what plants do well in colorado

Native shrubs to Colorado that do well in landscaping include Mountain Mahogany, Wax Currant, Three-leaf Sumac, Sagebrush, Hoptree, Chokecherry

, Rabbitbrush, Western Sand Cherry, and Western Water Birch, just to name a few. Mountain Mahogany – The foliage on a Mountain Mahogany is thick and leathery with a gray-green color.

Full Answer

What are the best houseplants to grow in Colorado?

This plant enjoys well-drained soil and full sun as well. The sweet blooms of Zinnia make it a common favorite among Colorado homeowners. They are a natural plant to grow and provide a lot of flowers in a short amount of time. Zinnia comes in many beautiful colors including deep red, yellow, pink, and fuchsia.

What shrubs are native to Colorado?

Some can produce flowers, while others produce berries. Native shrubs to Colorado that do well in landscaping include Mountain Mahogany, Wax Currant, Three-leaf Sumac, Sagebrush, Hoptree, Chokecherry, Rabbitbrush, Western Sand Cherry, and Western Water Birch, just to name a few.

What are the best plants for a border landscape in Colorado?

Bronze Fennel is great to use in the back of a border landscape since it grows up to four feet tall and wide. You can clip the leaves and use them in cooking, which provides a sweet licorice flavor to any dish. This plant enjoys well-drained soil and full sun as well. The sweet blooms of Zinnia make it a common favorite among Colorado homeowners.

What are the best low-water plants for the Colorado landscape?

In the Colorado landscape, it easily blends from a residential garden into adjacent natural conditions. A hardy variety I use often in the mountains is the Bailey red twig dogwood.” — Ashley Hejtmanek of Design Workshop “My favorite low-water plant is PAWNEE BUTTES SAND CHERRY, a ground-covering form of Western native sand cherry.

What plants thrive in Denver?

Denver Native PlantsRocky Mountain Penstemon (shown above)Canada Goldenrod.Giant Fringed Sage.Prairie Sage.Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.Harebells.Spreading Daisy.Rabbitbrush.More items...•

What plants grow well in Colorado winter?

They can survive and thrive in our cold, dry climate. These plants also provide sustenance for native insects, birds, and other wildlife....Here are five native plants that will withstand the cold in Colorado Springs.Red Twig Dogwood. Source: Flickr. ... Rabbitbrush. ... Creeping Mahonia. ... Prickly Pear Cactus. ... Smooth Sumac.

What flowers do best in Colorado?

Top 10 Perennials to Grow in ColoradoLavender 'Phenomenal':Poppy 'Spring Fever Mix':Viola 'Corsican Violet':Sedum 'Tapestry Carpet':Perovskia 'Russian Sage':Lupine 'Gallery Mix':Geranium 'Rozanne':Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit':More items...•

What plant is Colorado known for?

Colorado's most common native plants grow in moist areas like wetlands and riverbanks. These include cottonwood, ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir.

Does lavender grow well in Colorado?

Hardy lavender varieties thrive in Colorado's USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 7. Lavender grows best in full sun and slightly alkaline soils, which makes it a perfect plant for Colorado. Lavender comes in a variety of colors including white, pink, blue, violet and all shades of purple.

What plant stays green all year round?

Evergreen plants and trees stay green all year long -- hundreds of species thrive in climates around the world, including U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Flowering evergreen plants, trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines bring color to gardens and landscapes.

When should you plant in Colorado?

With the Colorado growing season averaging only 157 days, “when to plant” is a critical question. We suggest planting all of your cold season crops in April. Planting the first week of April is great, but cold crops can be planted anytime in April or even May.

When should you start planting flowers in Colorado?

Plant perennials, annuals and containers after the frost danger has passed (anywhere from May 10 to 15). We can still get cold weather in May, so be prepared to cover new plantings with cloth if necessary.

What zone is Colorado for planting?

Colorado's Front Range is predominantly Zone 4-5. At zone 5, average minimum temps are -20 to -10 F. The mountains are predominantly Zone 4 at -30 to -20 F. In contrast, Colorado's fruit growing area near Grand Junction crosses the warmer Zones 6-7.

What is the best tree to plant in Colorado?

Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.)Willows (Salix spp.)White-Barked Birches (Betula spp.)Non-native hybrid poplars/cottonwoods(Populus spp.)Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)More items...

Does burning bush grow well in Colorado?

Considered an invasive pest in the northeast, Burning Bush is a useful landscape plant in Colorado. Combine it with other shrubs for seasonal color in a foundation planting or use it in a border as an autumn focal point. The natural form is very attractive, but plants may be sheared for a more formal effect.

Can I bring plants into Colorado?

General Shipping Requirements Each shipment or lot of plant material moving into Colorado must be plainly marked with the names and addresses of shipper and consignee and the general nature of the contents and bear a valid inspection certificate of the state of origin.

What plants will stay green in winter?

11 Plants that Stay Green in Winters | Winter Garden PlantsWintergreen Boxwood (Buxus sinica) ... Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) ... Evergreen Hollies (Ilex aquifolium) ... Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) ... Winter Daphne (Daphne odora) ... 6. Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica) ... Honeywort (Cerinthe) ... Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens)More items...

What flowers grow in the fall in Colorado?

Fall Colorado Flower Favorites:Mums – in white, orange, purple.Ornamental Kale.Pansies.Millett Grasses.Decorative Peppers.Plant any bulbs you want to come up in spring.

Can you grow vegetables year round in Colorado?

Kale can also grow in the summer months, so it's a great year-round vegetable for your garden! Spinach is a great winter crop in Colorado, especially if grown under cover. Spinach is very cold-tolerant, and is one of the best greens for year-round gardening.

Can you grow food outside in winter?

Root Vegetables: The most common root vegetables to plant for winter harvest or for overwintering include carrots, beets, radishes, onions, garlic, and turnips. You can also consider growing leeks, parsnips, and rutabagas. Root vegetables can survive frost and thrive in freezing temperatures.

What color is Zinnia?

They are a natural plant to grow and provide a lot of flowers in a short amount of time. Zinnia comes in many beautiful colors including deep red, yellow, pink, and fuchsia.

What is a yellow alyssum?

Yellow Alyssum. This gorgeous perennial is widely known for its clusters of cheery yellow flowers that appear in late spring. You’ll note that their color attracts wildlife like butterflies and bees. Plant Yellow Alyssum in a spot that is far away from walkways as the flowers are beautiful but give off an unusual odor.

What color is the Rocky Mountain Columbines?

This blue-hued bloom loves high altitude and is also found in shades of yellow, red, violet, and white. Rocky Mountain Columbines prefer partly sunny spots in lower elevations but can handle full sun above 7,000 feet. Source.

What is the state flower of Colorado?

Rocky Mountain Columbine. It’s no wonder so many homeowners plant the official state flower of Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Columbine is a perfect match to the unique climate and flourishes just about anywhere. This blue-hued bloom loves high altitude and is also found in shades of yellow, red, violet, and white.

What is a Christmas tree?

This Christmas style tree is a popular choice for landscapes in its smaller form. The tree provides a pretty pyramid growing shape adorned by long pinecones. Plant a Douglas Fir in a sunny spot of the yard that has a moist soil content. This tree needs little to no trimming making it a great low maintenance option for the landscape.

How tall does a bronze fennel plant grow?

Bronze Fennel is great to use in the back of a border landscape since it grows up to four feet tall and wide. You can clip the leaves and use them in cooking, which provides a sweet licorice flavor to any dish. This plant enjoys well-drained soil and full sun as well. Source.

Is Cheyenne Privet a hardy shrub?

If you’re looking for a solid wall of privacy, look no further than Cheyenne Privet. This cold hardy shrub is fast growing and is often trimmed into hedges. Its dark green leaves stay year-round but turn slightly yellow come fall. This plant does take a little more maintenance as it needs trimming to keep from getting out of hand. Cheyenne Privet can handle varying soil conditions as well as exposure to wind.

What trees grow faster in Colorado?

When choosing what trees to use for landscaping, consider larger trees like the Colorado Blue Spruce, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, which are native coniferous tree s, as well as others such as the Narrowleaf Cottonwood and Plains Cottonwood, which grow faster. For medium to smaller trees, choose from the Quaking Aspen, Bristlecone Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, and the Gambel Oak.

What type of trees are native to Colorado?

Some of the most common types of trees native to Colorado include the Douglas-fir, Colorado Blue Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, Bristlecone Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Quaking Aspen, Pinon Pine, Plains Cottonwood, Ponderosa Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, White Fir, and Subalpine Fir. When choosing what trees to use for landscaping, ...

What is the foothills of Colorado?

The Foothills is characterized by dry land shrubs such as Gambel Oak and Mountain Mahogany, with southern Colorado seeing more Pinon-juniper and sagebrush.

What is a Gambel Oak?

Gambel Oak – Gambel Oak is a deciduous tree that is commonly referred to as scrub oak and oak brush. It produces shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves in the fall. Commonly found in western Colorado between 4,000 and 8,500 feet in the Foothills and Montane zones.

Why are native plants important?

Native plants will naturally adapt to their surroundings, plus when planted correctly, they will require less external help with watering or even fertilizing. Plus, using native plants attracts a variety of fauna to your garden.

What shrubs grow in Colorado?

Native shrubs to Colorado that do well in landscaping include Mountain Mahogany, Wax Currant, Three-leaf Sumac, Sagebrush, Hoptree, Chokecherry, Rabbitbrush, Western Sand Cherry, and Western Water Birch, just to name a few.

How tall do Douglas Fir trees grow?

Douglas Fir – The Douglas Fir is a coniferous tree with medium to dark green needles and light brown cones of a unique shape. They can grow up to 130 feet, between the elevations of 6,000 and 9,500 feet in the Foothills and Montane zones. They are one of the more popular trees for Colorado landscaping.

How long do marigolds bloom?

Marigolds are another flower that has continuous blooms for 6-8 months of the year. All you have to do is deadhead them.

Why do my Zinnias have rot?

Zinnias are beautiful flowers, but if the soil gets too wet fungus can cause root rot. Not only this, but it can affect the colors and how long blooms last.

What pests eat petunias?

Like many other annual flowers, petunias can become a victim of garden pests like chipmunks and rabbits who eat the plants before flowers bloom.

How many varieties of coneflowers are there?

There are almost 24 variants of Coneflower flowers. They come in many sizes and bloom beautiful colors of pink, purple, white, yellow, etc. They are easy to grow and can be planted anywhere in the world making them a favorite of beginner flower gardeners.

Why do daisies not bloom?

Wet conditions and cold conditions usually mean more disease and fungus. While it does not happen often daisies plants come fall prone to fungus and disease and cause no blooms or death of the flower.

What is the easiest flower to grow from seed?

Zinnias is the easiest and most popular type of flower to grow from seed. It requires less sunlight, water, and care to germinate compared to other flowers during the winter.

What temperature should petunias be when it's cold?

If the weather drops below 35 degrees Fahrenheit constantly then expect the flowers on your petunias to wilt and die. Soon after your flower plant itself will die.

How tall is a happy wild violet?

This happy wild violet is one the first plants to show itself in the spring. It is very hardy, 6 to 8 inches tall, likes part sun, and is more drought tolerant than most other violas. It will bloom all spring, and naturalizes well.

What is the longest blooming geranium?

This geranium was the Plant Select winner of 2008 and with reason! A tall hybrid clump forming geranium, this is the longest-blooming and most prolific blue-flowered Geranium on the market. Bred to be low maintenance it boasts large 5-petaled violet-blue flowers, and blooms spring through summer. Tolerates deer and rabbits and can be cut back to rejuvenate, shape, or encourage more blooms.

When does salvia bloom in Colorado?

Salvia ‘May Night’: This vigorous plant is extremely cold and drought tolerant, and is well situated to handle the high clay content of our Colorado soil. These salvia bloom spires of deep indigo in the late spring, and will re-bloom in the late summer if deadheaded.

When do sedums bloom?

The variety of textures and colors make it a pleasing choice as a ground cover or for rock gardens. They will bloom in the summer to fall , with many different colors. These low growing plants prefer a well-drained location, and can perform well in part-sun, or cool sunny location.

When does Monardella bloom?

Semi-evergreen aromatic foliage forms low mounds. Clusters of brilliant, orange-scarlet trumpet flowers bloom late spring- early summer. Monardella prefers a part sun location. This was a plant Select winner of 2014.

Is lavender a good plant to grow in Colorado?

Lavender ‘Phenomenal’: Since Phenomenal Lavender is so cold hardy it is one of the best lavenders to grow in Colorado. The silvery foliage sets off the long plentiful blue flowers that bloom all summer long. This lavender is easy to grow, highly disease resistant, drought tolerant, deer proof and attracts butterflies.

Is blue purple a bee attractor?

There are many varieties of size and shape of this plant that it will fit in just about anywhere. It is a bee & butterfly attractor that is deer and rabbit proof. If you plant these next to your vegetable garden, it will insure that your veggies are pollinated. It is also drought resistant, and prefers the hot sun.

What vegetables can be grown vertically in Colorado?

Great for Vertical Gardening: Peas are one of the few vegetables that are perfect for vertical gardening. Vertical Gardening is popular in the cities of Colorado and even in the suburbs where land for horizontal growing is scarce.

What do deer eat in Colorado?

Deer, Rabbits, & Squirrels LOVE start to come out and become hungry in spring. One of the first plants they eat is peas. Whether protected or unprotected pests pose a risk to growing peas in Colorado.

How many types of eggplant are there in Colorado?

This may be one of the most underrated factors for growing eggplants in Colorado. There are almost 20 types of eggplants that can be grown. This means you can pick your type for your specific need and climate.

Is lettuce good for gardening?

Lettuce is perfect for urban gardening and even gardeners with little space. It is great in gardening containers, raised garden beds, and even indoors.

What are some insects that eat tomatoes?

Tomatoes are one of the most insect prone vegetables. Aphids, fruit worms, and even stinkbugs love eating them. If you wait too long to harvest expect all of these insects to become a problem.,

Can you grow radishes in Colorado?

The biggest tip I have when growing Radishes in Colorado is to give your vegetable enough space . Most gardeners plant radishes or radish seeds too close to one another, inhibiting the size and flavor of your vegetable.

Do peas need a lot of room?

Perfect in Raised Garden Beds: Peas do not need much room. They also grow great among other vegetables and plants. This makes it perfect for raised garden beds, which is one of the most popular techniques of gardening in Colorado.

What are milkweeds used for?

Commonly referred to as the Milkweeds due to their milky sap, there are many species in the Asclepias genus that are utilized by butterflies and bees. Many biologists believe that the decline in the Monarch butterfly population is directly correlated to the increasing use of herbicides used to kill Milkweeds in North America, because Monarch butterflies depend on Milkweeds as food for their larvae. There are many Asclepias species that grow in North America, but two that do well in Colorado are Asclepias tuberosa (showy milkweed) and Asclepias speciosa (butterfly weed). Ht. and Wd. varies depending on species and cultivar, generally 15-60” Ht. x 12-18” Wd.

What is the best weed to grow in Colorado?

There are many Asclepias species that grow in North America, but two that do well in Colorado are Asclepias tuberosa (showy milkweed) and Asclepias speciosa (butterfly weed). Ht. and Wd. varies depending on species and cultivar, generally 15-60” Ht. x 12-18” Wd. The Mint Family (Lamiaceae).

What is the name of the shrub that produces edible berries?

Mahonia. This genus has several members whose flowers will delight your winged friends. Mahonia aquifolium is a familiar shrub known as Oregon Grape Holly. It is evergreen, easy to grow and produces edible (but not tasty) berries from the yellow flowers that bees appreciate. 4-6’ Ht. x 4-6’ Wd.

What is a silver fountain butterfly bush?

Buddleia alternifolia ‘Argentea’, Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush. This butterfly bush blooms earlier than the other species and cultivars of Buddleia. This large shrub does well in most soils and sites but doesn’t like its roots to stay wet. 12-15’ Ht. x 10-12’ Wd.

What family is mint in?

The Mint Family (Lamiaceae). Many familiar and popular garden plants from the so-called Mint Family are favored by bees. Some of these are culinary sage, Russian sage, mint, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, lavender, lamb’s ear, hyssop, lemon balm, and bee balm. Ht. and Wd. varies depending on species and cultivar.

What is the Xerces Society?

Consult the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat, or your local university extension agent for more suggestions of pollinator friendly plants that will grow well in your area.

Is Blue Mist Spirea a true spirea?

Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Blue Mist’ . Blue Mist Spirea is also in the Mint Family, and is not a true spirea, but has flowers that resemble those of the spirea. It is a hybrid of C. incana x C. mongolica that was created in the 1930’s in England by Arthur Simmonds. There are several cultivars of Caryopteris x clandonensis that are good choices for Colorado and which bees and butterflies (see photo below) love. 3-4’ Ht. x 2-3’ Wd.

What shrubs have beautiful flowers?

Viburnum shrubs are also the only shrub on the list that provides beautiful colors all year. During spring and summer the shrub has beautiful flowers that bloom and in the fall and even early winter it grows fruit that will provide lovely colors when all other plants won’t.

What is the lowest maintenance shrub?

The Spirea shrub is the lowest-maintenance plant on this list. It doesn’t require deadheading, is not prone to insect infestations or diseases, and requires very little water, and can survive heat and full-sun.

What is the best plant to add to a garden?

The hydrangea shrub is one of the best plants to add as a border to your yard or garden. In addition, it can serve as a great focal point in flower beds too.

What is the longest lasting shrub?

Spirea blooms are the longest-lasting blooms on this list. The versatility of this shrub makes it the most popular shrub too. It is perfect as a perennial border, groundcover, and hedges.

How big do hydrangeas grow?

If you have large spaces in your yard that you need to fill then grow hydrangeas. This shrub is an incredibly fast growing plant that can quickly gain 3-4 feet in width and height in a matter of just a few years.

What flowers bloom in spring?

Like hydrangeas, Azaleas produce beautiful flowers that bloom throughout spring, summer, and sometimes even fall. The colors can add lovely shades of white, yellow, pink, and even orange!

What is the color of butterfly bush?

While other shrubs provide beautiful colors they rarely provide amazing scents. The butterfly bush does both. Expecet beautiful colors of pink, white, and red, while having amazing smells fill your yard and garden.