Xeriscape plants for Aurora
Last updated 2026-06-05
Quick answer
40 xeriscape plants for Aurora are ranked here for Aurora's specific conditions — drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension sources, then ordered for Aurora's local hazards. Compare them below.
Aurora has pushed harder on water-wise landscaping than almost any Colorado city, and its yards reflect it. With only about 14–15 inches of precipitation a year, Aurora Water's lawn-replacement rebate (among the most generous on the Front Range), and the distinction of being the first Colorado city to ban cool-season turf in new development, xeriscape here isn't a trend — it's the default. The city's eastern and southern neighborhoods spread onto the open plains, so they catch more wind and hail and run a touch colder than Denver's core, over alkaline clay. Every plant below is rated low-water or xeric and ranked for Aurora's wind, hail, heat, and low rainfall, so you can cut irrigation and still keep a full, living yard.
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What this means in Aurora
Group plants by water need and mulch well so the truly xeric species aren't over-watered by their thirstier neighbors. Aurora's exposed eastern edge wants wind- and hail-tough choices; check Aurora Water's current rebate terms before you remove turf, since the per-square-foot incentive and rules change season to season.
Top trees for Aurora
Juniper — One – SeedJuniperus monosperma10–20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Juniper — Rocky MountainJuniperus scopulorum15–30 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Cypress — Arizona CypressHesperocyparis arizonica30–50 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10- Cypress — Arizona Cypress 'Blue Ice', CRYSTAL FROST™Hesperocyparis arizonica20–30 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10
Pine — Singleleaf PinyonPinus monophylla15–30 ftlow waterUSDA 3–7
Pine — 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'Pinus flexilis25–30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–7
Honeylocust — Thornless Common – IMPERIAL®, SHADEMASTER®, SKYLINE®Gleditsia triacanthos40–50 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9- Honeylocust — Thornless Common – NORTHERN ACCLAIM®Gleditsia triacanthos30–45 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–9
Coffeetree — Kentucky CoffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus60–75 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–8- Coffeetree — Kentucky Coffeetree – ESPRESSO®, DECAF®, SKINNY LATTE™, PRAIRIE TITAN™Gymnocladus dioicus50–70 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3–8
Top shrubs for Aurora
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 Aurora
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 Aurora
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
DOG TUFF™ grassCynodon 'PWIN04S'4–6 inlow water
Fire Spinner ice plantDelosperma 'Fire Spinner'1–2 inlow waterUSDA 5–10
Hens and chicksSempervivum tectorum2–6 inlow waterUSDA 3–8- Mesa Verde ice plantDelosperma 'Kelaidis'1–3 inlow waterUSDA 5–10
Moroccan pincushion flowerPterocephalus depressus1–3 inlow waterUSDA 5–9
Frequently asked questions
- How big is Aurora's lawn-replacement rebate?
- Aurora Water has offered one of the Front Range's most generous turf-replacement incentives (around $3 per square foot in recent years). Confirm the current rate and rules on the Aurora Water site before starting, as terms change yearly.
- Is xeriscape required in Aurora?
- Aurora was the first Colorado city to ban cool-season (bluegrass) turf in new development, so new landscapes lean water-wise by code. Existing yards aren't forced to convert, but rebates make it easy.
- What xeric plants handle Aurora's wind and hail?
- Tough, narrow-leaved, low-water natives and adapted species on this list rank highest for Aurora's exposed eastern edge — they take wind and bounce back from hail better than big tender foliage.