Xeriscape plants for Aurora
Last updated 2026-10-30
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 to 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.
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 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
One-seed JuniperJuniperus monosperma10 to 20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Rocky Mountain Juniper (species)Juniperus scopulorum15 to 30 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Arizona CypressHesperocyparis arizonica30 to 50 ftlow waterUSDA 7 to 10- Arizona Cypress 'Blue Ice'Hesperocyparis arizonica20 to 30 ftlow waterUSDA 7 to 10
Singleleaf Pinyon PinePinus monophylla15 to 30 ftlow waterUSDA 3 to 7
'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' PinePinus flexilis25 to 30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 7
Thornless Common Honeylocust (IMPERIAL®)Gleditsia triacanthos40 to 50 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 9- Thornless Common Honeylocust (NORTHERN ACCLAIM®)Gleditsia triacanthos30 to 45 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 9
Amur MaackiaMaackia amurensis20 to 30 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 7
CoffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus50 to 70 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
Top shrubs for Aurora
Apache plumeFallugia paradoxa4 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Big sagebrushArtemisia tridentata3 to 8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Cliff fendlerbushFendlera rupicola3 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 5 to 8
CliffrosePurshia mexicana4 to 8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Common juniperJuniperus communis2 to 4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Curlleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifolius10 to 20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Dwarf wild indigoAmorpha nana1 to 2 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
FernbushChamaebatiaria millefolium4 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Fourwing saltbushAtriplex canescens3 to 8 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
LeadplantAmorpha canescens2 to 4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 9
Top perennials for Aurora
Bee Balm/HorsemintMonarda fistulosa24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Bigelow's TansyasterMachaeranthera bigelovii24 to 48 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
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
Blue Mist PenstemonPenstemon virens12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Bush SunflowerHelianthus pumilus20 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
Top groundcover for Aurora
Blue grama grassBouteloua gracilis8 to 18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 10
Buffalo grassBouteloua dactyloides4 to 8 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 10
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
DOG TUFF™ grassCynodon 'PWIN04S'4 to 6 inlow water
Fire Spinner ice plantDelosperma 'Fire Spinner'1 to 2 inlow waterUSDA 5 to 10
Hens and chicksSempervivum tectorum2 to 6 inlow waterUSDA 3 to 8- Mesa Verde ice plantDelosperma 'Kelaidis'1 to 3 inlow waterUSDA 5 to 10
Moroccan pincushion flowerPterocephalus depressus1 to 3 inlow waterUSDA 5 to 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.
Related guides
All plants for Aurora · Xeriscape plants for all of Colorado · Other Front Range cities