Drought-tolerant natives · Denver / Front Range
Colorado Plant Select Natives
All are Colorado natives that thrive on low water once established (1–2 seasons of regular water first). “Plant Select” = vetted by the CSU / Denver Botanic Gardens Plant Select program.
Perennials & wildflowers
Perennial / Wildflower
Blanket flower
Gaillardia aristata
- Look / bloom
- Red & yellow daisy flowers, summer–fall
- Notes
- Long bloomer; avoid rich soil and overwatering
Perennial / Wildflower
Rocky Mountain penstemon
Penstemon strictus
- Look / bloom
- Blue-purple spikes, late spring
- Notes
- Pollinator magnet; needs sharp drainage
Plant SelectPerennial / Wildflower
Pineleaf penstemon
Penstemon pinifolius
- Look / bloom
- Orange-red tubular flowers, early summer
- Notes
- Low, needle-like foliage; hummingbirds
Perennial / Wildflower
Prairie coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
- Look / bloom
- Yellow or red sombrero flowers, summer
- Notes
- Reseeds readily
Perennial / Wildflower
Chocolate flower
Berlandiera lyrata
- Look / bloom
- Yellow daisies, summer–fall
- Notes
- Cocoa scent in the morning
Perennial / Wildflower
Sulphur-flower buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum
- Look / bloom
- Yellow umbels, summer
- Notes
- Rust-red fall color; very tough
Plant SelectPerennial / Wildflower
Hummingbird trumpet
Epilobium canum
- Look / bloom
- Scarlet trumpets, late summer–fall
- Notes
- Late nectar source for hummingbirds
Perennial / Wildflower
Purple prairie clover
Dalea purpurea
- Look / bloom
- Purple cone flowers, summer
- Notes
- Fixes nitrogen; deep taproot
Perennial / Wildflower
Scarlet globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea
- Look / bloom
- Orange-salmon cups, late spring–summer
- Notes
- Spreads by rhizomes in lean soil
Perennial / Wildflower
Desert four o'clock
Mirabilis multiflora
- Look / bloom
- Magenta flowers open in afternoon, summer
- Notes
- Huge taproot; hard to move once planted
Perennial / Wildflower
Blue flax
Linum lewisii
- Look / bloom
- Sky-blue flowers, late spring
- Notes
- Short-lived but self-seeds
Perennial / Wildflower
Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla patens
- Look / bloom
- Lavender cups, early spring
- Notes
- One of the first bloomers; fuzzy seed heads
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Grasses
Grass
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis
- Look / bloom
- Eyelash-shaped seed heads, summer
- Notes
- Colorado state grass; lawn alternative
Grass
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
- Look / bloom
- Blue-green summer, copper-red fall
- Notes
- Strong winter interest
Grass
Sideoats grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
- Look / bloom
- Seed spikelets hang off one side
- Notes
- Good in mixed prairie plantings
Grass
Buffalograss
Bouteloua dactyloides
- Look / bloom
- Low turf, fine texture
- Notes
- Low-water lawn; dormant/tan in winter
Grass
Indian ricegrass
Achnatherum hymenoides
- Look / bloom
- Airy, open seed heads, early summer
- Notes
- Needs sandy, very well-drained soil
Shrubs
Shrub
Rubber rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
- Look / bloom
- Gold flowers, late summer–fall
- Notes
- Spreads; place deliberately
Shrub
Fernbush
Chamaebatiaria millefolium
- Look / bloom
- White flower clusters, summer
- Notes
- Aromatic, fern-like foliage
Shrub
Apache plume
Fallugia paradoxa
- Look / bloom
- White flowers + pink feathery seed heads
- Notes
- Extremely drought tolerant
Shrub
Three-leaf sumac
Rhus trilobata
- Look / bloom
- Red berries; orange-red fall color
- Notes
- Spreads by suckers
Shrub
Mountain mahogany
Cercocarpus montanus
- Look / bloom
- Curly feathery seed tails, fall
- Notes
- Deer browse it; semi-evergreen
Shrub
Fringed sage
Artemisia frigida
- Look / bloom
- Silvery mounded foliage
- Notes
- Low groundcover-type sage
Shrub
Wax currant
Ribes cereum
- Look / bloom
- Pink tubular flowers; red berries
- Notes
- Early hummingbird and bird food
Trees
Tree
Rocky Mountain juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
- Look / bloom
- Evergreen; blue berry-like cones
- Notes
- Windbreak/screen; avoid near apples (rust)
Tree
Piñon pine
Pinus edulis
- Look / bloom
- Evergreen; edible pine nuts
- Notes
- Slow-growing; dislikes overwatering
Tree
Gambel oak
Quercus gambelii
- Look / bloom
- Deciduous; acorns
- Notes
- Forms thickets by suckering
