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 require more regular water. 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.
- Plants with an asterisk are not commonly grown for commercial cultivation
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
- Common Yarrow
- Littleleaf Pussytoes
- Rocky Mountain Columbine
- Western Red Columbine
- Golden Columbine
- Crimson Columbine
- Fringed/Prairie Sagebrush
- Showy Milkweed
- Orange Milkweed
- Desert Marigold
- Chocolate Flower
- Desert Paintbrush
- Fireweed
- Tickseed
- Zauschneria/Fire Chalice
- Dwarf Blue Rabbitbrush
- Sulphur Buckwheat
- Sticky Geranium
- Prairie Smoke (Avens)
- Broom Snakeweed
- Sol Dancer Daisy
- Meadow Blazing Star
- Blue Flax
- Desert Four O’Clock
- Wild Bergamot/Bee Balm
- Tufted Evening Primrose
- Evening Primrose
- Broadbeard Penstemon
- Beardlip Penstemon
- Wasatch Penstemon
- Firecracker Penstemon
- Palmer’s Penstemon
- Pineleaf Penstemon
- Desert Penstemon
- Beaked/Bridge’s Penstemon
- Rocky Mountain Penstemon
- Tushar Bluemat Penstemon
- Mexican Hat/Prairie Coneflower
- Black Eyed Susan
- Pitcher/Blue Sage
- Desert Purple Sage
- Autumn Sage
- Woodland Sage
- Rocky Mountain Goldenrod
- Gooseberry-Leaf Globe Mallow
- Munro’s Globe Mallow
- Prince’s Plume
Ornamental Grasses
- Bluestem – Big Bluestem – Andropogon geradii
- Bluestem – Bushy – Andropogon glomeratus
- Buffalograss – Bouteloua dactyloides
- Deschampsia – Tufted Hair Grass – Deschampsia cespitosa
- Grama – Blue Grama – Bouteloua gracilis
- Grama – Hairy – Bouteloua hirsuta
- Grama – Side Oats Grama – Bouteloua curtipendula
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
