Alberta Penstemon ( Penstemon albertinus ) is a cold-tolerant prolific blooming Penstemon that is found in the northern portion of the intermountain West. Alberta Penstemon’s native range includes British Columbia and Alberta, down to Idaho and Montana. Given its range, growers can expect this plant to be hardy to USDA zone 3.  Alberta Penstemon grows best in areas with full sun, and is often found in dry rocky fields and open slopes. Drought tolerant once established, this p

Plants in Action Series The National Park Service and its staff have spent the last 10 years restoring and enhancing Southeastern Idaho through projects at two sites - Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve and Minidoka National Historic Site.  Craters of the Moon National Monument The 2016 fire season brought devastation to Craters of the Moon, but NPS staff and personnel have been working hard to restore the native vegetation that was burned in the Moon Fire.  It

Plants in Action Series Erica Mita of The Little Shovel  takes pride in creating and installing gardens that accomplish a variety of goals. She has used the 3,600 sq ft lot adjacent to her own home in Bozeman, MT to showcase how native plant-driven design can function and offer enjoyment to homeowners and pollinators alike. The planting site includes a mix of uses including a native-focused garden area that combines true natives and some ornamental cultivars, traditional lawn

Oregon Grape ( Mahonia repens ) is a widely distributed understory plant that you may have spotted and thought to yourself, what’s that holly doing growing on the ground? Its distinct holly-like leaves with their wide toothed margins and points sprawl across the forest floor.   You can find Oregon Grape from western Canada south through California and east through Minnesota, and every state in between.  This low growing, shade-tolerant plant produces bright yellow flowers fro

Plants in Action Series Elena Johnson has started the Helena Urban Meadows project in Helena, MT through her landscape design and consultation business, Light Song Gardens .  Her pilot gardens were planted in 2025 using Great Bear Native Plants plugs, and her gardens throughout the city will expand in 2026 and beyond. Elena aims to make lawn conversion more approachable and tangible for Helena residents. In her pilot gardens, she converted small sections of land - from front

Photo provided by Great Bear Native Plants The Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are in full bloom here at Great Bear Native Plants,...

Photo provided by Great Bear Native Plants It is blooming time for Campanula rotundifolia which goes by many names: Harebell, Blue...

The chilly spring wind blows on the delicate Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla patens , a member of the Buttercup family. The Latin word,...

Meet one of our newest additions here at Great Bear: Scouler's Willow (Salix scouleriana) also known as Western Pussy Willow! You may...

You know what they say, "A pennyroyal earned, is a pennyroyal saved!" (Photos provided by Great Bear Native Plants, Map provided by...

All photos taken by GBNP, map provided by USDA NRCS Also known as Leadplant, Amorpha canescens is a low growing, deciduous shrub in the...

Nomenclature and History Carl Linnaeus named this genus "Acer" from the ancient Latin word for maples in 1753. This species was first...