prairie wildflower

Mountain goldenbean

Thermopsis montana

Also known as Mountain Goldenbanner, Montane Golden-banner, Golden Pea, Buckbean

Native to Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming

British Columbia to northern California, east to the Rockies of Montana and Colorado

In the garden

A prairie wildflower for full sun. At up to 32 in, it suits meadows and sunny borders. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

Bees American Bumble Bee

also Bombus fervidus, Red-belted Bumble Bee, Hunt's Bumble Bee +10 more
Fuzzy-Horned Bumble Bee, Two-form Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee, Nevada Bumble Bee, Great Basin Bumble Bee, Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee, White-shouldered Bumble Bee, Black-and-gray Leafcutter Bee, Bumblebee-like Digger Bee
Butterflies Gray Buckeye also Western Dusted Skipper, Pahaska Skipper

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and WyomingUnited States (8): CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: British Columbia to northern California, east to the Rockies of Montana and ColoradoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–9 · Canadian 1–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Dry to wet, rocky or sandy soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.

Height: up to 32 in (to 81 cm)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).