Native plants

Native Plants of Washington

Washington runs from rain-soaked coastal forests to the dry sagebrush steppe east of the Cascades, so its native plants are adapted to wet winters, summer drought, and lean soils. Planting natives means less watering once established, fewer inputs, and far more life in the garden — from native mason bees to hummingbirds and songbirds. The picks below are hardy perennials and shrubs that flower through the Pacific Northwest season. Choose those suited to your side of the mountains, and you build habitat that largely takes care of itself.

Native picks for Washington

1. Red Flowering Currant

   Shrub

   Its drooping clusters of pink-red blooms open in early spring just as rufous hummingbirds return north, making it a vital first nectar source, while later berries feed songbirds and other birds.

2. Oregon Grape

   Shrub

   Glossy evergreen leaves and bright yellow spring flowers feed early native bees and butterflies, followed by dusky blue berries that sustain robins, waxwings, and other birds through fall and winter.

3. Western Columbine

   Perennial

   Nodding red-and-yellow blooms with long nectar spurs are a hummingbird favorite in late spring, thriving in dappled woodland edges and damp meadows where many sun-lovers struggle.

4. Douglas Aster

   Perennial

   Lavender daisy flowers bloom from late summer into fall, offering one of the season's last strong nectar sources for migrating butterflies, native bees, and hoverflies before frost arrives.

5. Oceanspray

   Shrub

   Cascading plumes of creamy summer flowers hum with native bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects, while its dense branching offers nesting cover and shelter for songbirds across both sides of the state.

6. Common Camas

   Perennial

   Spikes of star-shaped blue-violet flowers light up spring meadows and prairies, drawing bumblebees and other native bees in numbers, a keystone bloom of the region's threatened grassland habitats.

7. Nootka Rose

   Shrub

   Fragrant pink single blooms feed bumblebees and native bees in summer, and its rose hips persist into winter as food for birds and small wildlife, thriving in damp thickets and edges.