State Plant Listings

Wyoming

Vegetation References

(Dominant plant species present in each vegetation type are listed in Appendix C)

11 Douglas Fir Forest (Pseudotsuga)
14 Western Spruce-fir Forest (Picea-Abies)
15 Eastern Ponderosa Forest (Pinus)
16 Black Hills Pine Forest (Pinus)
17 Pine-Douglas Fir Forest (Pinus-Pseudotsuga)
21 Juniper-Pinyon Woodland (Juniperus-Pinus)
31 Mountain Mahogany-Oak Scrub (Cercocarpus-Quercus)
34 Saltbrush-Geasewood (Artiplex-Sarcobatus)
45 Alpine Meadows and Barren (Agrostis, Carex, Festuca, Poa)
49 Sagebrush Steppe (Artemisia-Agropyron)
50 Wheatgrass-Needlegrass Shrubsteppe (Agropyron-Stipa-Artemisia)
56 foothills Prairie (Agropyron-Festuca-Stipa)
57 Grama-Needlegrass-Wheatgrass (Bouteloua-Stipa-Agropyron)
58 Grama-Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua-Buchloe)
59 Wheatgrass-Needlegrass (Agropyron Stipa)
67 Sandhills Prairie (Andropogon-Calamovilfa)

Botanical Experts

Walt Fertig, Botanist
Wyoming Natural Diversity Database
1604 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 745-5026

Dr. Robert Dorn
PO Box 147
Cheyenne; WY 82003
(307) 634-6328

Dr. Ronald L. Hartman, Curator
Rocky Mountain Herbarium
University of Wyoming
(307) 766-2236

Recommended Flora

Dorn, R.D. 1992. Vascular Plants of Wyoming, 2nd Edition. Mountain West Publishing, Box 1471, Cheyenne, WY 82003. 340 pgs. + illus.

Native Plants for Landscape Use in Wyoming

Ferns

Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Cystopteris fragilis (fragile fern)

Forbs (annuals/biennials)

Cleome serrulata (Rocky Mountain beeplant)
Dyssodia papposa (dyssodia, dogweed, fetid marigold)
Erysimum capitatum (western wallflower, prairie rocket)
Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)
Helianthus petiolaris (plains sunflower)
Ipomopsis aggregata (sky rocket, scarlet gilia)
Lepidium montanum (mountain peppergrass)
Linum rigidum (yellow flax)
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia (tahoka daisy, tansy aster)
Mentzelia decapetala (blazing star, evening star, stick leaf)
Mentzelia laevicaulis (blazing star, evening star, stick leaf)
Mimulus guttatus (golden monkey flower)
Nemophila breviflora (Great Basin nemophila)
Oenothera albicaulis (pale evening primrose)
Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan)
Senecio plattensis (prairie ragwort, prairie groundsel)
Senecio serra
Senecio triangularis
Townsendia exscapa (Easter daisy)

Forbs (perennials)

Abronia fragrans (sweet sand verbena)
Aconitum columbianum (western monkshood)
Allium cernuum (nodding; onion)
Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting)
Anemone canadensis (Canada anemone, windflower)
Anemone cylindrica (thimbleweed, candle anemone)
Anemone multifida (early thimbleweed, cut-leaf anemone, Pacific anemone)
Antennaria microphylla (pussytoes, everlasting)
Antennaria parvifolia (pussytoes, everlasting)
Antennaria rosea (pussytoes, everlasting)
Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane)
Aquilegia coerulea (Rocky Mountain or blue columbine)
Aquilegia flavescens (yellow columbine)
Arnica cordifolia (heartleaf arnica)
Artemisia ludoviciana (white sage, prairie sage, artemisia)
Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed)
Aster ascendens (purple aster, Pacific aster)
Aster ericoides (heath aster, white wreath aster)
Aster foliaceus (leafy aster)
Aster laevis (smooth aster)
Aster oblongifolius (aromatic aster)
Aster sibiricus (Sibirian or arctic aster)
Astragalus americanus (American milk vetch, rattlepod)
Astragalus canadensis (milk vetch, Canada milk vetch)
Balsamorrhiza sagittata (balsamroot)
Calochortus gunnisonii (lily)
Calochortus nuttallii (sego lily, mariposa lily)
Caltha leptosepala (white marsh marigold, elkslip)
Campanula rotundifolia (harebell)
Castilleja angustifolia var. dubia (desert paintbrush)
Castilleja linariifolia (Indian paintbrush)
Castilleja miniata (Indian paintbrush)
Castilleja sessiliflora (downy painted cup)
Castilleja sulphurea (splitleaf Indian paintbrush)
Claytonia lanceolata (spring beauty)
Clematis hirsutissima (clematis, vase flower, leather flower, lion's beard)
Cornus canadensis (bunchberry)
Delphinium glaucum (tower larkspur)
Dryas octopetala (mountain dryas, white mountain avens)
Dugaldia hoopesii (orange sneezeweed, owls' claws)
Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower)
Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb)
Epilobium latifolium (dwarf fireweed)
Erigeron compositus (alpine daisy)
Erigeron peregrinus (fleabane)
Erigeron speciosus (showy fleabane)
Eriogonum ovalifolium (buckwheat)
Eriogonum umbellatum (sulfur buckwheat)
Eriophyllum (anatum (woolly sunflower, Oregon sunshine)
Erythronium grandiflorum (glacier lily, yellow fawn lily, dogtooth violet)
Eupatorium maculatum (spotted Joe-pye weed)
Gaillardia aristata (blanket flower, gaillardia, brown-eyed Susan)
Galium triflorum (sweet-scented bedstraw)
Gaura coccinea (scarlet gaura)
Gentiana parryi (Parry gentian)
Geranium viscossisimum (sticky wild geranium)
Geum rivale (purple avens, water avens)
Geum triflorum (prairie smoke, purple avens)
Glycyrrhiza lepidota (wild licorice)
Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed, matchbrush)
Hedysarum boreale (sweet vetch, sweet broom)
Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed)
Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian sunflower)
Helianthus pauciflorus ssp. pauciflorus (stiff sunflower)
Heliomeris multiflora (showy goldeneye)
Heterotheca villosa var. villosa (golden aster)
Heuchera parvifolia (saxifrage, alum root)
Ipomoea leptophylla (bush morning glory)
Iris missouriensis (Rocky Mountain iris, western blue flag)
Lewisia rediviva (bitter root)
Liatris punctata (dotted blazing star, gayfeather)
Linnaea borealis (twinflower)
Linum lewisii (wild blue flax)
Lithospermum incisum (fringed puccoon, narrow-leaved puccoon)
Lupinus argenteus (silvery lupine)
Lupinus polyphyllus (meadow lupine, bog lupine)
Maianthemum canadense (wild lily--of-the-valley, Canada mayflower)
Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum (false Solomon's seal, false spikenard)
Maianthemum stellatum (starry Solomon's seal)
Mertensia ciliata (mountain bluebells)
Mimulus lewisii (Lewis monkey flower, great purple monkey flower)
Minuartia obtusiloba (cushion sandwort)
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot, horsemint, beebalm)
Oenothera cespitosa (gumbo evening primrose, gumbo lily)
Oenothera flava (Shortfin evening primrose)
Opuntia polyacantha (prickly pear)
Osmorhiza berteroi (mountain sweet cicely)
Osmorhiza occidentalis Pedicularis bracteosa (elephant heads)
Pedicularis groenlandica (elephant heads)
Pedicularis parryi (elephant heads)
Penstemon albidus (white beardtongue)
Penstemon angustifolius (whorled penstemon)
Penstemon cyananthus (Platte River penstemon, Wasatch penstemon)
Penstemon deustus (hot rock penstemon)
Penstemon glaber var. alpinus (blue penstemon, alpine penstemon)
Penstemon grandiflorus (large-flowered penstemon)
Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain penstemon)
Petrophyton caespitosum (dwarf spiraea, petrophytum, tufted rockmat)
Phacelia sericea (silky phacelia)
Polemonium occidentale Jacob's ladder)
Polemonium pulcherrimum (alpine Jacob's ladder, skunk leaf)
Polemonium viscosum (sky pilot)
Potentilla arguta (white cinquefoil, prairie cinquefoil, tall cinquefoil)
Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida (pasque flower, wild crocus)
Ranunculus alismifolius (meadow buttercup)
Ranunculus cardiophyllus (buttercup)
Ratibida columnifera (prairie coneflower, long-headed coneflower, Mexican hat)
Rudbeckia laciniata (cut-leaf coneflower)
Saxifraga bronchialis (spotted saxifrage, matted saxifrage)
Saxifraga cespitosa (tufted saxifrage)
Saxifraga odontoloma Sidalcea neomexicana (checker mallow, prairie mallow)
Solidago canadensis (meadow goldenrod)
Solidago missouriensis (Missouri goldenrod, prairie goldenrod)
Solidago multiradiata (northern goldenrod, mountain goldenrod)
Solidago rigida (stiff goldenrod)
Sphaeralcea coccinea (scarlet globe mallow)
Stanleya pinnata (desert or prince's plume)
Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis (stemless goldflower, stemless rubber weed, butte marigold)
Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall or purple meadow rue)
Thermopsis rhombifolia var. montana (golden pea, buckbean)
Verbena hastata (blue verbena, blue vervain)
Verbena stricta (hoary vervain)
Viola canadensis (Canada violet)
Viola nuttallii (yellow violet)
Yucca glauca (yucca, soapweed)
Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders)

Grasses/Grass-like plants

Agrostis exarata (spikebent, spike red top)
Agrostis scabra (ticklegrass, fly-away grass)
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)
Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem)
Aristida purpurea var. longiseta (red three awn)
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)
Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama)
Bromus anomalus (nodding brome)
Bromus carinatus (California brome)
Bromus ciliatus (fringed brome)
Buchloe dactyloides (buffalograss)
Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint grass)
Calamovilfa longifolia (sandreed grass, prairie sandreed)
Carex aquatilis (water sedge)
Carex nebrascensis (Nebraska sedge)
Carex stipata (awl-fruited sedge)
Carex utriculata (beaked sedge)
Carex vernacula (sedge)
Danthonia californica (California oatgrass)
Danthonia intermedia (timber oatgrass)
Danthonia spicata (poverty grass)
Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hairgrass)
Distichlis spicata (seashore saltgrass)
Eleocharis palustris (creeping spikesedge, spike rush)
Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye)
Elymus glaucus (blue wild rye)
Elymus lanceolatus (thickspike wheatgrass)
Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue, blue bunchgrass)
Festuca saximontana (fescue)
Glyceria grandis (American manna grass, tall mannagrass, reed meadowgrass)
Hierochloe odorata (sweet grass)
Juncus interior (inland rush)
Koeleria macrantha dune grass)
Leymus cinereus (Great Basin wild rye)
Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian ricegrass)
Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass)
Phleum alpinum (alpine timothy)
Poa alpina (alpine bluegrass)
Poa secunda (pine bluegrass)
Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Scirpus acutus (hardstem bulrush)
Scirpus maritimus (alkali bulrush, prairie bulrush, bayonet grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass)
Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass, freshwater cordgrass)
Sporobolus airoides (alkali sacaton)
Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand dropseed)
Stipa comata (needle-and-thread grass)
Stipa nelsonii (Columbia needlegrass)
Stipa spartea (porcupine grass)
Trisetum spicatum (spike trisetum)
Typha latifolia (cattail)

Shrubs (deciduous)

Alnus incana (speckled alder, mountain alder)
Amelanchier alnifolia (saskatoon, western serviceberry, Juneberry)
Amelanchier utahensis (Utah serviceberry)
Amorpha canescens (leadplant)
Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo, Indigo bush)
Artemisia frigida (prairie sagewort, fringed sage)
Atriplex canescens (four-wing saltbush, wingscale)
Atriplex confertifolia (spiny saltbush, shadscale saltbush, hop sage)
Betula nana (bog birch, dwarf birch)
Chrysothamnus nauseosus (rabbit brush, chamisa)
Cornus sericea (red-twig dogwood, red-osier dogwood)
Crataegus douglasii (black; hawthorn)
Elaeagnus commutata (silverberry, wild olive, wolf willow)
Holodiscus dumosus (bush rock-spires, cream bush, ocean spray)
Lonicera involucrata (black twinberry, bear berry honeysuckle)
Physocarpus malvaceus (mallow ninebark)
Prunus virginiana (chokecherry)
Purshia tridentata (antelope brush)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rhus trilobata (squawbush, basketbush, skunkbush)
Ribes aureum (golden currant)
Ribes cereum (wax currant, western red currant, squaw currant)
Ribes odoratum (buffalo currant, golden currant)
Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)
Rosa nutkana (nootka rose)
Rosa woodsii (western wild rose, woods rose)
Rubus parviflorus (western thimbleberry)
Salix arctica (arctic willow)
Salix bebbiana (Bebb willow, long-beaked willow)
Salix discolor (pussy willow)
Salix scouleriana (western pussy willow, Scouler's willow)
Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa (black elderberry)
Sarcobatus vermiculatus (greasewood)
Shepherdia argentea (silver buffaloberry)
Shepherdia canadensis (buffaloberry)
Sorbus scopulina (western mountain ash)
Spiraea splendens var. splendens (subalpine spiraea)
Symphoricarpos albus (snowberry)
Symphoricarpos oreophilus (mountain snowberry)

Shrubs (evergreen)

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry, kinnikinnik)
Artemisia nova (black sagebrush)
Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush, Great Basin sagebrush)
Ceanothus velutinus (mountain balm, buckbush)
Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany)
Cercocarpus montanus (mountain mahogany, silverleaf mountain mahogany)
Grayia spinosa (spiny hopsage)
Juniperus communis (common juniper)
Juniperus horizontalis (creeping juniper, creeping savin)
Kalmia polifolia (swamp laurel, bog laurel)
Paxistima myrsinites (Oregon box, myrtle boxwood, mountain lover)
Phyllodoce empetriformis (pink mountain heather)

Trees (deciduous)

Acer glabrum (Rocky Mountain maple)
Acer grandidentatum (bigtooth maple)
Acer negundo (box elder)
Betula occidentalis (mountain birch, water birch)
Fraxinus pensylvanica (green ash)
Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood)
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)
Prunus americana (wild plum)
Prunus pensylvanica (fire or pin cherry)
Salix amygdaloides (peachleaf willow)

Trees (evergreen)

Abies lasiocarpa (subalpine fir)
Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper)
Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain juniper)
Picea engelmannii (Engelmann spruce)
Picea pungens (blue spruce, Colorado spruce)
Pinus flexilis (limber pine)
Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir)

Vines (deciduous)

Clematis columbiana (purple virgins bower)
Clematis ligusticifolia (clematis)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia var. quinquefolia (woodbine)
Vitis riparia (riverbank grape)

Federally Listed Endangered Species

Ute ladies' tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)

Wyoming Noxious Species

Because the noxious weed lists have continually changed since we gathered them in 1994, we are not including them at this time. Not all States have noxious weed lists. Those that do, do not use the same standards of importance and are not comparable. States typically have included plants that interfere with agriculture (Canada thistle), or cause human health problems (poison ivy). Some States are now including a category of plants that invade and degrade the environment (purple loosestrife). Check with your State's Agriculture Department or Weed Scientist listed below. The noxious weed list can be used two ways on roadsides: 1) check to not inadvertently plant these invasive plants, and 2) note the plants you are legally responsible to control. Many States now check adjacent State lists to avoid planting their neighbors' problem plants. Because weeds do not respect political boundaries, and because by their very nature weeds continue to adapt and expand, monitoring and controlling invasives at State borders is a wise part of vegetation management.

(Weed and Seed Laws)

Department of Agriculture
Division of Technical Services
2219 Carey Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002

Tom Whitson
University of Wyoming
Plant/Soil/Insect Sciences
University Station, Box 3354
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 766-3113

Wyoming Resources

The Nature Conservancy
258 Main St. #200
Lander, WY 82820
(307) 332-2971

Wyoming Native Plant Society
1604 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070

Natural Heritage
Wyoming Natural Diversity Database
1604 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY 82070
(307) 745-5026