Colorado native plants for Boulder
Last updated 2026-06-05
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.
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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
Juniper — One – SeedJuniperus monosperma10–20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Juniper — Rocky MountainJuniperus scopulorum15–30 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Pine — 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'Pinus flexilis25–30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–7
Pine — Bristlecone(foxtail)Pinus aristata15–30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–7
Douglas-fir — Rocky Mountain Douglas firPseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca40–80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–6
Fir — WhiteAbies concolor50–80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–7
Spruce — ColoradoPicea pungens50–75 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Spruce — Colorado Blue – BABY BLUE®, 'Baby Blue Eyes', 'Bakeri', 'Fastigiata', 'Fat Albert', 'Hoopsi', 'Colorado Weeping', 'Sester Dwarf'Picea pungens glauca15–50 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Top shrubs for Boulder
Apache plumeFallugia paradoxa4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata3–8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Cliff fendlerbushFendlera rupicola3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 5–8
Cliff roseCowania mexicana6–10 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
CliffrosePurshia mexicana4–8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
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
LeadplantAmorpha canescens2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Top perennials for Boulder
Bee Balm/HorsemintMonarda fistulosa24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Bigelow's TansyasterMachaeranthera bigelovii24–48 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
BlanketflowerGaillardia aristata12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–10
Blue FlaxLinum lewisii18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Bush SunflowerHelianthus pumilus20 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Butterfly MillkweedAsclepias tuberosa18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Chocolate FlowerBerlandiera lyrata18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Common YarrowAchillea millefolium18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Firecracker PenstemonPenstemon eatonii18–36 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Top groundcover for Boulder
Blue grama grassBouteloua gracilis8–18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–10
Buffalo grassBouteloua dactyloides4–8 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–10
Mat penstemonPenstemon caespitosus2–4 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Small-leaf pussytoesAntennaria parvifolia2–5 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Sulfur buckwheatEriogonum umbellatum6–12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Clustered field sedgeCarex praegracilis8–18 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Aromatic asterSymphyotrichum oblongifolium12–24 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Creeping Oregon grapeMahonia repens10–18 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Kinnikinnick / bearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi4–8 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
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.