Low-water shrubs for the Colorado Front Range
Quick answer
71 plants make our list of low-water shrubs for the Colorado Front Range. Examples include American plum, Apache plume, Beardlip penstemon, Big sagebrush, and Cliff fendlerbush. Each is rated for Colorado Front Range conditions and drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension references.
Drought-tolerant shrubs that hold up to Front Range heat and water limits once established. Each is rated low or low-to-medium water.
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Compare these shrubs at a glance
| Plant | Mature height | Water | Colorado native | Hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American plum | 10–15 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–8 |
| Apache plume | 4–6 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 4–9 |
| Beardlip penstemon | 2–4 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–8 |
| Big sagebrush | 3–8 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–9 |
| Cliff fendlerbush | 3–6 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 5–8 |
| Cliff jamesia / waxflower | 3–6 ft | low to medium water | Yes | USDA 4–8 |
| Cliffrose | 4–8 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 4–8 |
| Common juniper | 2–4 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 2–7 |
| Common snowberry | 3–5 ft | low to medium water | Yes | USDA 3–7 |
| Curlleaf mountain mahogany | 10–20 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–8 |
| Dwarf wild indigo | 1–2 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 4–9 |
| Fernbush | 4–6 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 4–8 |
Ordered Colorado-native first, then alphabetically, not a quality ranking. Full list below.
All 71 plants
American plumPrunus americana10–15 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Apache plumeFallugia paradoxa4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Beardlip penstemonPenstemon barbatus2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata3–8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Cliff fendlerbushFendlera rupicola3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 5–8
Cliff jamesia / waxflowerJamesia americana3–6 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
CliffrosePurshia mexicana4–8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Common juniperJuniperus communis2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Common snowberrySymphoricarpos albus3–5 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–7
Curlleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifolius10–20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Dwarf wild indigoAmorpha nana1–2 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
FernbushChamaebatiaria millefolium4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Fourwing saltbushAtriplex canescens3–8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Fragrant sumacRhus aromatica2–3 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Golden currantRibes aureum5–8 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–8
LeadplantAmorpha canescens2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Leadplant / false indigo bushAmorpha fruticosa6–12 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Littleleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus intricatus3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Mountain mahoganyCercocarpus montanus6–12 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
New Mexico privetForestiera neomexicana6–12 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Rockspirea / mountain sprayHolodiscus dumosus3–5 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8Roundleaf buffaloberryShepherdia rotundifolia3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 5–8
Rubber rabbitbrushEricameria nauseosa3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Sand cherryPrunus pumila3–5 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Sand sagebrushArtemisia filifolia2–5 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Shrubby cinquefoilPotentilla fruticosa2–4 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Silver buffaloberryShepherdia argentea8–18 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Small soapweed / Great Plains yuccaYucca glauca2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Smooth sumacRhus glabra8–15 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Three-leaf sumacRhus trilobata4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Utah serviceberryAmelanchier utahensis10–15 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Wax currantRibes cereum3–5 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–8
Western sand cherryPrunus besseyi2–4 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Western snowberrySymphoricarpos occidentalis2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–7
WinterfatKrascheninnikovia lanata1–3 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Wood's wild roseRosa woodsii4–6 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Adam's needle yuccaYucca filamentosa2–4 ftlow waterUSDA 4–10
Birchleaf spireaSpiraea betulifolia 'Tor'2–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–8
Blue mist spireaCaryopteris x clandonensis2–4 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Blue Star juniperJuniperus squamata 'Blue Star'1–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4–8
BLUE VELVET® honeysuckleLonicera korolkowii 'Floribunda'8–12 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9
Butterfly bushBuddleja davidii5–8 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Compact Oregon grapeMahonia aquifolium 'Compactum'2–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Creeping juniperJuniperus horizontalis1–2 ftlow waterUSDA 3–9Electric Blanket roseRosa 'Korpancom'2–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Flower Carpet Coral roseRosa 'Noala'2–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Hansa roseRosa rugosa 'Hansa'4–5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9
Japanese barberryBerberis thunbergii2–5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4–8
Japanese garden juniperJuniperus procumbens 'Nana'1 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4–9
Knock Out roseRosa 'Radrazz'3–4 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Lena broomCytisus 'Lena'3–5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–8Platinum sageSalvia daghestanica1 ftlow waterUSDA 4–9
Red yuccaHesperaloe parviflora2–4 ftlow waterUSDA 5–11
Redleaf roseRosa glauca4–7 ftlow waterUSDA 3–9Ruby Voodoo roseRosa 'Ruby Voodoo'4–5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9
- Rugosa / beach roseRosa rugosa4–6 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9
Russian oliveElaeagnus angustifolia15–30 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 2–7
Russian sageSalvia yangii2–4 ftlow waterUSDA 4–9
Saltcedar / tamariskTamarix ramosissima12–20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 2–8
Savin juniperJuniperus sabina1–3 ftlow waterUSDA 3–7
Scarlet firethornPyracantha coccinea6–12 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Sea buckthornHippophae rhamnoides10–20 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–8
Sea Foam sageArtemisia versicolor 'Sea Foam'1 ftlow waterUSDA 3–9
Siberian pea shrubCaragana arborescens10–18 ftlow waterUSDA 2–7
Silver fountain butterfly bushBuddleja alternifolia8–12 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 5–9
Smoke bush / smoke treeCotinus coggygria10–15 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4–8
SPANISH GOLD® broomCytisus purgans2–4 ftlow waterUSDA 5–8
Sungari redbead cotoneasterCotoneaster racemiflorus var. soongoricus6–10 ftlow waterUSDA 4–7
Sunrise Sunset roseRosa 'BAIset'2–3 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4–9
TIDY Littleleaf peashrubCaragana microphylla 'Tidy'3–4 ftlow waterUSDA 2–7
Wayfaring tree viburnumViburnum lantana8–12 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–8
Frequently asked questions
- How big do these shrubs get?
- Mature heights range from about 1 to 30 ft across the 71 shrubs on this list. Each plant's page lists its exact mature size and spread.
- Which of these are Colorado native?
- 36 of the 71 shrubs are Colorado natives, including American plum, Apache plume, Beardlip penstemon, and Big sagebrush.
- How much water do these plants need?
- Every plant here is rated low or low-to-medium water on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List once established, water-wise choices for Colorado's semi-arid climate.
- How were these plants selected?
- Each of the 71 plants meets this page's criteria and is cross-referenced against the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List, CSU Extension, Denver Botanic Gardens, and USDA PLANTS. This is a reference guide, not a paid listing.
Related guides
- Colorado native shrubs for the Front Range
- Privacy and hedge shrubs for Colorado
- Front Range plants that are toxic to dogs
- Deer-resistant plants for the Front Range
- Fast-growing screening shrubs for the Colorado Front Range
- Salt-tolerant trees and shrubs for the Front Range
- Hail-tolerant trees and shrubs for the Front Range