Xeriscape plants for Colorado Springs
Last updated 2026-06-05
Quick answer
40 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 16–17 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.
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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
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
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
Cypress — Arizona CypressHesperocyparis arizonica30–50 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10- Cypress — Arizona Cypress 'Blue Ice', CRYSTAL FROST™Hesperocyparis arizonica20–30 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10
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 Colorado Springs
Small soapweed / Great Plains yuccaYucca glauca2–4 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Three-leaf sumacRhus trilobata4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Apache plumeFallugia paradoxa4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–9
Cliff fendlerbushFendlera rupicola3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 5–8
Cliff roseCowania mexicana6–10 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Curlleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifolius10–20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
FernbushChamaebatiaria millefolium4–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Littleleaf mountain mahoganyCercocarpus intricatus3–6 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
New Mexico privetForestiera neomexicana6–12 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Rockspirea / mountain sprayHolodiscus dumosus3–5 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–8
Top perennials for Colorado Springs
Bee Balm/HorsemintMonarda fistulosa24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
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
GayfeatherLiatris punctata24 inlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–9
Top groundcover for Colorado Springs
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
Kinnikinnick / bearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi4–8 inlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Fire Spinner ice plantDelosperma 'Fire Spinner'1–2 inlow waterUSDA 5–10
Hens and chicksSempervivum tectorum2–6 inlow waterUSDA 3–8
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.