Purshia tridentata
- Apache Plume – Fallugia paradoxa
- Buffaloberry – Shepherdia argentea
- Cliffrose – Mexican – Purshia mexicana
- Cliffrose – Stansbury – Purshia stansburyana
- Creosote Bush – Larrea tridentata *
- Currant – Golden – Ribes aureum syn. oderatum
- Desert Willow – Chilopsis linearis
- Dogwood – Red Osier – Cornus sericea
- Elderberry – Blue – Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea
- Elderberry – Red – Sambucus racemosa
- Fernbush – Chamaebatiaria millefolium
- Honeysuckle – Twinberry – Lonicera involucrata
- Leadplant – False Indigo – Amorpha fruticosa
- Mock Orange – Lewis – Philadelphus lewisii
- Mock Orange – Little Leaf – Philadelphus microphylla
- New Mexico Privet – Forestiera pubescens var. neomexicana
- Ninebark – Mallow – Physocarpus malvaceus
- Ninebark – Mountain – Physocarpus montanus
- Oceanspray / Creambush – Holodiscus discolor
- Potentilla / Cinquefoil – Dasiphora fruticosa
- Rabbitbrush – Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (frmly. Ericameria nauseosa)
- Rose – Nootka – Rosa nutkana
- Rose – Woods’ – Rosa woodsii
- Sagebrush – Big Sage – Artemisia tridentata
- Sagebrush – Black Sage – Artemisia nova
- Sagebrush – Fringed / Prairie Sage – Artemisia frigida
- Sagebrush – Sand Sagebrush – Artemisia filifolia
- Sagebrush – Silver Sage – Artemisia cana
- Sagebrush – White Sage – Artemisia ludoviciana
- Sagebrush – Wyoming Big Sage – – Artemisia tridentata var. wyomingensis
- Saltbush – Four-Winged – Atriplex canescens
- Serviceberry – Saskatoon – Amalanchier alnifolia
- Serviceberry – Utah – Amalanchier utahensis
- Shadscale – Atriplex confertifolia
- Silverberry / Wolf-willow – Elaeagnus commutata
- Snowberry – Common – Symphoricarpos albus
- Snowberry – Desert – Symphoricarpos longiflorus *
- Snowberry – Mountain – Symphoricarpos oreophilus
- Sumac – Smooth – Rhus glabra
- Sumac – Rocky Mountain – Rhus glabra var. cismontana
- Sumac – Three-leaf / Skunkbush / Fragrant – Rhus aromatica
- Thimbleberry – Rubus parviflorus *
- Wild Crab Apple – Peraphyllum ramosissimum
- Willow – Coyote – Salix exigua
- Winterfat – Krascheninnikovia latana
Evergreen Shrubs
- Ephedra / Joint Fir- Mormon Tea – Ephedra viridis
- Ephedra / Joint Fir – Nevada – Ephedra nevadensis
- Ephedra / Joint Fir – Rough Joint Fir – Ephedra aspera *
- Ephedra / Joint Fir – Torrey’s Joint Fir– Ephedra torreyana *
- Kinnikinnick – Bearberry – Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Mahonia – Fremont’s / Desert Holly – Berberis fremontii
- Mahonia – Creeping Oregon Grape – Berberis repens
- Mahonia – Red Barberry – Berberis haematocarpa *
- Mahonia – Oregon Grape – Berberis aquifolium
- Manzanita – Chieftain / Panchito – Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis
- Manzanita – Mock Bearberry – Arctostaphylos coloradoensis x A. uva-ursi
- Mountain Lover – Paxistima myrsinites *
- Mountain Mahogany – Curl Leaf – Cercocarpus ledifolius
- Mountain Mahogany – Hairy – Cercocarpus brevifolius
- Mountain Mahogany – Little Leaf – Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus
- Mountain Mahogany – True / Alder Leaf – Cercocarpus montanus
Cacti, Agave, Yucca & Succulents
- Agave – Artichoke – Agave parryi var. truncatum
- Agave – Parryi – Agave parryi
- Agave – Utah – Agave utahensis
- Beargrass – Nolina microcarpa
- Cactus – Beavertail – Opuntia basilaris
- Cactus – Claret Cup – Echinocerus triglochidiatus
- Cactus – Plains Prickly Pear – Opuntia polyacantha
- Yucca – Banana / Broadleaf – Yucca baccata
- Yucca – Harriman -Yucca harrimaniae
- Yucca – Joshua Tree – Yucca brevifolia
- Yucca – Soaptree – Yucca elata
- Yucca – Soapweed – Yucca glauca
Perennials
- Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow
- Anaphalis margaritacea – Pearly Everlasting
- Antennaria parviflora – Littleleaf Pussytoes
- Aquilegia caerulea – Rocky Mountain Columbine
- Aquilegia chrysantha – Golden Columbine
- Aquilegia flavescens – Yellow Mountain Columbine
- Aquilegia formosa – Western Red Columbine
- Asclepias incarnata – Swamp Milkweed
- Asclepias speciosa – Showy Milkweed
- Asclepias tuberosa – Orange Milkweed
- Baileya multiradiata – Desert Marigold
- Berlandiera lyrata – Chocolate Flower
- Castellija angustifolia – Desert Paintbrush
- Chamaenerion angustifolium – Fireweed
- Coreopsis tinctoria – Plains Tickseed
- Dalea candida – White Prairie Clover
- Eriogonum heracleoides – Parsnip Flower Buckwheat
- Eriogonum umbellatum – Sulphur Buckwheat
- Geranium viscosissimum – Sticky Geranium
- Geum triflorum – Prairie Smoke (Avens)
- Gutierrezia sarothrae – Broom Snakeweed
- Helenium autumnale – Sneezeweed
- Helianthus annus – Common Sunflower
- Helianthus nuttalii – Nuttall’s Sunflower
- Ipomopsis aggregata – Skyrocket / Scarlet Gilia
- Linum lewisii – Blue Flax
- Lupinus argenteus – Silvery Lupine
- Mirabilis multiflora – Desert Four O’Clock
- Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot/Bee Balm
- Monardella odoratissima – Mountain Bee Balm
- Oenethera caespitosa – Tufted Evening Primrose
- Penstemon angustifolius – Broadbeard Penstemon
- Penstemon barbatus – Beardlip Penstemon
- Penstemon cyananthus – Wasatch Penstemon
- Penstemon eatonii – Firecracker Penstemon
- Penstemon palmerii – Palmer’s Penstemon
- Penstemon pinifolius – Pineleaf Penstemon
- Penstemon pseudospectabilis – Desert Penstemon
- Penstemon rostriflorus – Beaked/Bridge’s Penstemon
- Penstemon strictus – Rocky Mountain Penstemon
- Penstemon xylus – Tushar Bluemat Penstemon
- Ratibida columnifera – Mexican Hat/Prairie Coneflower
- Rudbeckia hirta – Black Eyed Susan
- Salvia azurea – Pitcher/Blue Sage
- Salvia doorii – Desert Purple Sage
- Salvia pachyphylla – Mojave Sage
- Solidaga multiradiata – Rocky Mountain Goldenrod
- Sphaeralcea ambigua – Desert Globemallow
- Sphaeralcea grossulriifolia – Gooseberry-Leaf Globe Mallow
- Sphaeralcea munroana – Munro’s Globe Mallow
- Stanleya pinnata – Prince’s Plume
- Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica (syn. Hymenoxys) – Sol Dancer Daisy
- Tetraneuris acaulis var. ivesiana (syn. Hymenoxys) – Sun Dancer Daisy
Ornamental Grasses
- Acnatherum hymenoides – Indian Ricegrass
- Andropogon geradii – Big Bluestem
- Many cultivars available
- Andropogon glomeratus – Bushy Bluestem
- Bouteloua dactyloides – Buffalograss
- Deschampsia cespitosa – Tufted Hair Grass
- Bouteloua gracilis – Blue Grama Grass
- “Blonde Ambition”
- Bouteloua hirsuta – Hairy Grama Grass
- Bouteloua curtipendula – Side Oats Grama
- Festuca idahoensis – Idaho Blue Fescue
- Leymus cinereus – Great Basin Wild Rye
- Poa fendleriana – Muttongrass
- Panicum virgatum – Switchgrass
- Many cultivars available
- Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Bluestem
- Many cultivars available
- Sorghastrum nutans – Indiangrass
- Sporobolus airoides – Alkali Sacaton
- Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed
- Sporobolus wrightii – Giant Sacaton
Deciduous Trees
- Ash* – Singleleaf – Fraxinus anomala
- Ash* – Modesto – Fraxinus velutina
- Aspen – Quaking – Populus tremuloides
- Chokecherry – Common – Prunus virginiana
- Cottonwood – Balsam Poplar* – Populus balsamifera
- Cottonwood – Eastern – Populus deltoides
- “Siouxland” (Cottonless)
- Cottonwood – Fremont / Western – Populus fremontii
- Cottonwood – Lanceleaf – Populus x acuminata
- Cottonwood – Narrowleaf – Populus angustifolia
- Hawthorn – Douglas / Black – Cratageus douglasii
- Maple – Bigtooth – Acer grandidentatum
- “Mesa Glow” – grown on Sugar Maple rootstock
- “Rocky Mountain Glow” – grown on Sugar Maple rootstock
- Maple – Box Elder – Acer negundo
- “Sensation” – Seedless, non-bug attracting
- Maple – Rocky Mountain* – Acer glabrum
- Oak – Gambel / Scrub – Quercus gambelii
- Oak – Shrub Live Oak – Quercus turbinella
- Oak – Wavyleaf – Quercus x undulata
- Redbud – Western – Cercis occidentalis
- Willow – Arroyo – Salix lasiolepis
- Willow – Peachleaf – Salix amygdaloides
- Willow – Shining – Salix lasiandra
Conifers
- Cypress – Arizona – Hesperocyparis
- Douglas-Fir – Pseudotsuga menziesii
- Fir – Subalpine – Abies lasiocarpa
- Fir – White – Abies concolor
- Juniper – Common – Juniperus communis
- Juniper – Rocky Mountain – Juniperus scopulorum
- Juniper – Utah – Juniperus ostesperma
- Pine – Bristlecone, Great Basin – Pinus longaeva
- Pine – Bristlecone, Rocky Mountain – Pinus aristata
- Pine – Limber – Pinus flexilis
- “Extra Blue”
- “Vanderwolf”
- Pine – Lodgepole / Shore – Pinus contorta
- “Chief Joseph”
- “Taylor Sunburst”
- Pine – Pinyon, Single Leaf – Pinus monophylla
- Pine – Pinyon, Two-needle Pinyon – Pinus edulis
- Pine – Ponderosa – Pinus ponderosa
- Spruce – Colorado – Picea pungens
- Typically seed-grown species; color is more dull green/blue
- Spruce – Colorado Blue – Picea pungens var. glauca
- Cultivars grown for bright blue color
- Spruce – Engelmann – Picea engelmannii
- “Bush’s Lace” Weeping Engelmann Spruce
