Front Range gardening, city by city

Colorado's Front Range isn't one climate — Boulder's chinook winds, the Palmer Divide's hail, Fort Collins's emerald ash borer, and Castle Rock's late frosts all change what to plant and how. Pick your city for local conditions, water rebates, and a plant list tuned to your area's challenges.

Find your city guide by ZIP code

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Aurora

Zone 5b–6a · 5,471 ft

Water-wise plants — plus Aurora's $3/sq ft lawn-replacement rebate.

Boulder

Zone 6a · 5,430 ft

Wind- and deer-tough, water-wise plants for the foothills' edge.

Castle Rock

Zone 5b · 6,224 ft

Hardy, low-water plants for a high, cold, hail-prone site — and Colorado's best turf rebate.

Colorado Springs

Zone 5b–6a · 6,035 ft

Hail-tough, water-wise picks for the high, sunny Palmer Divide.

Denver

Zone 6a · 5,280 ft

Heat-, hail-, and ash-borer-tough plants for high-desert clay.

Fort Collins

Zone 5b · 5,003 ft

Water-wise, EAB-proof picks for clay soil and erratic late frosts.

Greeley

Zone 5a–5b · 4,658 ft

Hardy, water-wise plants for the dry, windy plains — plus a $1/sq ft lawn rebate.

Longmont

Zone 5b–6a · 4,980 ft

Water-wise picks + expanded 2026 lawn-replacement rebates.

Loveland

Zone 5b · 4,980 ft

Tough, water-wise plants for clay soil and foothills deer.

More Front Range cities coming soon. Don't see yours? Pick the closest — but check your own utility and county extension for local specifics.

Colorado Front Range gardening: what every city shares

2026 drought & watering

After several below-average snowpack years, much of the Front Range entered Stage 1 drought in 2026, tightening outdoor watering (commonly 2–3 days/week, never 10 a.m.–6 p.m.). Stages and assigned days differ by utility and change seasonally — always check your provider's current rules. (source)

New Colorado turf rules (SB24-005 / HB25-1113)

As of January 1, 2026, Colorado law bars installing nonfunctional turf, artificial turf, and invasive species in new commercial, institutional, HOA-common-area, median, and right-of-way landscaping, with multifamily (>12 units) following in 2028. It targets new development — it does not require removing existing lawns. Confirm specifics with your local government. (source)

Your right to xeriscape (SB23-178)

Colorado law prevents HOAs from banning xeriscape or drought-tolerant landscaping, requires they offer pre-approved water-wise designs, and bars turf mandates — so you can convert to water-wise plants even under an HOA. (source)

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