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Fire-resistant plants for Colorado

Compiled by · Reviewed against CSU Extension & Plant Select® · Updated 2026-10-30

Quick answer

Top-ranked fire-resistant picks for the zones nearest the house: groundcovers, Fire Spinner ice plant and Hens and chicks; perennials, Harebells and Poppy Mallow. Picks come from CSU Extension's ignition-resistant list and Plant Select's. No plant is fireproof: CSU says plant choice, spacing and maintenance all count.

Top picks by type

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Every pick scores 8 or higher on CSU Extension's 2025 ignition-resistant list, CSU's bar for the first 30 feet (or, with no CSU score, is on Plant Select's fire-resistant list), and is hardy to zone 5, which covers most of the Front Range (in the coldest zone 4 spots, check the plant page), fine in alkaline soil, and free of invasive, spreading and fails-here flags; picks then rank by CSU's ignitability score (10 is least ignitable) plus a point each for Colorado native, low water, in stock at a retailer we track, and Plant Select, with ties going alphabetically.

Top 8 groundcovers

  1. 1Fire Spinner ice plantTricolor blooms (orange-pink-purple), looks like a sunset. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.
  2. 2Hens and chicksSucculent rosettes; produces 'chicks' that detach and root. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.
  3. 3Mat penstemonNative mat-forming penstemon with intense blue-purple blooms. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  4. 4Russian stonecropMore restrained than S. spurium; star-shaped yellow blooms age to orange. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.
  5. 5STARBURST™ ice plantPink daisies with white centers, late spring through summer; succulent foliage. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.
  6. 6Turquoise Tails blue sedumDistinctive blue-green needle-like foliage; arching habit; pale yellow flowers in summer. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.
  7. 7Silverheels horehoundSilver-white round leaves form a velvet mat; pollinator-friendly white flower whorls. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  8. 8Small-leaf pussytoesNative silvery mat with fuzzy white flowers. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.

Top 8 perennials

  1. 1HarebellsBlue and purple flowers in summer into fall, low water, 12 in tall. CSU ignitability score 9.5 of 10.
  2. 2Poppy MallowWhite and pink flowers in summer, low water, 6 in tall. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  3. 3western spring beautyWhite flowers in spring, 6 to 18 in tall. CSU ignitability score 9.5 of 10.
  4. 4Beardlip penstemonNative penstemon with vivid red tubular flowers, hummingbird magnet. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  5. 5BlanketflowerYellow and red flowers in summer into fall, low water, 12 in tall. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  6. 6Blue FlaxBlue flowers in spring into summer, low water, 18 in tall. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  7. 7Blue Mist PenstemonBlue and purple flowers in spring into summer, low water, 12 in tall. CSU ignitability score 8 of 10.
  8. 8dayliliesYellow and red flowers in summer, low to medium water, 12 to 36 in tall. CSU ignitability score 10 of 10.

No plant is fireproof

CSU Extension rates plants on a 0 to 10 ignitability scale, where 10 is the least ignitable, recommends only plants scoring 8, 9 or 10 for the first 30 feet around a building, and says no plant is fireproof. Plant choice, spacing and maintenance all count. Where a plant goes matters too, and CSU/CSFS Fact Sheet 6.303 splits the yard into three zones from the edge of the house, eaves and decks included:

For the full zone-by-zone picture, see our defensible space guide.

All 53 plants

Filter these by sun, size and water in the finder

Opens groundcovers; the same filter works for perennials.

One type at a time

Ranked pages with a side-by-side table: groundcovers. For mulch, spacing and upkeep, see the fire-resistant landscaping guide.

Why there is no tree list

CSU Extension's Fact Sheet 6.305 has no tree section: its tables cover flowers, groundcovers, shrubs, cacti and turf. Of the trees in Plant Finder, 1 matches a row on it: Saskatoon Serviceberry (7.5). That is too few for a ranked list, and CSU recommends only scores of 8 to 10 within 30 feet of a building.

What CSU does say about trees is clear enough to act on. Junipers, pines, firs and spruces are its common ignitable trees, burning on oil and pitch even when watered. Its rule: "Do not plant new evergreens in zone 2" (5-30 ft). The other side of the coin: "Healthy deciduous trees are less likely to ignite, so they are a better choice for defensible space zones 2 and 3."

Spacing does the rest. CSU's Fire-Adapted Landscaping Practices says to keep existing evergreens near the house thinned to 10 to 15 feet between canopies, to plant new trees on 20 to 25 foot spacing farther out, and to limb trees up 6 to 10 feet without removing more than a third of the height.

Browse trees in the finder and, as CSU advises, favor healthy deciduous ones for zones 2 and 3.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best fire-resistant plants for Colorado?
Our top-ranked picks: for groundcovers, Fire Spinner ice plant, Hens and chicks, and Mat penstemon (top of 15 that qualify); for perennials, Harebells, Poppy Mallow, and western spring beauty (top of 32 that qualify). Each is on CSU Extension's ignition-resistant list or Plant Select's, hardy to zone 5 (most of the Front Range; check the plant page in the coldest zone 4 spots) and fine in alkaline soil. No plant is fireproof, so spacing and upkeep still matter.
What makes a plant fire resistant?
CSU Extension scores plants on the Idaho Firewise 0 to 10 ignitability scale, where 10 is least ignitable. Attributes that decrease ignitability: low oil or resin content, high moisture content, soap, latex or pectin content, compact growth form, green stems, and drought tolerance. Attributes that increase it: high oil or resin content, low moisture content, tall growth, open form, fine wood (twiggy) stems, and high water need.
Which plants are most flammable near a house?
CSU Extension's list says: "Common ignitable trees are junipers, pines, firs and spruces. Common ignitable shrubs are Gambel oak, three-leaf sumac and mountain mahogany." Conifers burn because of their oil and pitch, even when well watered. CSU says not to plant new evergreens in zone 2 (5-30 ft), and to thin existing ones to a minimum canopy separation of 10-15 feet. Note that CSU still scores the 'Autumn Amber' three-leaf sumac cultivar 8, so the cultivar can suit zones 1 and 2 even though the species is ignitable.
Can I plant right next to my house?
Zone 1 is 0-5 ft from the structure. CSU Extension's ideal there is non-combustible ground: pavers, gravel, brick or bare ground, with no ignitable mulch. If you do plant, stick to plants scoring 8 or higher, and keep the area free of dry leaves and needles. Keep the nearest branch at least 5 feet from the house. Past that, zone 2 runs 5-30 ft, where small clusters of green, ignition-resistant plants work well; CSU's 8-or-higher bar covers this zone too (our list also holds unscored plants that only Plant Select lists as fire resistant).
Should I remove plants that are not fire resistant?
Not necessarily. CSU Extension's Fact Sheet 6.305 says the most important thing is upkeep, whatever a plant's rating: water regularly, do not let dead material build up, and keep clearance between limbs and the ground. Fact Sheet 6.303 adds that within 30 feet of the house you should remove shrubs beneath trees (they act as ladder fuels), keep grasses cut to 4 inches or less, space shrubs at least 2 1/2 times their mature height apart, and thin existing evergreens to 10-15 feet of canopy separation. Further out, in zone 3, remove dead or dying trees and shrubs.

Related guides

Sources

Ignitability scores come from CSU Extension Fact Sheet 6.305. Plants that only Plant Select lists carry no score and are shown for the zone 2 area only. Placement and maintenance guidance comes from Fact Sheet 6.303, which rates no plants.