How many fire-resistant groundcovers does Plant Finder list?

15. Of those, 10 need low water and 3 are Colorado natives. The list is rebuilt from the plant data, so it grows when a source rates more plants.

Can I plant groundcovers right next to the house?

The first 5 feet (0-5 ft) are ideally non-combustible: pavers, brick, gravel or bare ground. If you do plant there, CSU Extension's bar is a score of 8 or higher, with the area kept clear of dry leaves and needles. Plants that only Plant Select lists carry no CSU score, so we show them for 5-30 ft only.

Can I use wood mulch around fire-resistant ground cover?

Not within 5 feet of the house. CSU says wood chips, bark, pine needles and shredded rubber readily carry fire. Out to 30 feet, gravel is the preferred mulch, with no landscape fabric underneath.

Fire-resistant ground cover for Colorado

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

Quick answer

The top three fire-resistant groundcovers for Colorado yards are Fire Spinner ice plant, Hens and chicks, and Mat penstemon, out of 15 that qualify. Each scores 8 or higher on CSU Extension's ignition-resistant list, or is on Plant Select's. No plant is fireproof: CSU says plant choice, spacing and maintenance all count.

Ground cover is the easiest fire-resistant planting to say yes to: low, green and, on this list, mostly low water. Every plant below scores 8 or higher on CSU's list or is on Plant Select's fire-resistant list.

All 15 groundcovers, ranked

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.

Filter these groundcovers by sun, size and water in the finder

At a glance

Plant	Mature height	Water	Colorado native	Hardiness	CSU score
Fire Spinner ice plant	1 to 2 in	low water	No	USDA 5 to 10	10/10
Hens and chicks	2 to 6 in	low water	No	USDA 3 to 8	10/10
Mat penstemon	2 to 4 in	low water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	8/10
Russian stonecrop	4 to 8 in	low water	No	USDA 3 to 9	10/10
STARBURST™ ice plant	2 to 4 in	low water	No	USDA 5 to 10	10/10
Turquoise Tails blue sedum	4 to 8 in	low water	No	USDA 3 to 9	10/10
Silverheels horehound	6 to 12 in	low water	No	USDA 4 to 8	8/10
Small-leaf pussytoes	2 to 5 in	low water	Yes	USDA 3 to 8	8/10
Basket of gold	6 to 12 in	low to medium water	No	USDA 3 to 7	8/10
Creeping thyme / wild thyme	1 to 3 in	low to medium water	No	USDA 4 to 9	8/10
Evergreen candytuft	8 to 12 in	low to medium water	No	USDA 3 to 9	8/10
Sun rose / rock rose	6 to 12 in	low water	No	USDA 5 to 8	8/10
Woolly veronica	1 to 3 in	low to medium water	No	USDA 3 to 8	8/10
Sulfur buckwheat	6 to 12 in	low water	Yes	USDA 4 to 8	Plant Select
Crystal River veronica	1 to 3 in	low to medium water	No	USDA 3 to 8	Plant Select

Mulch and gravel near the house

Ground cover and mulch work as a pair, and the mulch counts alongside the plant. CSU's Fire-Adapted Landscaping Practices draws the lines:

Zone 1 (0-5 ft). Ideally non-combustible: pavers, brick, gravel or bare ground. No wood chips, bark, pine needles or shredded rubber mulch. CSU adds a catch: gravel is harder to keep clear of fine debris than a smooth surface, because you cannot rake it clean as easily.
Zone 2 (5-30 ft). Mulch to hold moisture and cut weeds, and make it gravel: CSU prefers it because wood chips, bark, pine needles and shredded rubber readily carry fire. Skip the landscape fabric underneath, for plant health and for fire resistance.
Do not go all rock. CSU says an all-rock landscape is not necessarily the most fire-resistant, since green plants store water and slow a fire. That is the case for the plants on this page: small clusters of green ground cover, broken up by gravel and stepping stones.

Keep any ground cover clear of dead stems and leaf litter. CSU's rule of thumb is "clean and green," and even a high-scoring plant loses its edge once dead material piles up in it. More on mulch, spacing and upkeep is in our fire-resistant landscaping guide.

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:

Zone 1, 0-5 ft. Ideally non-combustible: pavers, gravel, bare ground.
Zone 2, 5-30 ft. Small, irregular clusters of green, ignition-resistant plants with breaks between them. Plants that only Plant Select lists, with no CSU score, are shown for this zone only.
Zone 3, 30-100 ft. Thin and space what is there. The fire ratings on this page do not cover this zone.

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best fire-resistant groundcovers for Colorado?: Our top-ranked picks are Fire Spinner ice plant, Hens and chicks, and Mat penstemon, the first three of 15 groundcovers that qualify. Each scores 8 or higher on CSU Extension's ignition-resistant list or is on Plant Select's fire-resistant list, is hardy to zone 5, and does fine in alkaline soil. No plant is fireproof, so spacing and upkeep still matter.
How many fire-resistant groundcovers does Plant Finder list?: 15. Of those, 10 need low water and 3 are Colorado natives. The list is rebuilt from the plant data, so it grows when a source rates more plants.
Can I plant groundcovers right next to the house?: The first 5 feet (0-5 ft) are ideally non-combustible: pavers, brick, gravel or bare ground. If you do plant there, CSU Extension's bar is a score of 8 or higher, with the area kept clear of dry leaves and needles. Plants that only Plant Select lists carry no CSU score, so we show them for 5-30 ft only.
Can I use wood mulch around fire-resistant ground cover?: Not within 5 feet of the house. CSU says wood chips, bark, pine needles and shredded rubber readily carry fire. Out to 30 feet, gravel is the preferred mulch, with no landscape fabric underneath.

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.