Ever watched your newly planted flowers shrivel under Colorado’s intense sun? Or witnessed your carefully selected shrubs surrender to our unpredictable spring freezes? You’re not alone. Colorado’s breathtaking landscape comes with equally breathtaking gardening challenges that leave even seasoned green thumbs scratching their heads.
But here’s the secret: Colorado gardening isn’t about fighting our unique climate. It’s about embracing it. With the right plant choices, your landscape can thrive despite our 300+ days of sunshine, dramatic temperature swings, and notoriously stubborn clay soil.
At Tagawa Gardens, we’ve spent over forty years helping Colorado gardeners transform challenging yards into thriving, beautiful spaces. We’ve discovered that successful Colorado landscaping isn’t about luck but knowledge. The plants you select can distinguish between constant frustration and a garden that practically takes care of itself.
Ready to discover which plants are genuinely Colorado-tough? Let’s explore ten landscape superstars that don’t just survive here – they thrive here.
Understanding Colorado’s Unique Climate
Colorado’s landscape presents a fascinating paradox to gardeners. While our state boasts some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the country, replicating that beauty in our backyards requires understanding the distinct challenges our climate presents.
Denver’s thin atmosphere filters less ultraviolet radiation at 5,280 feet above sea level (and much higher in mountain communities). This means plants receive about 30% more intense sunlight than at sea level, simultaneously a blessing and a challenge. However, this elevation also creates dramatic temperature fluctuations that can swing 40 degrees daily, shocking sensitive plants.
Our semi-arid climate delivers another obstacle: moisture, or rather, the lack of it. With average annual precipitation of just 15 inches in the Front Range (compared to 30+ inches in many eastern states), Colorado plants must be drought-tolerant by necessity. Even our groundwater can be challenging, with high mineral content that affects certain sensitive species.
Then there’s our notorious clay soil – dense, alkaline, and often poorly draining. While rich in minerals, this heavy soil requires amendment and careful plant selection to support vibrant growth.
Yet these challenges create opportunity. By selecting plants adapted to these conditions, you can make a landscape that survives and thrives with minimal intervention. The right Colorado-friendly plants don’t fight our climate—they harness it to create spectacular, sustainable landscapes that celebrate our unique growing environment.
Top 10 Must-Have Plants for Colorado Landscapes
1. Lavender: Fragrant and Drought-Tolerant
Few plants capture Colorado’s essence like lavender. Native to Mediterranean regions with similar dry, sunny conditions, lavender thrives in our challenging climate while offering incredible sensory rewards. The silvery-gray foliage provides year-round structure, while summer’s purple blooms attract beneficial pollinators and release their signature calming fragrance.
English varieties like ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ perform beautifully in Front Range gardens. French lavenders such as ‘Grosso’ and ‘Provence’ can perform with additional care in the right environment. Spanish lavender is more tender in our region and does best planted in a container as an annual. Plant lavender in full sun with well-draining soil, and it will reward you with years of aromatic beauty while barely sipping water.
2. Coneflower (Echinacea): A Hardy Perennial Favorite
If there’s a poster child for resilient Colorado perennials, it might be the coneflower. These native prairie plants have evolved to handle everything our state throws at them – blazing sun, parching drought, and temperature swings that would devastate lesser plants. Their distinctive daisy-like blooms with raised central cones create months of summer color while providing essential food for bees, butterflies, and goldfinches.
Beyond their classic purple, newer cultivars offer a rainbow of options from fiery reds to sunny yellows. I watched a Denver garden survive three weeks of vacation neglect during July, only to return and find the coneflowers looking better than ever – proof of their incredible durability. Plant them in groups of three or five for the most dramatic display, and don’t deadhead late-season blooms to provide winter bird food.
3. Yarrow: Low-Maintenance and Versatile
Yarrow practically defines “set it and forget it” gardening. This Colorado native spreads gradually to form drought-proof drifts of feathery foliage topped with flat flower clusters in whites, yellows, pinks, and reds. Its deep roots tap into moisture sources other plants can’t reach, while its natural compounds repel many garden pests.
I’ve seen yarrow thrive in spots where nothing else would grow – including a south-facing slope with compacted clay soil that turned into a beautiful flowering mound with zero supplemental water. For best results, plant yarrow in full sun and well-draining soil. The only maintenance it needs? Occasional division every few years to keep colonies vigorous and blooming profusely.
4. Ornamental Grasses: Adding Texture and Movement
No Colorado landscape feels complete without the graceful movement of ornamental grasses. Unlike thirsty turf lawns, these architectural plants create visual interest through all four seasons while requiring minimal care. From the arching blue blades of Blue Avena to the dramatic vertical presence of Karl Foerster feather reed grass, these plants bring movement and sound to the garden.
What makes grasses exceptional Colorado choices? Their fibrous root systems excel at binding our erosion-prone soils, and their natural growth patterns require no supplemental water once established. Many natives evolved explicitly for our climate, like little bluestem and buffalo grass. They create spectacular fall color followed by winter interest as their seed heads catch snow and morning frost.
5. Juniper: A Reliable Evergreen Choice
When Colorado’s deciduous plants surrender their leaves to winter, junipers become steadfast guardians of color and structure. These rugged evergreens thrive in challenging conditions, with varieties ranging from ground-hugging spreaders to statuesque sentinels that can reach 15 feet tall. Their blue-green to silver foliage provides essential winter interest while serving as crucial shelter for birds and wildlife.
At a client’s mountain property outside Boulder, junipers grew through drought conditions that decimated nearby non-native plantings. Their natural oils make them remarkably resistant to deer browsing – a significant advantage in foothill communities, for the best results, plant junipers in full sun with excellent drainage, and avoid overhead watering which can lead to fungal issues. Once established, they’ll reward you with decades of trouble-free performance with virtually no maintenance required.
6. Two choices, depending upon altitude:
A. For above 7500’: Aspen Trees: Colorado’s Iconic BeautyNothing captures Colorado’s mountain essence quite like the quaking aspen. With their distinctive white bark and heart-shaped leaves that shimmer in the slightest breeze, these native trees create instant mountain charm in urban landscapes. Their spectacular golden fall color transforms gardens into enchanted spaces that glow from within.
B. For below 7500’: Serviceberry Tree: A Tree That Has It All!
These tree-form cultivars of western native shrubs are a beautiful and useful ornamental for Front Range landscapes. The elegant, branching structure carries clouds of white flowers in April that give way to pleasant, shade-giving green foliage through the summer. Juicy and delicious blueberry-like berries follow in August and early September, followed by stunning orange-red fall foliage. This tree is full to part-sun loving and is cold hardy, somewhat drought tolerant and will adapt to clay soils
While aspens require more water than some of our other selections, their benefits justify the extra attention. They grow quickly, provide dappled shade perfect for understory plantings, and create natural cooling around homes. For success with aspens, plant them where they’ll receive morning sun but afternoon shade, provide consistent moisture for the first two seasons, and allow them room to develop their natural colony structure through root suckers.
7. Rabbitbrush: A Native and Resilient Shrub
Often overlooked yet incredibly valuable, rabbitbrush delivers multiple seasons of interest while thriving in Colorado’s harshest conditions. This native shrub’s silvery-gray foliage creates beautiful textural contrast all summer. When most other plants have finished blooming in late summer, they explode with golden-yellow flowers. These late-season blooms provide crucial nectar for migrating butterflies and native bees.
I’ve watched rabbitbrush flourish in abandoned lots and roadside medians without care – testament to its incredible resilience. In home landscapes, it serves as an excellent backdrop for more showy perennials while providing structure during winter months. Plant rabbitbrush in full sun with well-draining soil, and be prepared to explain to neighbors that this Colorado native is intentional – not a weed!
8. Sedum: Succulent and Easy to Grow
If high-maintenance plants have burned you, sedum offers sweet redemption. These succulent perennials store water in their fleshy leaves, making them virtually bulletproof in Colorado’s dry conditions. From ground-hugging varieties like ‘Dragon’s Blood’ that create living carpets to upright types like ‘Autumn Joy’ that provide late-season blooms, sedums offer incredible versatility with minimal fuss.
Sedums are particularly valuable in Colorado landscapes because they thrive in poor, rocky soil that would stunt most other plants. Last summer, I watched a neighbor’s sedum garden flourish despite water restrictions that left other yards looking parched. Their shallow root systems make them perfect for rock gardens, containers, and problematic spots where soil depth is limited. Plant them in full sun, provide excellent drainage, and resist the urge to overwater—these plants prefer to dry out between waterings.
9. Currant Bushes: Berries and Beauty
Why settle for merely ornamental plants when you can have beauty and bounty? Native currant bushes deliver on both fronts, offering fragrant spring flowers, summer berries, and brilliant fall color. These adaptable shrubs evolved explicitly for Colorado’s challenging climate, with built-in resistance to our temperature swings and ability to thrive with minimal supplemental water.
Golden currant (Ribes aureum) produces sweet yellow-to-black berries perfect for jellies and preserves, while creating habitat for native birds. Unlike fussier fruit plants, currants produce reliably without complex pruning or spraying regimens. They perform beautifully in partial shade, making them valuable additions to those tricky north-facing areas where many sun-loving plants struggle. Plant them where you can enjoy their springtime fragrance and easy harvest of nutritious berries.
10. Rocky Mountain Penstemon: Native Blooms
When it comes to show-stopping Colorado flowers that practically care for themselves, Rocky Mountain penstemon tops the list. These native wildflowers produce spikes of vivid blue-purple tubular blooms that hummingbirds find irresistible. Evolved explicitly for our challenging conditions, penstemons thrive in our poor soils and irregular rainfall patterns.
What makes penstemons truly special is their ability to reseed naturally, gradually establishing colonies that return year after year with zero effort. In my garden, a single planting has spread to create drifts of blue flowers that bloom reliably each May and June, regardless of late frosts or spring snowstorms. Plant penstemons in full sun with well-draining soil, avoid overwatering, and resist the urge to deadhead if you want them to establish self-sustaining colonies.
Tips for Success: Planting and Caring for Your Colorado Landscape
Essential Steps to a Thriving Garden
- Prepare your soil properly. Colorado’s heavy clay benefits immensely from organic matter. Work 2-3 inches of compost into your planting areas to improve drainage and create a healthier root environment.
- Time your planting strategically. Fall planting gives most perennials, trees and shrubs a significant advantage, allowing roots to establish during cooler months before summer’s heat arrives.
- Use proper planting techniques. When planting, dig holes twice as wide (but only as deep) as the root ball to encourage outward growth into the surrounding soil.
- Establish good watering habits. The first two years are critical for establishing drought-tolerant plants. Even xeric superstars need consistent moisture while developing their root systems. Consider installing drip irrigation to deliver water efficiently.
- Train plants for drought resilience. Once established, gradually reducing watering frequency while increasing duration trains plants to develop deeper roots.
- Apply mulch properly. A 2-3 inch layer of wood chips or shredded cedar helps retain soil moisture, moderates temperature extremes, and gradually improves soil structure. Keep mulch pulled back several inches from stems and trunks.
- Be cautious with fertilizer and resist the urge to fertilize heavily. Many Colorado natives and adapted plants perform better in lean soil conditions.
Conclusion
Colorado’s unique climate doesn’t have to be an obstacle to creating a beautiful landscape. By embracing plants that have evolved for or adapted to our challenging conditions, you can cultivate gardens that celebrate rather than fight our distinctive environment. The ten plants we’ve explored represent the beginning of possibilities for creating resilient, low-maintenance landscapes that capture Colorado’s natural beauty.
Successful Colorado gardening isn’t about forcing plants to conform to unrealistic expectations. It’s about working with nature rather than against it. When you select plants naturally equipped for our sunny, dry conditions, you’ll spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying your outdoor space.
At Tagawa Gardens, we’re committed to helping you discover the joy of growing what you love in Colorado’s unique conditions. Visit our 4-acre greenhouse to explore our extensive selection of Colorado-friendly plants and tap into decades of local gardening expertise. Together, we can transform your landscape into a thriving, beautiful space that honors our extraordinary Colorado environment. Have questions? Contact us today!
