Where the wild
takes root.

Showy milkweed is the Pacific Northwest’s essential milkweed species for monarch butterflies, serving as the host plant for their caterpillars. Its fragrant flower clusters draw bumblebees, honeybees, and hummingbirds, while deep taproots make it remarkably drought-tolerant once established. Seed pods open into silky parachutes that carry the next generation on the wind.

This regionally distinctive broadleaf lupine grows in open Gorge grasslands and rocky slopes, where purple racemes rise above foliage divided into seven to nine leaflets. Like other lupines, it partners with soil bacteria to fix nitrogen while its roots help stabilize disturbed ground. Its narrow native range makes local seed provenance especially important.

Fernleaf biscuitroot—also called fernleaf desert-parsley, carrotleaf biscuitroot, and chocolate tips—is a deep-rooted native perennial of open woods, sagebrush, grasslands, and rocky slopes. It begins growing soon after snowmelt, sending broad flower umbels above lacy, fernlike leaves. Its substantial taproot helps it persist through summer drought after the foliage has gone dormant.

Barrett’s penstemon, also called Barrett’s beardtongue, is restricted to the Columbia River Gorge, where it forms blue-green mats on basalt cliffs and rocky ledges. Clusters of tubular magenta-purple flowers rise above its thick foliage in spring. It is a striking fit for sunny, lean sites where drainage is excellent and the planting can echo its native cliffside habitat.

Oregon sunshine, also called common woolly sunflower, is a compact native perennial of grasslands, rocky slopes, and open dry sites. Fine hairs give its foliage a soft gray cast and help it thrive through summer heat. From late spring into summer, abundant yellow flowers bring lasting color to pollinator gardens and low-water landscapes.

Hooker’s onion, also called tapertip onion, is a bulb-forming native perennial of dry meadows, sagebrush slopes, and rocky outcrops. Each loose flower cluster is made of sharply pointed pink tepals that deepen toward the center. It settles naturally into sunny, fast-draining ground, where its compact spring bloom offers an early-season pulse for small native pollinators.

Hoary aster—also known as hoary tansyaster or purple aster—is a late-blooming native of dry slopes, open grasslands, and disturbed ground. Fine pale hairs give its stems and leaves the silvery cast behind its name, while branching sprays of purple flowers brighten the landscape late in the season. It handles lean soil and summer drought, then readily reseeds where conditions suit it.

No native seed mix is complete without this foundational bunchgrass. Bluebunch wheatgrass is the backbone of Columbia Basin grasslands, providing structure, erosion control, and habitat. Deep-rooted and drought-hardy, it stabilizes soil while leaving space for wildflowers to thrive between its clumps, then turns to the classic amber of summer.

Montana’s state flower is equally at home on Washington’s basalt cliffs. This succulent perennial is perfectly adapted to thin, fast-draining soils, with fleshy roots that store water through long dry spells. Its blooms close in cloudy weather and open wide in sunshine, making it a beautiful fit for rock gardens, green roofs, and erosion-prone slopes.

When other flowers have faded, native asters burst into daisy-like bloom. These hardy perennials thrive in full sun and the lean soils of the Columbia Basin, returning year after year with minimal care. Their deep roots stabilize soil while late-season nectar supports pollinators during the critical autumn push.