Plantlife

Gardening in Montana

Though Montana offers natural scenic views, a favorite hobby of residents in the community is enhancing this beauty through gardening. Montana has a short growing season that results from our dry mountain climate, quick changing weather and low humidity. But don’t let weather discourage you and your green thumb as there are still many flowers, native plants and shrubs that will make for a beautiful garden and yard. For more information please contact the Missoula County Extension Office which includes the Conservation and County Weed district.
2825 Santa Fe Court, Missoula, MT 59808
(406) 258-4200; www.co.missoula.mt.us/extension

The Montana State Flower is the Bitterroot Lewisia rediviva. Long before explorers Lewis and Clark wrote about the beautiful purplish-pink flower of the bitterroot, Native Americans were using its roots for food and trade. You can find the bitterroot growing near the mountains and boulders of western Montana in spring and summer. The Montana State Tree is the Ponderosa Pine.
Information provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS by the United States Department of Agriculture http://www.nrcs.usda.gov. Helena Service Center, 790 Colleen St., Helena, MT 59601-9713, (406) 449-5278 and Caras Nursery in Missoula.

Native Flowers

• Colorado Columbine
• Fuzzytongue Penstemon
• Hair Golden Aster
• Wild Beebalm
• Slender White Prarie Clover
• White yarrow
• Blanketflower
• Perennial Prarie Sunflower
• Dotted Gayfeather
• Purple Coneflower
• Smooth Aster

Native shrubs

• American Plum
• Golden Current
• Chokecherry
• Redosier Dogwood
• Serviceberry
• Common Snowberry
• Blue Elderberry
• Woods Rose
• Rabbitbrush

Native shade trees

• Bur Oak
• Green Ash
• Honelocust
• Ponderosa Pine
• Douglas Fir
• Limber Pine
• Colorado Spruce
• Common Hackberry
• Western Mountain Ash
• Paper Birch
• Quaking Aspen
• Black Cottonwood
• Narrowleaf Cottonwood
• Plains Cottonwood

Vegetables

Many gardens in the area include:
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Radishes
• Carrots
• Beans

Popular Annual Flowers

• Geraniums
• Impatients
• Petunias
• African Marigolds
• African Daisys
• Million Bells
• Pansies
• Ornamental Grasses
• Spikes
• Bacopa