A pollinator-friendly shrub
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Round flower clusters feed bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, followed by seeds for birds.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Al Riordan · CC BY 4.0
All statesNative plants
A GARDEN THAT BELONGS HERE
Native plants
for Arizona.
Familiar garden favorites, with native roots.
Find your first swap for sun, shade, and the soil underfoot.
6+ hours of direct sun
Full sun
Tall late-season pollinator flowers
Spotted Joe-Pye weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Native flower clusters supply late-season nectar for bees and butterflies.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Kathleen Moore · CC BY 4.0
A small flowering border
Nodding onion
Allium cernuum
Nodding flower clusters feed bees and butterflies, with seeds for songbirds.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritzflohrreynolds · CC BY-SA 3.0
Long-lasting silver-white flowers
Pearly everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
This native perennial feeds painted lady caterpillars as well as visiting pollinators.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Kryzystof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0
A compact flowering shrub
Shrubby cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosa
A long season of native flowers supports bumblebees, specialist bees, and butterflies.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: jacinta lluch valero · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Tall pink flower spires
Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium
Native flowers feed bees, and the foliage supports moth and butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plant
A white-barked tree with golden fall color
Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
This native tree adds wildlife cover and leaves that shimmer in the breeze.
Instead of european white birch
Meet this plantPhoto: James St. John · CC BY 2.0
A flowering small tree with fruit
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Native foliage feeds swallowtail caterpillars, and the fruit feeds birds.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Maxime Laterreur · CC BY-SA 4.0
A flowering native hedge
Nootka rose
Rosa nutkana
Native pink flowers and red hips extend a hedge's seasonal interest.
Instead of rugosa rose
Meet this plantPhoto: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America · CC BY 2.0
Nodding flowers and feathery seedheads
Prairie smoke
Geum triflorum
Native flowers feed bees and butterflies before turning into airy seedheads.
Instead of bloody cranesbill
Meet this plant
A low evergreen groundcover
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Its flowers support pollinators and its red berries provide food for birds and other wildlife.
Instead of bearberry cotoneaster
Meet this plantPhoto: Walter Siegmund · CC BY-SA 3.0
A textured ornamental grass
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Native grass blades feed skipper caterpillars, and standing clumps shelter wildlife through winter.
Instead of chinese silvergrass
Meet this plantPhoto: Montrealais · CC BY-SA 3.0
Easygoing meadow flowers
Prairie coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
Native prairie flowers offer pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies in a sunny border.
Instead of shasta daisy
Meet this plantPhoto: Jeff Coffman · CC BY 2.0
Purple prairie flower spikes
Purple prairie clover
Dalea purpurea
Purple flower spikes feed pollinators, and the leaves host native butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: cultivar413 · CC BY 2.0
A small grass with dancing seedheads
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A low native prairie grass brings lasting ground-level cover to a dry garden.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A drought-tolerant native hedge
Mountain mahogany
Cercocarpus montanus
Native foliage hosts western sheepmoth and mountain mahogany hairstreak caterpillars.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: James St.John · CC BY 2.0
White prairie flower spikes
White prairie clover
Dalea candida
Native flower spikes feed pollinators, and foliage hosts dogface butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A low grass with pink seedheads
Purple lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Airy native seedheads add fall color and attract songbirds and small mammals.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Katja Schulz · CC BY 2.0
A low yellow-flowered mound
Sulphur buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum
Native flowers feed bees, butterflies, and moths, followed by seeds for wildlife.
Instead of treasure flower
Meet this plantPhoto: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova · CC BY-SA 4.0
Airy blue prairie flowers
Lewis's blue flax
Linum lewisii
Native blue flowers feed small bees and flies, followed by seeds for wildlife.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Skoch3 · CC BY-SA 3.0
A compact flowering dryland shrub
Yellow rabbitbrush
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Native yellow flowers add late color with little water once established.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plant
A native hedge for dry ground
Antelope bitterbrush
Purshia tridentata
This native shrub provides branching structure without frequent irrigation.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
A silver-leaved dryland screen
Big sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata
Native silver foliage brings year-round structure with little or no irrigation after establishment.
Instead of japanese pittosporum
Meet this plantPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
An evergreen shrub for a dry border
Greenleaf manzanita
Arctostaphylos patula
Native evergreen foliage, pink-white flowers, and red bark add interest without frequent watering.
Instead of japanese pittosporum
Meet this plantPhoto: Walter Siegmund · CC BY 2.5
A compact shrub for dry ground
Wax currant
Ribes cereum
Native foliage and bright berries add variety to a dry, rocky border.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Thayne Tuason · CC BY-SA 4.0
A silver-leaved flowering shrub
Rubber rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
This native dryland shrub supplies flowers and structure with little supplemental water.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plant
A low flowering dryland shrub
California buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Native flowers feed butterflies, and seeds feed birds.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: Jasper Shide · CC0
A drought-tolerant native grass
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Pseudoroegneria spicata
Deep native roots help stabilize dry ground while the foliage feeds grazing wildlife.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plant
A compact grass for a dry border
Prairie junegrass
Koeleria macrantha
This native grass greens up early and tolerates drought once established.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0
A low native goldenrod
Northern goldenrod
Solidago multiradiata
Native yellow flowers add color to a sunny, dry planting.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plant
Pale pink flowers for dry ground
Palmer's penstemon
Penstemon palmeri
Native flowering stems add variety to a low-water border.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: P Holroyd https://www.inaturalist.org/people/pholroyd · CC BY 4.0
Red flowers for a dry border
Firecracker penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Native red flower tubes supply nectar for hummingbirds.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC BY-SA 2.0
A large native ornamental grass
Deergrass
Muhlenbergia rigens
Native clumps shelter wildlife, and the seeds feed songbirds.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0
A native hedge for dry, salty ground
Fourwing saltbush
Atriplex canescens
Native roots help hold soil while the shrub provides wildlife food and cover.
Instead of japanese pittosporum
Meet this plantPhoto: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0
2–6 hours of direct sun
Part sun & shade
Fine-textured grass and airy plumes
Tufted hairgrass
Deschampsia cespitosa
This native grass adds songbird habitat and flower plumes that persist into winter.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red flowers for a moist border
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Late red flowers supply nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Debbie Roos · CC BY 2.0
A low mound with red flowers
Coral bells
Heuchera sanguinea
Tiny red bells provide nectar for bees and hummingbirds above native foliage.
Instead of heartleaf bergenia
Meet this plantPhoto: Patrick Standish · CC BY 2.0
A flowering shrub with berries
Saskatoon serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia
Spring flowers feed pollinators, followed by berries for birds and mammals.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Andrey Zhakikh · CC BY 2.0
A flowering groundcover
Wild strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Native spring flowers feed pollinators, including specialist bees.
Instead of bugleweed
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A flowering shrub for a natural hedge
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Native flowers attract bees, and the shrub provides habitat for birds.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: F. D. Richards · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A flowering shrub with berries
Golden currant
Ribes aureum
Native spring flowers are followed by fruit for birds and colorful autumn leaves.
Instead of border forsythia
Meet this plantPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tall grass for a woodland edge
Blue wildrye
Elymus glaucus
Native bunches provide habitat for birds and mammals and help stabilize disturbed ground.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova · CC BY-SA 4.0
Less than 2 hours of direct sun
Shade
An evergreen woodland groundcover
Creeping Oregon grape
Berberis repens
Native flowers feed pollinators, and berries and evergreen cover support birds and small mammals.
Instead of common periwinkle
Meet this plantPhoto: Katja Schulz · CC BY 2.0
Arching foliage for woodland shade
False Solomon's seal
Maianthemum racemosum
Native spring flowers feed insects, followed by berries for birds and small mammals.
Instead of fragrant hosta
Meet this plantPhoto: Kathy Sill · CC BY 4.0
A broad-leaved woodland shrub
Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
Native flowers and raspberry-like fruit add interest without thorny canes.
Instead of rugosa rose
Meet this plantPhoto: CAJC: in the PNW · CC BY-SA 2.0
Flowers and arching woodland foliage
Starry Solomon's plume
Maianthemum stellatum
Native berries attract birds and small mammals after the spring flower display.
Instead of fragrant hosta
Meet this plantPhoto: Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY 2.5
Small purple flowers for shade
Hookedspur violet
Viola adunca
Native leaves feed fritillary caterpillars, and flowers feed bumblebees and butterflies.
Instead of bugleweed
Meet this plantPhoto: DouglasGoldman · CC BY-SA 4.0
Delicate foliage for moist shade
Western maidenhair fern
Adiantum aleuticum
Native fan-shaped fronds add fine texture to a shaded woodland garden.
Instead of japanese painted fern
Meet this plantPhoto: Awinch1001 · CC0
Grow with local know-how.
Use your garden’s sunlight, soil moisture, and available space to narrow the list.
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