Colorado native plants for Boulder
Last updated 2026-10-30
Quick answer
37 colorado native plants for Boulder are ranked here for Boulder's specific conditions, drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension sources, then ordered for Boulder's local hazards. Compare them below.
Few Front Range cities are as well suited to native plants as Boulder. Sitting right at the foothills' edge around 5,430 feet, with heavy alkaline clay, downslope chinook winds, and steady deer pressure off the open space, Boulder rewards plants that evolved in exactly these conditions, natives shrug off the wind, the lean soil, and the dry spells that punish thirstier imports, and they feed local pollinators and birds in the bargain. Every plant below is a Colorado native suited to landscapes from the foothills to the plains, ranked here for Boulder's wind, deer browse, hail, and low-water reality so your yard works with the local ecology instead of fighting it.
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.
What this means in Boulder
Match the plant to Boulder's microclimates: foothills-adapted natives handle the rocky, fast-draining west side and the wind, while the heavier clay on the east side suits prairie species. Natives still need deep watering through their first couple of seasons to establish, and young trees want trunk protection from deer rub near the open space.
Top trees for Boulder
One-seed JuniperJuniperus monosperma10 to 20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Pinyon PinePinus edulis15 to 30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Ponderosa PinePinus ponderosa60 to 100 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 7
Rocky Mountain Douglas firPseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca40 to 80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 6
Rocky Mountain Juniper (species)Juniperus scopulorum15 to 30 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Colorado Blue SprucePicea pungens glauca15 to 50 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Colorado SprucePicea pungens50 to 75 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
White FirAbies concolor50 to 80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 7
Top shrubs for Boulder
Apache plumeFallugia paradoxa4 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata3 to 8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Common juniperJuniperus communis2 to 4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Curlleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifolius10 to 20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
FernbushChamaebatiaria millefolium4 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
LeadplantAmorpha canescens2 to 4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Mountain mahoganyCercocarpus montanus6 to 12 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
New Mexico privetForestiera neomexicana6 to 12 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Rubber rabbitbrushEricameria nauseosa3 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Silver buffaloberryShepherdia argentea8 to 18 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Top perennials for Boulder
Bee Balm/HorsemintMonarda fistulosa24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
BlanketflowerGaillardia aristata12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 10
Blue FlaxLinum lewisii18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Butterfly MilkweedAsclepias tuberosa18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Chocolate FlowerBerlandiera lyrata18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Common YarrowAchillea millefolium18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Desert Four O’ClockMirabilis multiflora18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Firecracker PenstemonPenstemon eatonii18 to 36 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Fringed SageArtemisia frigida12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Top groundcover for Boulder
Mat penstemonPenstemon caespitosus2 to 4 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Small-leaf pussytoesAntennaria parvifolia2 to 5 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Sulfur buckwheatEriogonum umbellatum6 to 12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Kinnikinnick / bearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi4 to 8 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Blue grama grassBouteloua gracilis8 to 18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 10
Buffalo grassBouteloua dactyloides4 to 8 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 10
Clustered field sedgeCarex praegracilis8 to 18 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Aromatic asterSymphyotrichum oblongifolium12 to 24 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Creeping Oregon grapeMahonia repens10 to 18 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Frequently asked questions
- Why plant natives in Boulder specifically?
- Boulder's foothills setting brings punishing chinook winds, lean alkaline clay, and heavy deer pressure, conditions Colorado natives already tolerate, so they need less water and fuss than imported ornamentals while supporting local pollinators.
- Are native plants deer-proof in Boulder?
- No plant is deer-proof, but many natives are less preferred. Near Boulder's open space, still protect young trunks from antler rub and expect some browsing on tender new growth.
- Where can I get native plants in Boulder?
- Boulder's water utility partners with Resource Central on water-wise and garden-in-a-box programs that feature regionally native and adapted plants; check their current offerings.
More Boulder guides
Related guides
All plants for Boulder · Native plants of Colorado · Other Front Range cities