The team at First Security Bank in Missoula tragically lost a dear coworker, and to honor him they created a pollinator garden in his honor at their new building on Dearborn off of Brooks. The team got approval to convert one of the new planters that was filled with mulch into a vibrant pollinator garden to honor their beloved coworker and highlight his favorite plant, Maximilian Sunflower. They got a nice surprise this summer when they suddenly had a tall, native sunflower

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) is an easy to spot classic garden accent that grows to about 2 feet high and produces pink blooms in the early summer heat of June and July. You can find Purple Coneflower across the Intermountain and Mid-west, south from Saskatchewan across the historical Great Plains area and into the Southwest. Purple Coneflower attracts a multitude of pollinators and the small hairs on its leaves and stems deters deer from munching it down. It i

Since 2013, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation and partners have been working to restore 4,500 acres near the Mormon Row Historic District in Grand Teton National Park. Over the last 13 years, Grand Teton has worked collaboratively with the University of Wyoming, conservation corps, and volunteer crews to rehabilitate a degraded portion of the park back to its native sagebrush grassland. Early homesteaders converted the area from native sagebrush grasslands to pasture

Lewis’ Mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii) blooming is one of the first signs of spring for many. Boasting the title of Idaho’s state flower, Lewis’ Mockorange can be found from British Columbia south to central California and east to Montana. Considered an upland riparian (stream or riverside) shrub in the wild, Lewis’ Mockorange can serve as a hedgerow or border shrub to any home garden. White flowers begin blooming in March and continue to produce delicate, orange-scented bl

Nettleleaf Giant Hyssop (Agastache urticifolia) is a widely distributed pollinator haven. You can find this mint-scented sub-shrub from Southeastern British Columbia down to southern California and east through Colorado and Montana. In the heat of summer, July-August, this native plant produces bountiful pale pink-lavender blooms. These flowers are attractive to many pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. When planting along the migration route of monarch

If you aren’t already familiar, Gardenwerks is a powerhouse garden center, landscaping, and community hub in Helena, MT. Operated by a small team of plant professionals, Gardenwerks has been one of our primary retail centers since Great Bear began expanding our offerings to include retail and landscape materials. The landscape design team is led by Caroline Wallace, who strives to take her degree in Landscape Architecture and certification in permaculture design and create e

Tufted Hairgrass (Descampsia cespitosa) is a widespread bunchgrass that is a fantastic native alternative to ornamental bunchgrasses. Its native range stretches south from Saskatchewan west to California and in found in all states in between. This bunchgrass can be found growing in full sun to partial shade and commonly has medium water use. Tufted Hairgrass grows in neatly rounded, dark green tussocks. In June, hair-like flowers bloom 2 - 3 ft above the base of the grass. It

The Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy teamed up with a handful of public schools in Jackson Hole, WY in the fall of 2024 to assist with the land management of a land plot known as High School Butte. This area of land is owned by the local middle and high schools in Teton County; and students, teachers, staff from The Nature Conservancy, and Teton County Weed & Pest District have come together to remove invasive, noxious plants such as knapweed and replant with native

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

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, and a permeable paver p

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 from

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 lawn strips to small back

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...