Plants that thrive in Denver, CO
Denver landscapes need plants that handle high-altitude sun, roughly 15 inches of annual moisture, alkaline clay, and a zone 6a winter with violent swings. Blue grama, blue avena grass, Rocky Mountain penstemon, apache plume, three-leaf sumac, catmint, yarrow, hardy ice plant, and serviceberry are the dependable core. The two conditions that kill Front Range plantings are late spring frosts hitting plants that broke dormancy during a warm spell, and going all winter without a single watering during a dry, snowless stretch.
Denver growing conditions at a glance
- USDA hardiness zone
- 6a
- Region
- the Colorado Front Range
- Rainfall
- about 15 inches a year, at 5,280 ft elevation with very low humidity
- Soil
- alkaline clay on much of the Front Range, low in organic matter, with pockets of sand and decomposed granite
- Hardest condition to design around
- wild temperature swings. A 60 degree February afternoon followed by a single-digit night does more damage in Denver than the coldest part of winter does
Shrubs and small trees
Structure that survives a Front Range winter without wrapping, staking, or hoping.
Saskatoon Serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Mature size
- 6 to 12 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Spring flowers, edible fruit, and good fall color, but it suckers into a thicket if you do not manage it, and birds strip the berries before you get to them. Plant it where a colony is welcome.
Three-leaf Sumac
Rhus trilobata
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 4 to 6 ft tall, wider with age
Caveat: Tough, native, and excellent fall color, and it spreads by rhizome, so it is a mass-planting or slope plant rather than a tidy foundation shrub. Crushed foliage has a strong smell some people dislike.
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 4 to 6 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Blooms and then holds feathery pink seed heads for months, which is the whole point of the plant. It is open and twiggy rather than dense, so it is a texture plant, not a screen.
Fernbush
Chamaebatiaria millefolium
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 4 to 6 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Semi-evergreen with aromatic foliage and almost no water needs. It looks scruffy in late winter and needs a light shaping in early spring, and it will not tolerate a wet, irrigated bed.
Grasses
Short-grass prairie species belong here, and they carry a Denver yard through winter as standing texture.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 12 to 18 in
Caveat: Native short-grass that can be mowed as a low-water lawn substitute or left as an ornamental. It greens up late and goes tan early, so it is not a plant for someone who wants green from April to October.
Blue Avena Grass
Helictotrichon sempervirens
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft with flower stems
Caveat: Evergreen blue tufts that give winter structure, and the center dies out after several years. Comb out the dead blades in spring rather than cutting the whole clump to the ground.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft
Caveat: Excellent copper winter color on the Front Range, but it flops in rich or irrigated soil. Use an upright cultivar and keep it out of the lawn's spray pattern.
Perennials and groundcovers
Low, tough plants that handle intense high-altitude UV and a dry winter.
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 18 to 30 in in bloom
Caveat: One of the most reliable native perennials here, and it is short-lived, usually 3 to 5 years. Let it reseed instead of trying to keep individual plants going forever.
Hardy Ice Plant
Delosperma cooperi and hybrids
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 3 to 6 in tall, 18 to 24 in wide
Caveat: Survives Denver winters only with sharp drainage. In clay that stays wet through a freeze-thaw cycle it turns to mush, so plant it in gravel, on a slope, or in a raised bed.
Catmint
Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low'
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 18 to 24 in tall, 2 to 3 ft wide
Caveat: Blooms for months if you shear it back after the first flush. 'Walker's Low' is not low, it reaches about 2 ft, and cats will roll in it and flatten it.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium and hybrids
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 18 to 30 in
Caveat: Thrives on neglect and spreads by rhizome, so the common form can take over a small bed. Use a named clumping cultivar if you want it to stay where you put it.
What should you not plant in Denver?
Skip Russian olive, salt cedar (tamarisk), and myrtle spurge, all listed noxious weeds in Colorado; myrtle spurge is still occasionally sold and its sap burns skin. Also avoid relying on Colorado blue spruce as a single specimen in a small yard, since needlecast disease has become widespread along the Front Range.
What are the watering rules in Denver?
Denver Water and most Front Range providers run seasonal watering rules, typically no more than three days a week and no watering in the middle of the day from May through early October. Colorado also now restricts non-functional turf in new commercial and multifamily development, and several utilities pay turf-replacement rebates.
Water rules and rebate programs change. Confirm the current stage and schedule with your local water provider before relying on it.
Questions
What plants grow well in Denver's climate?
Front Range natives and comparable dryland plants do best: blue grama, little bluestem, blue avena grass, Rocky Mountain penstemon, apache plume, three-leaf sumac, fernbush, serviceberry, catmint, yarrow, and hardy ice plant. All handle zone 6a winters, alkaline clay, intense high-altitude sun, and about 15 inches of annual moisture.
Do I need to water my landscape in the winter in Denver?
Yes, during dry snowless stretches. Front Range winters often go weeks without precipitation, and dry soil combined with sun and wind kills roots on new trees, shrubs, and evergreens. Water once or twice a month on a day above freezing, in the middle of the day so it soaks in before night.
Why do my Denver plants die in spring rather than winter?
Because of temperature swings, not absolute cold. A warm February stretch can push plants to break dormancy, and then a single-digit night or a hard late frost kills the new growth. Choosing genuinely zone-appropriate natives and avoiding warm south-facing microclimates for early-breaking plants is more effective than any winter protection.
What is the best low-water lawn alternative in Denver?
Blue grama and buffalograss are the native short-grass options that can be mowed and walked on at a fraction of a bluegrass lawn's water use. Both green up later and go dormant earlier than bluegrass, so the trade-off is a shorter green season rather than a shorter list of chores.
Want a plant list matched to your specific yard rather than Denver in general? See how Dream Landscaper designs against your actual conditions, or skip ahead and get your free concept.
Other city plant guides
11 plants covered. Mature sizes and water needs are typical ranges for the Denver, Colorado area and vary with microclimate, soil depth, and care. Nothing here is a substitute for a soil test or local extension advice.