Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado

Colorado has a wealth of native plants, colorful wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees that are well adapted to our variable climate, soils, temperatures, and elevations. The Colorado Native Plant Society (CoNPS) recommends the use of native plants in landscaping, both because of their adaptability and because Colorado has a unique regional horticulture worth promoting and protecting. Native plants, especially local ecotypes, contain the genetic history of the area and will survive that especially cold, wet spring or unusually hot, dry year. Local ecotypes, from near the area to be planted, will also maintain more natural sources of food for local wildlife and insect species. There are several display gardens on the Front Range that feature plants native to Colorado. Please check in your area and visit them for ideas.

Guidelines for obtaining Native Species:

• Check with local nature centers or experts for recommendations. • Read labels on “wildflower” mixes to verify they don’t include noxious weed species. A complete list of the Noxious Weeds of Colorado can be obtained from the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Weed Management Program. Also check with your County Extension Agent. • Ask for plants by their scientific name as common names may vary. • Buy from reputable nurseries; ask about the origin of seed and plants. • Seed/plant gathering from public lands is typically prohibited (this includes the National Park Service). Special use permits are available from the US Forest Service & the Bureau of Land Management.

The species list that follows is primarily for landscaping along the Front Range of Colorado, east of the Continental Divide. Included are recommended and generally available wildflowers, grasses, small/medium shrubs, and large shrubs/small trees as well as some basic habitat information. For sources of container-grown plants, check Colorado nurseries. (A list of Colorado Plant Vendors can be found on the Colorado Native Plant Society web page: http://conps.org/horticulture_and_restoration.html). More natives are being grown all the time and as the demand increases, so will the supply. If you don’t see something you want, ask for it.

The Colorado Native Plant Society’s Horticulture and Restoration Committee welcomes additional information regarding the use of natives. Please send your comments to Horticulture and Restoration Committee, CoNPS, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. For more Information about the Society, please visit our webpage at http://conps.org.

Revised April 2008 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

FORBS / HERBACEOUS PERRENNIALS (Some annuals/biennials) Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Arnica (Heart-leaved Golden yellow; Sun/ part shade; To 10,000 Sunny daisies top heart-shaped leaves; Arnica cordifolia 1 - 2 arnica) Early summer Moist to dry feet? rhizomatous clumps make nice ground cover Aspen daisy (Showy Lavender with Sun/ part shade; Daisy flowers attract butterflies; rich green Erigeron speciosus 1 - 2 To 9,500 feet daisy) yellow; Summer Moist to dry foliage Golden yellow Attracts butterflies; biennial/short-lived Part sun/ shade; Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta with brown; Late 1 - 2.5 To 9,000 feet perennial that readily reseeds; commonly Moist to dry summer found in dry mountain meadows Small daisies have fuzzy, gray-green leaves; Yellow to orange- Sun; Dry/ well- prefers well-drained soil; note that most large- Blanket flower Gaillardia aristata yellow with red; 1 - 2 To 9,000 feet drained flowered commercial varieties are non-native Summer hybrids Saucer-shaped flowers top fine, arching Adenolinum (Linum) Sun; Dry/ well- Blue flax Blue; Late spring 0.5 - 1 To 9,500 feet stems; confirm commercial seeds/plants are lewisii drained not the more common European varieties Profuse cluster of small spikes top dense Blue mist penstemon Blue-violet; Late Sun/ part sun; Penstemon virens 0.25 - 1 To 10,000 feet clumps of bright green leaves; good for rock (Greenleaf penstemon) spring/ summer Dry/ well-drained gardens; available by seed Magenta; Large, mounding plants with narrow green Sun/ part shade; Bush morning glory Ipomea leptophylla Summer/ early 2- 3 To 7,000 feet leaves; heavy boomer; long-lived from huge Dry/ well-drained fall tap root; prefers sandy, well-drained soils Showy flower clusters attract butterflies; dark Butterfly weed (Butterfly Sun/ part shade; Asclepias tuberosa Orange; Summer 1 - 2 To 7,500 feet green, linear leaves are larval food for milkweed; Pleurisy root) Dry/ well-drained monarch butterflies; emerges late in spring Chocolate flower (Green Sun; Dry/ well- Morning-blooming daisies smell like chocolate! Berlandiera lyrata Yellow; Summer 1 – 1.5 To 8,000 feet eyes) drained Clumping plant with gray-green foliage. Lavender-blue Colorado State flower; large flower spurs Part sun/ shade; Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia caerulea and white; 1-3 To 11,000 feet attract hummingbirds; attractive lobed leaves Moist Summer turn reddish in fall; rich, organic soils Rose pink; Trumpet-shaped flowers open in afternoon; Sun/ part shade; Desert Four O’clock Mirabilis multiflora Summer/ early 1- 2.5 To 8,000 feet large mounding plant with heart-shaped Moist to Dry fall leaves Yellow, small; Sun; Dry/ well- Woody perennial with feathery, silver-gray Fringed sage Artemisia frigida 0.5 -1 To 10,000 feet Summer drained foliage and insignificant flowers; aromatic Yellow; Spring/ Sun/ part shade; Showy spikes of pea-like flowers attract bees; Golden banner Thermopsis divaricarpa 1 - 2 To 11,000 feet early summer Moist to dry readily spreads by rhizomes Several different species, all with clusters of Sun/ part shade; Goldenrod Solidago spp. Yellow; Summer 1-3 (4) To 7,000 feet numerous, small flowers; attract butterflies and Moist to dry bees; most are rhizomatous

Page 2 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Harebell (Bluebells; Lavender; Sun/ shade; Delicate dark green foliage bears nodding bell- Campanula rotundifolia 0.5 - 1 To 13,000 feet Bluebells of Scotland) Summer Moist to dry shaped flowers Heath aster (White prairie Virgulus (Aster) ericoides; Sun/ part shade; Miniature daisies cover bushy stems; White; Summer 1 – 2.5 To 7,500 feet? Daisy) V. (A.) falcatus Dry/ well-drained rhizomatous with small linear leaves White, lavender Spikes of small, pea-shaped flowers; palm- Sun; Moist to Lupine (silver lupine) Lupinus argenteus and/or purple; 1 - 3 To 10,000 feet shaped leaves can capture beads of water; dry/ well-drained Summer good in poor soils Yellow; Summer/ Sun/ part shade; Tall perennial sunflower with narrow green Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliana 5 - 8 To 6,500 feet early fall Moist to Dry leaves; spreads aggressively by rhizomes Pink to bluish Tubular flowers born on single side of flower One-sided penstemon Sun/ part shade; Penstemon secundiflorus lavender; 0.5 - 1.5 To 9,500 feet stalk; readily reseeds; attracts bees and (Sidebells penstemon) Dry/ well-drained Summer hummingbirds; waxy blue-green leaves Pulsatilla ludoviciana (P. Lavender; Early Sun/ part shade; Mounding plant with cup-shaped flowers, Pasque flower 0.5 - 1 To 9,000 feet patens) spring Moist to Dry followed by feathery seed heads Sun; Moist or Erect plant with silvery foliage and clusters of Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea White; Summer 1 - 2 To 10,000 feet Dry “straw” flowers; excellent dried flower Yellow with brown Flower heads of prominent cylindrical cone Sun; Dry/ well- Prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera center; Late 1 - 2.5 To 7,500 feet surrounded by drooping flower petals; tall, drained summer slender stems; short-lived (readily reseeds) Yellow, small; Sun/ part shade; Aromatic, silvery-white foliage with insignif- Prairie sage (Sagewort) Artemisia ludoviciana 1 - 2.5 To 10,000 feet Summer Dry/ well-drained icant flowers; readily spreads by rhizomes Purple with white; Sun/ part shade; Small, hooded flowers cover neat mounds of Prairie skullcap Scutellaria resinosa 0.5 ? Late spring Dry/ well-drained upright stems; reblooms with summer moisture Sun/ part shade; Nodding flowers followed by long, feathery Prairie smoke Geum triflorum Rose pink; Spring 0.5 - 1 To 10,000 feet Moist to part dry seed pods; ferny green foliage Opuntia macrorhiza Yellow/ yellow, Very large and showy flowers attract bees; 0.25 - Sun; Dry/ well- Prickly pear cacti (compressa) and O. orange or pink; To 7,500 feet? succulent stems have either sparse or many 0.5 drained polyacantha Summer spines depending on species Large flower spikes can continue to bloom into Yellow; Late Sun/ part shade; Prince’s plume Stanleya pinnata 2 - 4 To 9,000 feet summer with supplemental moisture; ensure spring Dry/ well-drained soil is well drained or plants are short-lived Purple coneflower Sun/ part shade; Erect plants with spreading petals that Lavender; (Narrow-leaved purple Echinacea angustifolia 1.5 – 2.5 Moist or Dry/ To 6,000 feet? surround a large, central “cone”; root is used Summer coneflower) well-drained medicinally Part sun/ shade; Purple fringe (Silky Purple with Spikes of “bottlebrush” flowers look great in Phacelia sericea 1 – 2.5 Moist but well- To 13,000 feet phacelia) orange; Summer rock garden; silky-gray divided leaves drained Magenta; Sprawling groundcover with saucer-shaped Purple poppy mallow Sun/ part shade; Callirhoe involucrata Summer/ early 0.5 - 1 To 7,000 feet flowers blooms all summer without (Wine Cups) Moist or Dry fall “deadheading”; dark green foliage Magenta to Sun; Dry/ well- Cylindrical heads of small, fragrant flowers; Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea 0.5 - 1.5 To 7,500 feet purple; Summer drained slender foliage with narrow leaflets

Page 3 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Cream to rose Sun/ part shade; Heads of small, clustered flowers resemble cat Antennaria parvifolia and 2 – 6 Pussytoes pink; Late spring/ Moist to dry/ To 11,000 feet paws; plants form large mats of silver-gray A. rosea inches summer well-drained foliage Pink to lavender; Sun/ part shade, Tall, slender plants topped with showy flower Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata 1 - 3 To 7,500 feet? Summer Dry/ well-drained heads; reseeding annual; available by seed Rocky Mountain Deep blue to Sun/ part shade, Loose spikes of tubular flowers attract bees Penstemon strictus 1 – 2.5 To 10,000 feet penstemon purple; Summer Dry/ well-drained and hummingbirds;glossy green leaves Sun/ part shade; Trumpet shaped flowers attract hummingbirds; Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata Red; Summer 1 – 2.5 To 9,000 feet Moist or Dry biennial that readily reseeds Orange-red; Late Sun; Dry/ well- Saucer-shaped flowers born on gray, hairy, Scarlet globe mallow Sphaeralcea coccinea 0.5 - 1 To 8,000 feet spring/ summer drained palm-shaped foliage; spreads by rhizomes Aster laevis Lavender; Part sun/ shade; Branched heads of small daisies; glaucous Smooth blue aster 1 – 2.5 To 7,000 feet (Symphyotrichum leave) Summer Moist or dry green leaves clasp sprawling stems Spiderwort (Western Blue/purple; Sun/ part shade, Arching, grass-like foliage bears waxy, 3- Tradescantia occidentalis 0.5 - 2 To 8,000 feet spiderwort) Summer Moist to dry petaled flowers Spotted gayfeather Rose-purple; Late Sun; Dry/ well- Stout spikes of fringed flowers attract Liatris punctata 0.5 – 1 To 7,500 feet (Dotted gayfeather) summer drained butterflies; rigid linear leaves Sun; Dry/ well- Floral bracts turn a rich russet color with age; Sulphur flower Eriogonum umbellatum Yellow; Summer 4" - 1 To 10,500 feet drained mats of gray or green leaves turn red in fall Machaeranthera Lavender; Late Sun; Dry/ well- Erect stems of small daisy flowers; plants are Tansy aster (Hoary aster) 0.5 – 2.5 To 8,000 feet? canescens summer/ fall drained short-lived but readily reseed Pink buds open to large, fragrant flowers that White; Late Sun; Dry/ well- Tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa 0.5 To 9,000 feet fade pink once again; blooms in early evening; spring/ summer drained tolerates heavy clay Yellow/orange; Large and showy flower heads; watch for Erysimum asperum; E. Western wallflower Late spring/ 0.5 - 2 Sun, Dry To 8,000 feet? native species—many commercial varieties capitatum summer are non-native; biennial/ short-lived perennial Flat-topped flower clusters; spreads by White yarrow (Western Sun/ part shade; Achillea lanulosa White; Summer 0.5 - 2 To 10,500 feet rhizomes; watch for native species—most yarrow; Woolly yarrow) Moist or dry commercial varieties are non-native Rose pink; Sun/ part shade, Large flowers attract butterflies; upright, Wild bergamot (Beebalm) Monarda fistulosa 1 - 2 To 9,000 feet Summer Moist to dry aromatic foliage Clusters of small flowers on sprawling stems Wild verbena (Spreading Glandularia (Verbena) Lavender; Late Sun; Dry/ well- 0.5 - 1 To 8,000 feet with cleft leaves; prolific bloomer can be short- vervain) bipinnatifida spring/ summer drained lived but readily reseeds Rose pink; Clumping plants with deep green foliage; Sun/ part shade, Windflower Anemone multifida Spring/ early 1 - 2 To 10,000 feet delicate flowers mature into fluffy seed heads; Moist summer prefers rich, organic soils Calylophus Yellow evening primrose Sun/ part shade; Long-blooming, 4-petaled flowers; both lavandulifolius; C. Yellow; Summer 0.5 - 1 To 7,000 feet (Sundrops) Dry/ well-drained species good placed at front of border serrulatus

Page 4 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

GRASSES (Ornamental and Turf-Type) Garden Use; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides 2 - 4 To 7,500 feet Large, airy inflorescence; fine-textured foliage Summer Moist to dry Sun/ part shade; Clumping bunchgrass; doesn’t tolerate foot Arizona fescue Festuca arizonica Turf; Spring 1 - 3 To 10,000 feet Dry traffic well Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Tall bunchgrass turns red in fall; “turkey-foot” Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii 2 - 7 To 7,500 feet Summer Moist to dry inflorescence Blue grama (Eyelash Chondrosum gracile Ornamental/Turf; Sun/ part shade; Colorado State grass; bunchgrass with flag- .5 - 1.5 To 9,500 feet grass) (Bouteloua gracilis) Summer Dry like inflorescence resembling eyelashes 4 – 6 Sun; Moist to Stoloniferous sod-former; stays green with Buffalograss Buchloe dactyloides Turf; Summer To 6,500 feet inches Dry occasional irrigation; tolerates clay Ornamental; Late Sun/ part shade; Upright bunchgrass produces narrow panicle; Green needlegrass Nassella (Stipa) viridula 2 - 4 To 10,000 feet spring Moist to dry rich green foliage Indian grass (Yellow Sorghastrum avenaceum Ornamental; Tawny yellow inflorescence; large, upright 3 - 5 Dry-moist To 6,500 feet Indian grass) (S. nutans) Summer bunchgrass; glaucous foliage turns orange Achnatherum (Orzyopsis) Ornamental; Sun; Dry/ well- Tufted clumps of narrow leaves form airy Indian ricegrass 1 - 2 To 8,000 feet hymenoides Spring drained flower panicles; goes dormant in summer heat Junegrass (Prairie Ornamental/Turf; Sun/ part shade; Small bunchgrass with many open, pyramidal Koeleria macrantha 1 - 2 To 11,000 feet Junegrass) Early summer Moist to dry panicles Schizachyrium scoparium Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Upright bunchgrass; plants turn copper-red in Little bluestem 1.5 - 4 To 7,500 feet (Andropogon scoparius) Summer Moist to dry fall, when seed heads catch sunlight nicely Ornamental/Turf; Sun/ part shade; Densely tufted bunchgrass grows well under Mountain muhly Muhlenbergia montana 0.5 - 2 To 10,000 feet Summer Moist to dry Ponderosa pines; only be available by seed? Hesperostipa (Stipa) Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Short-lived bunch grass with open panicles of Needle-and-thread 1 - 2 To 7,500 feet comata Early summer Dry/ well-drained long-tailed seeds; catches sunlight nicely Hesperostipa (Stipa) Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Similar to above but seed “tails” are branched New Mexico feathergrass 1 - 2.5 To 7,500 feet? neomexicana Early summer Dry/ well-drained with feathery appearance Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Tall, sod-forming grass; ideal in marshes and Prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata 3 - 7 To 7,000 feet Summer Moist wet meadows; high forage value for wildlife Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Fine-textured leaves turn golden orange in fall; Prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis 1 - 2.5 To 7,500 feet? Summer Moist to dry substantial clumps make nice accent plant Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Tall, rhizomatous grass with thin panicles; Prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia 1.5 - 6 To 7,000 feet Summer Dry/ well-drained great in sandy soils; only available by seed? Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Small grass with unique, 1-sided spikes; slow Side-oats grama Bouteloua curtipendula 1 - 2.5 To 9,000 feet Summer Moist to dry spreading from rhizomes Ornamental; Sun/ part shade; Large open panicles top wide green leaves; Switchgrass Panicum virgatum 3 - 5 To 7,000 feet Summer Moist to dry tall, vase-shaped foliage turns red in fall Ornamental/Turf; Sun/ part shade; Dense bunchgrass forms open panicles; best Tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa 2.5 - 4 To 14,000 feet Early summer Moist in wet meadows or along streambanks Pascopyrum (Agropyron) Turf; Early Sun/ part shade; Tall sod grass with glaucous blue foliage; Western wheatgrass 1 - 2.5 To 9,000 feet smithii summer Moist to dry adaptable to variety of habitats

Page 5 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

TREES & SHRUBS—SMALL/ MEDIUM SHRUBS Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Attractive prostrate to upright woody shrub; Light yellow; Late Sun; Dry / well- Antelope bitterbush Purshia tridentata 5 To 8,000 feet seeds eaten by small mammals; ideal on spring/ summer drained south-facing slopes or in dry, well-drained soils Open rounded shrub with small, semi- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa White; Summer 5 Sun; Dry To 8,000 feet evergreen leaves; white flowers followed by fuzzy pink seeds Oreobatus (Rubus) Sun/ part shade; Large and showy flowers; arching branches Boulder raspberry White; Summer 5 To 9,000 feet deliciosus Dry/ well-drained become flaky with age; wildlife eat the fruits Yellow; Late Sun; Dry/ well- To 10,000 Low sub-shrub is covered with flowers in late Broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae 1 summer drained feet? summer; yellow green foliage is evergreen Buckbrush (Fendler’s Sun; Dry/ well- Low, spiny shrub with clusters of small flowers; Ceanothus fendleri White; Summer 2 To 9,000 feet buckbrush) drained interesting triangular fruit Part shade/ Low growing evergreen shrub with needle-like Juniperus communis ssp. Common juniper Not Applicable 1.5 - 3 shade; Dry/ well- To 10,000 feet leaves; blue berry-like fruits attract small alpina drained mammals and birds; shade tolerant Open deciduous shrub with dense flowers in a Sun/ part shade; False indigo (Leadplant) Amorpha fruticosa Purple; Summer 4 - 6 To 6,000 feet? crowded raceme; deep green foliage turns moist bright yellow in fall Hairy gray leaves are sometimes evergreen; Inconspicuous; Sun; Dry/ well- Four-winged saltbush Atriplex canescens 2 - 6 To 8,000 feet four-winged seeds of female plants are eaten Summer drained by birds; foliage is highly palatable to wildlife Sun/ part shade; Open, upright to arching shrub; flowers can Bright yellow; Golden currant Ribes aureum 4 - 6 Moist to dry/ To 10,000 feet have pleasant clove scent flowers, black fruits Spring well-drained attract birds; lobed green leaves turn red in fall Part sun/ shade; Mat-forming groundcover with waxy, ever- White to pinkish; Kinnikinnick (Bear-berry) Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 0.5 - 1 Moist to dry/ To 10,000 feet green, leaves; small, urn-shaped flowers Spring well-drained produce red berries relished by wildlife. Leadplant (Silky Sun/ part shade; Pubescent, gray green foliage; flowers in Amorpha canescens Purple; Summer 2.5 – 3.5 To 7,500 feet leadplant) Dry/ well-drained spikes; tolerant of poor soils Little-leaf mountain Yellow; Late Sun/ part shade; Small evergreen shrub with linear, aromatic Cercocarpus intricatus 1 - 5 To 8,500 feet mahogany Spring Dry/ well-drained leaves on short spine-like stems Sun/ part shade; White to rose- Flowers clustered into showy heads; bark of Mountain ninebark Physocarpus monogynus 3 - 4 Moist to dry/ To 10,000 feet colored; Summer stems peel with age; seeds eaten by birds well-drained Oregon-grape (Holly Part shade/ Dense groundcover; with evergreen, holly-like Yellow; Early grape; Creeping Mahonia repens 1 – 1.5 shade; Moist to To 9,500 feet leaves, turn red in fall/winter; fragrant flower spring Mahonia) Dry/ well-drained clusters produce blue berries eaten by birds

Page 6 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Rabbitbrush (Rubber Flower clusters attract butterflies and other Chrysothamnus Yellow; Late Sun/ part shade; rabbitbrush; includes 1 - 6 To 9,000 feet beneficial insects; numerous subspecies differ nauseosus Summer Dry/ well-drained Dwarf blue & Tall Green) in size, growth habitat, and/or foliage color Red-berried elder (Red Sambucus microbotrys White to yellow; Sun/ part shade; Suckering shrub with attractive dark green 3 - 12 To 12,000 feet elderberry) (S. racemosa) Summer Moist compound leaves and red berries Attractive glossy leaves and red bark; flat Swida sericea (Cornus White; Late Sun/ part shade; Red osier dogwood 3 - 8 To 10,000 feet clusters of tiny white flowers; whitish berries stolonifera) spring Dry/ well-drained are consumed by birds and other wildlife Open rounded shrub with glossy green leaves; Cerasus (Prunus) pumila Sun/ part shade; Sand cherry White; Spring 1 - 3 To 8,500 feet Purplish-black fruit are sweet and edible; ssp. besseyi Dry/ well-drained leaves turn reddish in fall Pentaphylloides Sun/ part shade; Profusion of medium sized flowers followed by Shrubby cinquefoil floribunda (Potentilla Yellow; Summer 1 - 3 Moist to dry/ To 11,000 feet intermittent flowers; many color varieties fruiticosa) well-drained offered commercially Bell-shaped flowers form persistent white White to pinkish; Sun to shade; Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 2 - 4 To 8,500 feet berries; arching red stems sucker to form low Summer Moist to dry thickets; attractive rounded, blue-green leaves Rubacer (Rubus) Part sun/ shade; Red fruits are edible and consumed by wildlife; Thimbleberry White; Summer 3 - 5 To 10,000 feet parviflorus Moist large lobed leaves; shredding bark Three-leaved sumac Rhus aromatica ssp. Yellow; Late Sun/ part shade; Aromatic, glossy green leaves turn reddish- 1 - 5 To 9,000 feet (Skunkbrush) trilobata (Rhus trilobata) spring Moist to Dry orange in fall; red-yellow fruits eaten by wildlife

Showy reddish-purple leaf-like bracts with twin Distegia (Lonicera) Yellow; Late Part sun/ shade; Twinberry honeysuckle 3 - 5 To 11,500 feet yellow flowers; hummingbirds attracted to the involucrata spring Moist tubular flowers; black fruits eaten by birds; Waxy lobed leaves on smooth stems; rounded Pink to whitish; Part sun/ shade; Wax currant Ribes cereum 3 - 4 To 9,000 feet growth habit; tubular flowers followed by red Summer Moist to Dry fruits eaten by wildlife Waxy flowers borne on top of hairy, heart- White; Late Sun/ part shade; Waxflower Jamesia americana 2 - 6 To 10,000 feet shaped leaves; reddish bark and red fall color; spring Moist to dry soil must be well-drained Clusters of large flowers on reddish brown, Sun/ part shade; Wood's rose (Wild rose) Rosa woodsii Pink; Summer 2 - 6 To 10,500 feet prickly stems; suckers from rhizomes; wildlife Moist to dry feed on the red-orange hips Krascheninnikovia Sun; Dry/ well- Dense white shrub with fluffy flower clusters Winterfat Green; Summer 1 - 3 To 9,500 feet (Ceratoides) lanata drained resembling lambs' tails; good wildlife forage Yucca (Narrow-leaf Sun; Dry/ well- Narrow sharp foliage in dense rosette; large Yucca glauca White 2 - 5 To 7,500 feet? yucca; Plains yucca) drained waxy flowers are eaten by deer

Page 7 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

TREES & SHRUBS—LARGE SHRUBS / SMALL TREES Flower Color; Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Other Comments Bloom Time (Feet) Environment Range ** Negundo aceroides (Acer Yellow-green; Sun/ part shade; Inconspicuous flowers; compound leaves Boxelder 20 - 45 To 7,500 feet negundo) Summer Moist yellow in fall; short-lived tree Padus (Prunus) Dangling clusters of aromatic flowers from Sun/ part shade; Chokecherry virginiana ssp. White; Summer 5 - 12 To 10,000 feet dense suckering stems; large leaves turn red Moist melanocarpa in fall; red to black fruits a favorite of bears Upright stems; thick, semi-evergreen leaves Curl-leaf mountain Yellow; Late Sun; Dry/ well- Cercocarpus ledifolius 7 - 30 To 9,000 feet are curled; feathery seed heads; tolerates mahogany Spring drained rocky or poor soils Inconspicuous flowers; small reddish-brown Yellowish-green; Sun/ part shade; Hackberry Celtis reticulata 10 - 14 To 7,000 feet fruits eaten by birds; spreading canopy; insect Late spring Moist to dry galls are common and not harmful White; Late Sun/ part shade; Aromatic flower clusters; berries purplish-red; Hawthorn Crataegus erythropoda 6 - 12 To 8,500 feet? summer Moist to dry thorns are up to 2" long and shiny red like bark Small deciduous tree with showy flower cluster Part sun/ shade; Mountain-ash Sorbus scopulina White; Summer 9 - 15 To 10,500 feet and orange berries in fall; browsed by moose Moist and deer; fruits valued by birds and mammals Furrowed bark with small, occasionally Yellow; Early Sun; Dry/ well- Mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus 5 - 15 To 8,500 feet evergreen leaves; feathery seed heads; summer drained tolerates rocky or poor soils Evergreen, columnar conifer; birds and small Sabina (Juniperus) Sun; Dry/ well- Rocky Mountain juniper Not applicable 5 - 40 To 8,000 feet mammals eat the berry-like fruits produced on scopulorum drained female plants Rounded multi-stemmed tree/ shrub with Part sun/ shade; Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Yellow; Summer 5 - 20 To 10,500 feet attractive red stems; birds eat seeds, buds, Moist and flowers; inconspicuous flowers Upright to spreading branches with clusters of White; Late Sun/ part shade; Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia 5 - 15 To 10,000 feet flowers; deciduous foliage & blue-black fruits spring Moist to dry eaten by wildlife Leaves silvery on both sides; forms thickets Yellowish-white; Sun/ part shade; Silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea 6 - 20 To 7,500 feet with spiny branches; good wildlife cover; Early Summer Moist native cousin of invasive Russian Olive Produce fuzzy dark red fruits similar to Greenish-yellow; Sun/ part shade; staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), but grows Smooth sumac Rhus glabra 3 - 10 To 7,500 feet Summer Moist shorter and without velvety branches; compound leaves turn crimson in autumn Alnus incana ssp. Reddish-brown; Sun/ part shade; Female catkins are cone-like and persist Thinleaf alder 18 - 24 To 10,500 feet tenuifolia Summer Moist to wet through winter; small yellow-green leaves

Page 8 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

Height Preferred Elevational Common Name Scientific Name * Flower Color Comments (Feet) Environment Range ** Showy flowers often open before the leaves Sun/ part shade; Wild plum Prunus americana White; Spring 3 - 12 To 6,000 feet form; forms dense thickets with short, thick Moist to wet thorns; 1" yellow to red fruits are edible

TREES & SHRUBS—LARGE TREES

First generation sterile hybrid between P. Not Applicable Sun/ part shade; Lanceleaf cottonwood Populus x. acuminata 40 - 60 To 7,500 feet deltoides and P. angustifolia; leaf-shape (male) Moist to wet intermediate between the two

Medium-sized, fast-growing tree; long narrow Not Applicable Sun/ part shade; willow-like leaves turn yellow in fall; available Narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia 24 - 60 To 8,500 feet (male) Moist to wet as a graft onto P. x acuminata rootstock to reduce suckering Fast-growing tree with open habit; broad Populus deltoides ssp. Not Applicable Sun/ part shade; leaves turn yellow-gold in fall ; furrowed bark Plains cottonwood 60 - 80+ To 6,500 feet monilifera (male) Moist to wet with age; nursery stock should be male and therefore "cotton-less" Tall evergreen tree with pyramidal crown Pinus ponderosa ssp. Sun/ part shade; shape; aromatic bark can resemble vanilla or Ponderosa pine Not Applicable 60 - 80+ To 9,000 feet scopulorum Moist to dry butterscotch; seeds eaten by birds and small mammals

Page 9 of 10 Suggested Native Plants for Gardening and Landscape Use on the Front Range of Colorado Colorado Native Plant Society; Revised April 2008

* Scientific nomenclature is from Weber and Whitmann’s Colorado Flora (2003); common synonyms sometimes sold in trade are indicated in parentheses

** Elevational Range is listed when known; note that species may grow outside of their documented range and that it may be worth trying to test the boundaries. In many cases, species can be successfully planted at lower elevations with supplemental irrigation or at higher elevations with protection from wind and cold.

References: Checklist of Vascular Plants of Boulder County, William A. Weber, 1995 Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope, William A. Weber, 1990 Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope, William A. Weber and Ronald C, Wittmann, 1996 Colorado State University Extension Fact Sheets 7.242, 7.421, and 7.422 Handbook of Rocky Mountain Plants, Ruth Ashton Nelson, 1969 Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado, Janet L. Wingate, 1994 Meet the Natives, M. Walter Pesman, 1988 Native Plant Revegetation Guide for Colorado, Colorado Natural Areas Program, Volume III, 1998 North American Range Plants, Fourth Ed., Stubbendieck, Hatch, & Butterfield, 1992 Rocky Mountain Native Plants Company Reference Catalogue, 2nd Edition Shrubs & Trees of the Southwest Uplands, Francis H. Elmore, 1976 Trees & Shrubs of Colorado, Jack L. Carter, 1988 WaterWise Landscaping with Trees, Shrubs & Vines, Jim Knopf, 1999

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