Why native plants?
Interest in native Utah plants is growing—and for good reason! Utah's native plants offer a wealth of benefits. Whether you're aiming for a low-maintenance landscape, hoping to attract more pollinators, or seeking to preserve Utah's unique beauty, incorporating native plants into your garden is a rewarding choice.
☀️ Perfectly Adapted to our climate in Utah
Native Utah plants have evolved over millennia to thrive in the specific soil, climate, and seasonal conditions of the Rocky Mountain region. This makes them naturally hardy and resilient, requiring less water, fertilizer, and care than non-native species. Once established, many native plants are drought-tolerant, temperature fluctuations, and unpredictable weather patterns with minimal intervention from you. They were here first and they can handle it!
🦋 Support Pollinators and Wildlife
By planting natives, you create a habitat for Utah pollinators - including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife. Native plants provide the specific nectar, pollen, and seeds essential to their diets. As pollinator populations decline, restoring native plant habitats in residential and commercial landscapes is a direct way to support biodiversity. Douglas W. Tallamy implores us to rethink our relationship with nature in Nature's Best Hope
"We must abandon our age-old notion that humans and nature cannot mix, that humans are here and nature is somewhere else... we must learn how to coexist."
💧 Conserve Water
Water-wise landscaping in Utah is more important than ever. Water is a precious resource, especially in our cool desert climate. Many native plants are naturally drought-tolerant, helping you conserve water without sacrificing beauty. By reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, native gardens also contribute to cleaner water sources by preventing runoff contamination.
🌻 Low-Maintenance Beauty
Forget the endless cycle of watering, fertilizing and mowing. Native plants are naturally low-maintenance once they are established. Carefully selected native plants are well-suited to our region’s soil and rainfall patterns, reducing the need for irrigation and chemical treatments. With their natural resilience, native gardens can stay vibrant with less effort, making them a great choice for busy gardeners.
⛰️ Sense of Place
I grew up in Texas where wildflowers line the freeways and native oak and ash trees shaded my neighborhood streets. Many native plants in Utah are different from the ones in Texas, however I've found them to be every bit as beautiful and dynamic, but largely absent from our residential landscape. From the delicate blooms of Rocky Mountain columbine to the striking textures of blue grama grass; from the intoxicating smell of sagebrush to the cheerful sunshine yellow of sol dancer daisy, your landscape can reflect the natural splendor of the Wasatch front and restore a sense of "place" to suburban Utah.
🏡 Versatile for Any Landscape Style
Native plants aren’t limited to a wild, untamed look—they can be used in nearly any landscape style. Whether you're designing a cottage garden, a formal landscape, or a xeric, water-wise retreat, native plants offer flexibility and visual appeal.
- Cottage gardens can feature colorful clusters of native wildflowers like blanketflower, bee balm, milkweed, and penstemon, creating a whimsical and pollinator-friendly space.
- Modern or minimalist landscapes can easily implement a grass matrix style using native grasses, perennial wildflowers and smaller shrubs.
- Xeric gardens can flourish with drought-tolerant natives such as Firecracker penstemon, rabbitbrush, and desert four o’clock, providing vibrant color and structure with minimal water use.
- Traditional garden beds can include native perennials alongside classic ornamental plants for a seamless blend of beauty while quietly supporting biodiversity.
Why Not Natives?
Are native plants for everyone?
No, I don't think they are. Before jumping in, I encourage you to fully consider some of the potential drawbacks.
🦋 Invite More Bugs and Critters
Native plants naturally attract local insects, pollinators, and small wildlife. While this is a benefit for supporting biodiversity, it can be a drawback if you prefer a more sterile, controlled yard. Butterflies and bees are beautiful, but you may also see an increase in caterpillars, beetles, or other bugs that nibble on leaves. Many Utahns pay for pest control to eradicate spiders and other unwanted wildlife, some of whom are non-native species (I'm looking at you, European earwig....) If the idea of seeing more birds, butterflies, beetles, caterpillars, etc. is not an idea that brings joy to your heart, you may want to carefully consider how much of your yard to dedicate to native plants and where you might place them.
🌻 Slower Establishment Period
While native plants are low-maintenance once established, they often require patience. Unlike fast-growing, non-native annuals or perennials, many native species take a season or two to fully settle in. This slower growth rate can be frustrating for gardeners looking for instant results. However, this also results in longer-lived plants and less annual planting.
💧 Still Requires Maintenance
Though native plants are generally lower maintenance, they aren’t no maintenance. Weeding, occasional pruning, and supplemental watering during droughts are still necessary—especially in the first year. If you’re hoping for a completely hands-off landscape, natives may not meet your expectations. While natives generally require much less maintenance than the regular watering, mowing and fertilizing of typical Kentucky bluegrass, some prefer to stick with what they know. If you are not interested in learning how to care for these plants or you pay someone else to take care of your yard, you may not have great results. There is a large gap in Utah's landscaping industry with many who are unfamiliar with native plants. Common problems like overwatering and using unnecessary fertilizer and pesticide products might mean your plants live very short lives.
🌻 Limited Aesthetic Variety
For those who prefer highly manicured or exotic gardens, native plants may feel limiting. Many native species have a more natural, wild appearance, which doesn’t always align with formal or ornamental landscaping styles. If you enjoy bright, tropical blooms or intricate, controlled garden designs, native plants may not deliver the same aesthetic impact. While there are many native varieties of familiar plants (geranium, daisy, hollyhocks, maple to name a few) if you switch to 100% natives you won't be drawing on the global catalogue of plants or cultivars from mass market greenhouses which does limit your options.
🌿 Less Predictable
Because native plants are often more wild and less uniform, they can sometimes grow unpredictably. They may spread beyond their intended space, reseed themselves, and appear less tidy than non-native or sterile cultivars. For gardeners who prefer neat, structured beds, this can feel chaotic. It can take time to learn the patterns of each plant and the best way to achieve your desired aesthetic, and not everyone is interested in introducing unpredictable elements into their garden.
🛒 Harder to Find
One of the biggest challenges? Finding native Utah plants for sale. Big-box garden centers still primarily stock common ornamentals and non-native species. When I attempted to source natives for my own yard, it felt unnecessarily complicated and time-consuming by how difficult it was to determine which plants were truly native to Utah and where I could buy them. That's why I started Native Utah Plants! Our collection is curated, easily filterable and evolves throughout the growing season. We're here to help you find what works in your yard!
🪴 Ready to Plant Native?
Whether you're ready to try out one new plant this season or you're ready to rip out some lawn and go all in, Native Utah Plants is your local source for drought-tolerant, beautiful and ecologically important plants.
Browse the shop to get started, together let's bring nature home!