Center for Native Plants

05/29/2026

Alumroot (Heuchera cylindrica) is blooming at the nursery and the bees love it!
Alumroot gets its name from the high concentration of tannins in its roots, making it suitable as an alum substitute. Alum has many uses including as a mordant for fixing dyes. Alumroot is compact and tolerant of poor soils making it an excellent choice for rock gardens and edges.

05/27/2026

Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) is a long-lived shrub (some specimens have been documented to be over 100 years old!). It is very drought resistant due to its long taproots and leaves that are adapted to minimize water loss. Plant it with sage and rabbitbrush to mimic the look of the high desert!

05/22/2026

We will be open Memorial Day, Monday May 25th!

05/20/2026

Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia flavescens) is blooming now!
Both the common name and the scientific name of this plant refer to birds. Columbine comes from the Latin ‘columba’ meaning dove because the down-turned blossom looks like a group of five doves about to take flight. Aquilegia comes from the the Latin ‘aquilae’ meaning eagle because the spurred shape of the petals resembles the talons of eagles.
Plant her in a damp area of your garden that gets partial sun to attract butterflies and hummingbirds!

05/18/2026

Mark your calendars and join this crucial and rewarding opportunity!

https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/columbia-falls

"Times are tough for native bumble bees across North America, but a volunteer army is helping uncover a bonanza buzzing in Big Sky Country" - Montana Outdoors May 2026. Follow that link and go to page 38 for an inspiring article where you'll learn all about the Montana Bumblebee Atlas. You might want to go back to another intriguing article about cottonwoods. We have a wonderful opportunity coming up right here in Columbia Falls...

Sunday, May 31- Bumble Bee Atlas (Columbia Falls). 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Bumble Bee Atlas field season starts June 1! To kick off the season, join Michelle Toshack (Montana Bumble Bee Atlas) and Tabitha Graves (USGS) us for the Columbia Falls field day 10 minutes outside of town. We will practice catching, photographing, and releasing bumble bees. This is a wonderful way to practice protocol if you are a new volunteer or want a refresher. Participating in the atlas program is fun and a terrific way to learn more about interactions between native plants and these incredible animals. You will also be gathering vital information about these important pollinators. Register for the event here: https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/events.

A website to help communicate the goals and findings of the Xerces Society Bumble Bee Atlas Projects.

05/08/2026

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is the first of our white-flowered shrubs to bloom in the spring. If you have been hiking the Whitefish trails in the past week you have probably already seen its showy blossoms and heard the buzz of happy pollinators. By mid-summer the clusters of dark blue fruits have ripened, providing forage for birds, bears, and hikers. Beyond its ecologic benefits, homeowners enjoy serviceberry’s attractive shape and large size which make it excellent for hedgerows or as an anchor plant in a landscape.

04/30/2026

To Celebrate Mother’s Day, we are giving away one (1) of our exclusive Water Wise Re-wilding Kits, value $130! To enter simply like this post and tag your mom (or your friend! or your friend's mom!) We will message the lucky winner on May 11th. Kit must be picked up from the Nursery in Whitefish by May 25th.
The Water Wise Kit features 10 different species with 5 specimens per species for a total of 50 plants. All species in this kit will thrive in full sun, are drought tolerant, and deer resistant. The kit comes as a flat (see photo) where each plug is 2" x 2" x 2". This kit covers 200 square feet when planted at 24 inches on center.
Species Included:
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
White Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana )
Aspen Fleabane (Erigeron speciosus)
Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)
Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
Idaho Fescue (Festuca idahoensis)
Bluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

04/24/2026

Happy Arbor Day!!
To celebrate we have Evan Swanson to show you how to plant tree plugs. Evan Swanson is lead arborist and project manager for forestry projects at forestoration.inc. Thank you Evan for all you do to promote the health of our forests!
As they say: the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago, and the second-best time is today. The tree you plant today will support our other native plants, our wildlife, and our fellow humans today, in ten years, and beyond.
We have many species of native trees available at the nursery, including Western Larch. Be sure to come by to see our full selection!

04/24/2026

Edit: We are expecting chilly weather on 4/28 but the volunteer day is still on! Be sure to bring warm clothing, just in case.

The Bison Range is putting on a volunteer knapw**d pulling day on April 28th, weather depending (in case of bad weather, we will try to make an announcement the night of 4/27). If you are interested, the group will be meeting at the visitor center at 9am. Please be sure to bring bug spray, water, gardening gloves, a hat, and long pants. Tall socks and boots are a good idea to avoid ticks. The w**d pulling will be from 9am-12pm and volunteers will be welcome to take the drive afterwards. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us via email.

12/15/2025