Native Colorado Plants

A Native Plant is classified as a species that naturally grows wild, in a particular geographic region without human intervention.

COLORADO NATIVE FORBS

Aspen daisy (showy daisy) - Erigeron speciosus - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Black-eyed susan - Rudbeckia hirta - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Blanket flower - Gaillardia aristata - Sun, Dry
Blue flax - Adenolinum (Linum) lewisii - Sun, Dry
Blue vervain - Verbena hastata - Sun, Moist
Broom snakeweed - Gutierrezia sarothrae - Sun, Dry
Bush sunflower - Helianthus pumilus - Sun, Dry
Colorado columbine - Aquilegia caerulea - Sun/shade - Colorado State flower
Fringed sage - Artemisia - Dry
Golden banner - Thermopsis divaricarpa - Part sun, Moist
Goldenrod - Solidago spp. - Sun,Dry/Moist
Greenleaf penstemon (blue mist) - Penstemon virens - Part sun, Dry
Harebell (bluebells) - Campanula rotundifolia - Part sun, Moist
Lupine (silvery) - Lupinus argenteus - Sun, Dry/Moist
Nelson's larkspur - Delphinium nelsonii - Sun, Dry
One-sided penstemon - Penstemon secundiflorus -Part sun, Dry
Prairie clover - Dalea purpurea - Sun, Dry
Prairie coneflower - Ratibida columnifera - Sun, Dry
Prairie sage (Sagewort) - Artemisia ludoviciana - Dry
Prickly pear cactus - Opuntia macrorhiza (compressa) - Sun, Dry
Prickly pear cactus - Opuntia polyacantha Sun, Dry
Pussytoes - Antennaria parvifolia - Dry
Rocky Mountain beeplant - Cleome serrulata - Sun, Dry
Rocky Mountain penstemon - Penstemon strictus - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Rocky Mountain wild iris - Iris missouriensis - Part sun, moist
Scarlet globe mallow - Sphaeralcea coccinea - Sun, Dry
Showy milkweed - Asclepias speciosa - Sun, Moist
Spiderwort - Tradescantia occidentalis - Sun, Dry/Moist
Spiny goldenweed - Machaeranthera pinnatifida - Sun, Dry
Spotted gayfeather (Dottedgayfeather) - Liatris punctata - Sun, Dry
Sulphur flower - Eriogonum umbellatum - Sun, Dry
Swamp milkweed - Asclepias incarnata - Sun, Moist
Tall beard-tongue - Penstemon virgatus - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Western wallflower - Erysimum asperum - Sun, Dry
Whipple's penstemon - Penstemon whippleanus - Part sun, Dry
White evening primrose - Oenothera caespitosa - Sun, Dry
White yarrow (Woolly yarrow) - Achillea lanulosa - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Wild bergamot (Horsemint or Beebalm) - Monarda fistulosa - Part sun, Dry/Moist
Wild geranium (Pineywoods geranium) - Geranium caespitosum - Part sun, Moist
Wild verbena - Glandularia (Verbena) bipinnatifida - Sun, Dry
Yellow stemless evening primrose - Oenothera howardii (brachycarpa) - Sun, Dry

COLORADO NATIVE GRASSES

Alkali sacaton - Sporobolus airoides - Moist
Arizona fescue - Festuca arizonica - Dry
Big bluestem - Andropogon gerardii - Dry
Blue grama - Chondrosum gracile (Bouteloua gracilis) - Dry
Blue wild rye - Elymus glaucus - Moist
Bluebunch wheatgrass - Pseudoroegneria (Agropyron) spicatum - Dry-moist
Buffalograss - Buchloe dactyloides - Dry
Indian grass - Sorghastrum avenaceum (nutans) - Dry-moist
Indian ricegrass - Achnatherum (Orzyopsis) hymenoides - Dry
Junegrass - Koeleria macrantha - Dry
Little bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium - Dry
Mountain muhly - Muhlenbergia montana - Dry
Needle-and-thread - Hesperostipa (Stipa) comata - Dry
New Mexico feathergrass - Hesperostipa (Stipa) neomexicana - Dry
Prairie cordgrass - Spartina pectinata - Moist
Prairie dropseed - Sporobolus heterolepis - Dry
Prairie sandreed - Calamovilfa longifolia - Dry
Sand dropseed - Sporobolus cryptandrus - Dry
Side-oats grama - Bouteloua curtipendula - Dry
Switchgrass - Panicum virgatum - Dry-moist
Tufted hairgrass - Deschampsia cespitosa Ornamental/Turf - Moist
Western wheatgrass - Pascopyrum (Agropyron) smithii- Dry-moist

COLORADO NATIVE TREES & SHRUBS - SMALL / MEDIUM SHRUBS

Antelope bitterbush - Purshia tridentata - South-facing slopes, dry welldrained soils
Boulder raspberry - Oreobatus (Rubus) deliciosus - Rocky ground, foothills and canyons
Buckbrush - Ceanothus fendleri - Open valleys, hillsides & woods, gravelly soil
Common juniper - Juniperus communis ssp. alpina - Coniferous forest understory
False indigo - Amorpha fruticosa - Streamsides
Four-winged saltbush - Atriplex canescens - Alkali flats, grassy uplands, sandy soils
Golden currant - Ribes aureum - Plains to foothills, along roadsides and streams
Kinnikinnick - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - Semi-dry areas; needs acidic, welldrained soil
Mountain ninebark - Physocarpus monogynus - Rocky canyonsides, outer foothills
Narrow-leaf or Plains yucca - Yucca glauca - Rocky areas, plains to foothills
Oregon-grape, Holly-grape - Mahonia repens - Dry slopes
Rabbitbrush - Chrysothamnus nauseosus - Dry hills, plains to subalpine
Rabbitbrush dwarf blue - Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. nauseosus - Eastern plains, foothill mesas
Rabbitbrush tall green - Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. graveolens - Plains, deep soils, arroyos
Red-berried elder - Sambucus microbotrys (racemosa) - Along streams and moist slopes
Red osier dogwood - Swida sericea (Cornus stolonifera) - Streamsides and canyon bottoms
Sand cherry Cerasus - (Prunus) pumila ssp. besseyi - Sandy or gravelly prairie hillsides
Shrubby cinquefoil - Pentaphylloides floribunda (Potentilla fruticosa) - Mulitple habitats
Snowberry - Symphoricarpos albus - Forest foothill canyons; dry rocky soil and gravelly banks
Thimbleberry - Rubacer parviflorus - Moist, shaded forests
Three-leaved sumac or skunkbrush - Rhus aromatica ssp. trilobata - Dry hillsides, canyons, valleys, and plains
Twinberry honeysuckle - Distegia (Lonicera) involucrata - Moist soils, forests, streamsides
Wax currant or squaw currant - Ribes cereum - Dry rocky open slopes, hills and ridges
Waxflower - Jamesia americana - Cliffs and cliff bases
Wild rose or Wood's rose - Rosa woodsii - Streambanks, open prairies, forest edges
Winterfat - Krascheninnikovia (Ceratoides) lanata Inconspicuous - Sandy alkaline soils

COLORADO NATIVE TREES & SHRUBS - LARGE SHRUBS / SMALL TREES

Boxelder Negundo aceroides (Acer negundo) - Stream banks
Chokecherry - Padus (Prunus) virginiana ssp. melanocarpa - Hillsides, gulches, canyons & streamsides
Hackberry - Celtis reticulata - Dry rocky hillsides and ravine banks
Hawthorn - Crataegus erythropoda - Dry hillsides and streambanks
Mountain-ash - Sorbus scopulina - Rocky canyons and ravines
Mountain mahogany - Cercocarpus montanus - Open rocky woods and stony soils
Rocky Mountain juniper - Sabina (Juniperus) - Dry, rocky hillsides, also along streams
Rocky Mountain maple - Acer glabrum - Moist sites, streams, and canyons
Serviceberry - Amelanchier alnifolia - Dry, rocky slopes to moist, fertile soils
Silver buffaloberry - Shepherdia argentea - Streamsides and river bottoms
Smooth sumac - Rhus glabra - Slopes and canyonsides
Thinleaf alder - Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia - Swampy ground or sandy soil, montane streambanks and pond borders
Wild plum - Prunus americana - Gulches, outwash mesas, moist soil along streambanks

COLORADO NATIVE TREES & SHRUBS - LARGE TREES

Lanceleaf cottonwood - Populus x. acuminata - Streambanks and valleys
Narrowleaf cottonwood - Populus angustifolia - Streambanks and valleys
Plains cottonwood - Populus deltoides ssp. monilifera - Moist soils, floodplains, riparian areas and valley bottoms
Ponderosa pine - Pinus ponderosa ssp. scopulorum - Multiple habitats