Native plants of Colorado for Front Range yards
Quick answer
Our Front Range catalog has 124 Colorado-native plants: 28 trees, 38 shrubs, 49 perennials, 9 groundcovers. Strong first picks include One-seed Juniper, Apache plume, Firecracker Penstemon, and Mat penstemon. Native means it evolved in Colorado, so it already knows our clay, sun, and dry winters. It does not mean no water: natives need regular deep watering their first season or two.
Colorado-native trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers in one place, with the best picks for Front Range yards and the catch nobody puts on the plant tag.
What counts as native
Here "native" means native to Colorado, not just to North America. A plant from the Appalachians can be a fine garden plant and still not be native here. Native status comes from the Colorado Native Plant Society's Front Range guide, CSU Extension, and Plant Select, and a few cultivars of native species (a named selection of a native shrub, say) count too. (Colorado Native Plant Society)
Why natives earn the space
The Front Range is a hard place to garden: alkaline clay, 12 to 17 inches of precipitation a year, hail, wind, and late spring freezes. Natives evolved with all of that, so the good ones need less water and less fuss once settled, and they feed the native bees, butterflies, and birds that co-evolved with them. (Plant Select: waterwise native shrubs)
The catch: native is not "no water"
Every native starts life in a nursery pot with a small root ball. 111 of the 124 natives here carry an establishment note in our data, and nearly all of them say the same thing: water deeply through the first season or two, then taper. Skip that and even a tough native can die in its first August. Newly planted woody plants also want a drink in dry winter months when the soil is not frozen. (CSU Extension: fall and winter watering)
Top picks by type
Ranked on our data: Front Range list rating (trees), low water, Plant Select, pollinator value, alkaline-soil tolerance, and no spreading or toxicity flags. Each line is from the plant's own record.
Top 6 native trees
- 1One-seed JuniperNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills, irregular, picturesque needled evergreen, 10 to 20 ft tall, good on slopes. Note: needs a dry site.
- 2Wavyleaf OakNative to the foothills, bronze and red fall color, 6 to 15 ft tall. Note: shrubby habit.
- 3Gambel OakNative to the foothills, bronze and red fall color, 15 to 30 ft tall, good on slopes. Note: shrubby habit; susceptible to galls.
- 4Limber PineNative to the montane zone, pyramidal needled evergreen, 30 to 50 ft tall, good on slopes.
- 5Lodgepole PineNative to the montane zone, pyramidal needled evergreen, 30 to 50 ft tall, shrugs off hail. Note: chlorosis at lower elevations; susceptible to mountain pine beetle.
- 6Peachleaf WillowNative to streamsides, rounded canopy, 25 to 50 ft tall. Note: more common as a multistem.
Top 6 native shrubs
- 1Apache plumeNative to the foothills. Iconic native, white flowers in summer, pink feathery seed plumes through fall.
- 2Beardlip penstemonNative to the foothills and the montane zone. Native penstemon with vivid red tubular flowers, hummingbird magnet.
- 3FernbushNative to the foothills. Fern-like aromatic foliage.
- 4Rockspirea / mountain sprayNative to the foothills and the montane zone. Native foothills shrub with creamy plumes of flowers cascading down rocky banks.
- 5CliffroseNative to the foothills and the montane zone. Fragrant cream flowers spring; feathery plume seedheads in fall; sparse-fueled fire-wise native.
- 6Curlleaf mountain mahoganyNative to the foothills. Evergreen native large shrub / small tree.
Top 6 native perennials
- 1Firecracker PenstemonNative to the foothills. Fiery scarlet tubular flowers; hummingbird magnet; very drought tolerant evergreen rosette.
- 2Pineleaf PenstemonNative to the foothills. Needle-fine evergreen foliage; coral tubular flowers; hummingbird favorite.
- 3Bigelow's TansyasterNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Late-season purple daisies, drought tolerant, reseeds; goldenrod companion.
- 4Black-eyed SusanNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Yellow and brown flowers in summer into fall, 24 in tall.
- 5BlanketflowerNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Yellow and red flowers in summer into fall, 12 in tall.
- 6Blue FlaxNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Blue flowers in spring into summer, 18 in tall.
Top 6 native groundcovers
- 1Mat penstemonNative to the foothills and the montane zone. Native mat-forming penstemon with intense blue-purple blooms.
- 2Sulfur buckwheatNative to the foothills and the montane zone. Native pollinator powerhouse.
- 3Aromatic asterNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Mound of fragrant foliage covered in lavender-blue daisies in fall.
- 4Blue grama grassNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Colorado state grass.
- 5Small-leaf pussytoesNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Native silvery mat with fuzzy white flowers.
- 6Clustered field sedgeNative to the shortgrass prairie and the foothills. Native sedge, Plant Select's signature lawn-alternative pick.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best native plants for Colorado yards?
- For Front Range yards, start with One-seed Juniper, Apache plume, Firecracker Penstemon, and Mat penstemon, the top-ranked native in each category here. All are Colorado natives rated for our soil and climate. Each plant's page lists its size, water, and sun.
- Do native plants need water?
- Yes, at first. Natives need regular deep watering for their first season or two while roots establish, then much less. Once settled, many get by on rain plus an occasional deep soak in a dry spell.
- Will every Colorado native grow in my yard?
- No. Colorado runs from plains to alpine, and some natives come from cooler, wetter mountain sites or acidic soils. In our data, 3 natives here have a pH ceiling below our alkaline clay, including Creeping Oregon grape, Kinnikinnick / bearberry, and Red twig / red osier dogwood. Match the plant to your site's sun, soil, and water first.
- Where can I see Colorado natives growing?
- Demonstration gardens run by CSU Extension, Denver Botanic Gardens, and Plant Select partners show natives in real Front Range conditions, which is the best preview of how big they get and how they look in August.
Natives by city
Colorado native plants for Boulder · All Front Range city guides
Related guides
Plan your garden
Not sure what to plant? The finder matches Front Range trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover to your soil, water, sun, and zone.