Xeriscape plants for Colorado Springs
Last updated 2026-10-30
Quick answer
32 xeriscape plants for Colorado Springs are ranked here for Colorado Springs's specific conditions, drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension sources, then ordered for Colorado Springs's local hazards. Compare them below.
Colorado Springs is built for xeriscape. At about 6,035 feet it is one of the highest and sunniest Front Range cities, it gets only 16 to 17 inches of precipitation a year, and Utilities' watering rules and turf-replacement incentives all push the same direction: less lawn, more water-wise plants. The soil tells you which plants will thrive, fast-draining decomposed granite on the west side near the foothills, heavier alkaline clay on the east side, but both reward low-water species adapted to lean ground. Every plant below is rated low-water or xeric and is ranked here for the Springs' defining challenge: the Palmer Divide hail corridor, plus wind, fire-wise siting, and a real risk of late-spring cold.
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 Colorado Springs
Match the plant to your side of town: sharp-draining west-side granite suits true xeric natives that rot in wet clay, while the east-side clay holds moisture longer and tolerates low-to-medium water choices. Group plants by water need, mulch well, and water deeply but infrequently through the first season to establish them.
Top trees for Colorado Springs
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- Kentucky CoffeetreeGymnocladus dioicus60 to 75 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 3 to 8
Top shrubs for Colorado Springs
Small soapweed / Great Plains yuccaYucca glauca2 to 4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Three-leaf sumacRhus trilobata4 to 6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Common snowberrySymphoricarpos albus3 to 5 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 7
Smooth sumacRhus glabra8 to 15 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Adam's needle yuccaYucca filamentosa2 to 4 ftlow waterUSDA 4 to 10
Western sand cherryPrunus besseyi2 to 4 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Japanese barberryBerberis thunbergii2 to 5 ftlow to medium waterUSDA 4 to 8
Top perennials for Colorado Springs
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
Butterfly MilkweedAsclepias tuberosa18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Common YarrowAchillea millefolium18 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 9
Firecracker PenstemonPenstemon eatonii18 to 36 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
HarebellsCampanula rotundifolia12 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
Poppy MallowCallirhoe involucrata6 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Utah milkvetchAstragalus utahensis6 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3 to 8
evening primroseOenothera speciosa12 to 18 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4 to 8
Top groundcover for Colorado Springs
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
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
Silverheels horehoundMarrubium rotundifolium6 to 12 inlow waterUSDA 4 to 8
Turquoise Tails blue sedumSedum sediforme4 to 8 inlow waterUSDA 3 to 9
Kinnikinnick / bearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi4 to 8 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2 to 7
Angelina sedumSedum 'Angelina'3 to 6 inlow waterUSDA 3 to 9
Frequently asked questions
- Does xeriscaping mean rocks and no plants?
- No. Xeriscape is low-water landscaping, not zero-plant landscaping. The plants below give Colorado Springs yards full, living color and habitat on a fraction of the water a bluegrass lawn needs.
- Can I get a rebate for replacing lawn in Colorado Springs?
- Colorado Springs Utilities has run water-wise and turf-replacement incentives; check the current program on the Utilities site before you start, since terms change season to season.
- What grows in decomposed granite on the west side?
- Sharp-draining granite favors true xeric natives, many of the low-water shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials here prefer exactly that lean, fast-draining soil and struggle in soggy ground.
Related guides
All plants for Colorado Springs · Xeriscape plants for all of Colorado · Other Front Range cities