21 Wildflowers Native to Washington State

Native wildflowers step in where other plants struggle to. They offer nectar and pollen to specialist and generalist insects; specialists require certain species’ flowers, while generalists buzz from species to species without issue. Most non-native ornamentals only feed generalists, as native insect species don’t recognize their flowers.

Wildflowers abound in Washington, meaning you have no shortage of native plant options. There are herbaceous perennials for freezing winter zones and maritime climates close to the coast. These perennials grow wild in natural spaces from Spokane to Seattle.

Camas

	common name Camas
	botanical name Camassia quamash
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 4-11

Camas are a welcome sight throughout Washington. They lie dormant all winter in bulbs below the soil. When warm spring weather arrives, they sprout by the dozens in meadows, grasslands, and open forests. Bright purple to light pink star-shaped blossoms erupt on three-foot-tall flower spikes from late spring through summer. 

Camas attract native bees, insects, and butterflies with their delicious nectar and pollen. Plant them in an area that receives spring rain and summer drought. These perennials go dormant once rains stop and temperatures rise. 

Cow Parsnip

	common name Cow Parsnip
	botanical name Heracleum maximum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Cow parsnip looks similar to giant hogweed. However, this native Washington wildflower is much more beneficial for the environment than its non-native weedy relative. It grows tall stalks with white flower umbels that bumblebees land on to rest and feed. 

This herbaceous perennial may cause a photosensitive rash on your skin; wear gloves to protect yourself. Sow cow parsnip seeds during the fall for seedlings by early spring.

False Lily Of The Valley

	common name False Lily Of The Valley
	botanical name Maianthemum dilatatum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-8”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Round, green leaves decorate this low-spreading ground cover. False lily of the valley blooms white flowers in clusters that attract pollinators. The dense foliage provides cover for ground-dwelling mammals like voles, moles, and gophers.

This shade lover appreciates moist, rich soil throughout the growing season. Give it plenty of compost every fall and spring to keep your colony happy.

False Solomon’s Seal

	common name False Solomon’s Seal
	botanical name Maianthemum racemosum
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

A close relative of the false lily of the valley, false Solomon’s seal is another shade dweller that spreads over time. It reaches three feet tall, with white flowers on stem tips in spring. Enjoy its strappy, flat leaves from spring through summer.

This perennial grows below forest canopies in humus-rich soil. Mimic these conditions in your garden, and it’ll thrive annually. Compost also helps this Maianethemum species. Apply it during dormancy in fall or spring.

Canada Goldenrod

	common name Canada Goldenrod
	botanical name Solidago canadensis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Goldenrods erupt sunshine-yellow flower spikes in late summer after most plants have stopped flowering or gone dormant. They’re a hardy herbaceous perennial that works well in full-sun locations with little summer moisture. When flowering, they lure bees with pollen. Later, they make seeds that attract small birds.

Canada goldenrod spreads through rhizomes and seeds and can quickly overrun sections of your garden. Grow it in a wild setting where it can creep and spread without hurting your weaker ornamental species. 

Douglas Aster

	common name Douglas Aster
	botanical name Symphyotrichum subspicatum
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Fall-blooming wildflowers are a special treat! Gardeners and pollinators treasure them as rare things. Douglas aster is one of these late bloomers. It sprouts purple petalled flowers with yellow centers. They’re rich with pollen, providing a late summer snack to bumblebees and honeybees.

Grow Douglas asters in full sun with humus-rich soil. They also thrive in partial shade, albeit with less blooms. Plants need more water during flowering than other parts of the year, although once established, they tolerate drought well.

Farewell To Spring

	common name Farewell To Spring
	botanical name Clarkia amoena
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-2.5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Farewell to spring decorates open landscapes during late summer. It blooms at the same time as Douglas asters and goldenrods, providing nectar and pollen during food-scarce times. Increase your yard’s biodiversity with a few of these annuals spread about—they’ll reseed when they’re happy.

Sow this native Washington wildflower in your yard during fall or early spring. Seeds germinate during warm temperatures and sprout into seedlings. Young plants require some moisture, but they’re drought-hardy when they bloom.

Coastal Hedgenettle

	common name Coastal Hedgenettle
	botanical name Stachys chamissonis var. cooleyae
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 4-10

This mint relative pockets wet creeks, rivers, and lakesides throughout the Pacific Northwest. It sprouts purple-pink flowers with unique patterns on each one. They invite bees, butterflies, and beetles to the site with pollen, nectar, and edible leaves. 

Like mint, coastal hedgenettle spreads readily through underground rhizomes and aboveground with seeds. Grow it in a container, or plant it in a wild pollinator garden where it can mix with other hardy species.

Nodding Onion

	common name Nodding Onion
	botanical name Allium cernuum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 4-8

This onion relative sprouts pink-white nodding blossoms on short stalks. They dangle, offering nutritious resources to pollinators who visit. The stalks sprout out of bulbs that reside below the soil. They help nodding onions resist drought, freeze, and hungry creatures.

Grow nodding onions amongst your vegetables for natural pest resistance. They’ll keep your tender tomatoes, corn, and peppers safe from insects. 

Pacific Bleeding Heart

	common name Pacific Bleeding Heart
	botanical name Dicentra formosa
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

An iconic Washington wildflower, this shade-loving native grows along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. It thrives in maritime forests with wet, coastal air. Pacific bleeding heart appreciates moist, humus-rich soil like the false lily of the valley. Apply compost each year to satiate their hunger. 

Pacific bleeding heart spreads through seeds and rhizomes to cover bare soil. Plant them in a shady garden where they can roam about. 

Pacific Waterleaf

	common name Pacific Waterleaf
	botanical name Hydrophyllum tenuipes
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-3’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Pacific waterleaf thrives near moist, boggy sites, as its name suggests. Its fleshy leaves gather energy in early spring, then they use it to create white flower clusters in globes. It spreads underground and through seeds when it likes the site, so give it plenty of space from other ground covers or low-growing perennials.

This herbaceous perennial is cold hardy down to zone 6, although it may survive colder winters with mulch protection. Apply compost or a similar amendment on top of the Pacific waterleaf’s root zone after it enters dormancy during fall.

Fireweed

	common name Fireweed
	botanical name Chamerion angustifolium
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5’
	hardiness zones 2-7

Fireweed is famous worldwide. It’s the flower that brought life back to war-torn Britain after World War II. It thrives on disturbed ground, growing seeds and rhizomes easily without competition from other species. Find it along roadsides, clearings, abandoned lots, and land recently burnt by wildfires. 

Start fireweed from seeds during fall or spring. Seedlings need water while they grow, although they’re drought-tolerant once they establish themselves. 

Fringe Cups

	common name Fringe Cups
	botanical name Tellima grandiflora
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-7

A Heuchera look-alike, fringe cups sprout nodding flowers that differ from other species strangely. They have frilly petals that look like spiderwebs coming out of green sepals. They look like mini tomatillos! Small pollinating flies, beetles, and bees love these flowers for their delicious-tasting pollen. 

Fringe cups need shade, water, and good airflow to thrive. These unique native Washington wildflowers grow well alongside bunchberry, false lily of the valley, and Pacific bleeding heart. 

Western Coltsfoot

	common name Western Coltsfoot
	botanical name Petasites frigidus var. palmatus
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 4-24”
	hardiness zones 6-10

Western coltsfoot is a tall ground cover with large, hand-shaped leaves. It sprouts white blossom clusters in early spring that drive native pollinators wild! Let it creep in your shade garden—it uses strong, stout roots below the dirt to start growing in new areas. 

Western coltsfoot needs regular water during the growing season. It naturally thrives near creeks, rivers, and lakes where it roots in fertile, porous soil.

Beach Strawberry

	common name Beach Strawberry
	botanical name Fragaria chiloensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Beach strawberry spreads slowly, blanketing bare soils with white flowers in spring. When they receive pollen, they morph into small, red strawberries that taste delicious at their ripest. Eat them fresh, or throw them in jams, jellies, and syrups.

Beach strawberries appreciate well-draining soil, low water, and direct sunlight for at least three hours daily. They do surprisingly well in dry shade throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Chocolate Lily

	common name Chocolate Lily
	botanical name Fritillaria affinis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4”-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Chocolate lilies grace natural landscapes with their nodding, polka-dot blossoms. The chocolate lily is in the genus Fritillaria and resembles its relatives the crown imperial and checkered lily. Chocolate lilies differ in flower color—the petals vary from dark maroon to light green with spotting throughout. 

Grow chocolate lilies like you would Columbia lilies. They appreciate full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil, and regular water during the growing season. Once they establish themselves with bulbs belowground, they tolerate drought and winter freeze.

Bunchberry

	common name Bunchberry
	botanical name Cornus canadensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-9”
	hardiness zones 2-7

Bunchberry is a low-spreading ground cover with relation to dogwood trees! It sprouts dogwood-like flowers on roaming stems. They root as they grow on top of the dirt.

This species sprouts sensitive roots that don’t take to transplanting well. Do so in fall or spring while temperatures are mild, or sow seeds in the place where you intend them to grow. Bunchberry needs cool shade, consistent moisture, and good airflow throughout its lifetime.

Columbia Lewisia

	common name Columbia Lewisia
	botanical name Lewisia columbiana
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-12”
	hardiness zones 4-8

A succulent for rock gardens, Columbia lewisia thrives throughout dry Washington gardens. It needs lots of sunlight while it grows in rocky, porous dirt. Rock gardens are perfect—they provide cool shade in cracks for lewisia roots, and their sunny rocksides reflect sunlight towards the leaves.

Columbia lewisia sprouts purple-pink flowers with white tipped petals. It forms clusters of blooms for a spectacular ornamental effect. Grow this perennial in dry borders, alpine gardens, or similar situations. It won’t do well in shade, wet soil, or clay. 

Graceful Cinquefoil

	common name Graceful Cinquefoil
	botanical name Potentilla gracilis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 3-7

A yellow bloomer with hemp-like leaves, graceful cinquefoil is a true stunner in borders, pollinator gardens, and wildscapes. This adorable Washington native wildflower reaches two feet tall and spreads to a similar width. After drawing in energy from spring sunlight, graceful cinquefoil blooms small yellow flowers. 

This perennial goes dormant in the winter, making it easy to care for. When it blooms, it attracts moths, butterflies, and bugs. Grow graceful cinquefoil to bolster biodiversity in your garden.

Inside-Out Flower

	common name Inside-Out Flower
	botanical name Vancouveria hexandra
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 5-7

Inside-out flower differs from other flowers by pushing their stamens and pistils out. They dangle down, while their petals seem like they’re blooming face up. Although small, these blossoms look superb en masse as they decorate landscapes with pockets of white color.

Grow inside-out flower in damp, cool shade. It appreciates humus-rich soil with lots of organic matter. Specimens need little water during winter dormancy and regular water during the growing season.

Rose Checkermallow

	common name Rose Checkermallow
	botanical name Sidalcea malviflora ssp. virgata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 7-10

One of the cutest Washington wildflowers, rose checkermallow is native to prairies, grasslands, and forest edges. It sprouts magenta-pink flowers on three-foot-tall stems. Plants grow lots of foliage early in the season, bloom in summer, then die back for fall and winter dormancy.

Start rose checkermallow from seeds in fall or spring. They’ll sprout into seedlings as days get longer and warmer after winter.