Plant library

What we plant, and why.

Colorado Springs sits on the edge of USDA zones 5b and 6a, with thin air, high UV, alkaline clay, and wind that breaks unprepared plants. Every species below has earned its place in our landscapes by surviving those conditions — and thriving.

Flowers & Perennials

10 species · bloom Apr–Oct
Purple coneflowers blooming with pink-purple petals and orange-brown centers

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Full sunLow waterJun–Sep3 ft

A Front Range workhorse. Feeds bees, finches love the seed heads in winter. Cut back hard in early spring.

Golden-yellow black-eyed Susan flowers with dark chocolate centers

Black-Eyed Susan

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'

Full sunMedium waterJul–Oct2–3 ft

Gold bloom straight through the first frost. Divides easily every 3–4 years.

Silvery Russian sage foliage topped with airy lavender-blue flower spikes

Russian Sage

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Full sunXericJul–Sep3–4 ft

The backbone of Colorado Springs xeriscape. Silver foliage, lavender bloom, deer-proof. Needs well-drained soil.

Rocky Mountain penstemon with tubular deep blue flowers on upright stems

Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Penstemon strictus

Full sunXericJun–Jul2 ft

Native. Deep blue tubular flowers, hummingbird magnet. Hates wet winter feet — plant in gritty soil.

Red-and-gold blanket flower pinwheels in a Colorado wildflower meadow

Blanket Flower

Gaillardia aristata

Full sunLow waterJun–Oct18 in

Colorado native. Red-and-gold pinwheels from early summer to hard frost. Self-sows gently.

Blue and white Rocky Mountain columbine flowers in dappled light

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Aquilegia caerulea

Part shadeMedium waterMay–Jun2 ft

The state flower. Prefers morning sun, afternoon shade. Reseeds in happy sites.

Ferny yarrow foliage with flat clusters of white and gold flowers

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Full sunXericJun–Sep2 ft

Ferny foliage, flat corymbs in white, gold, and coral. Handles poor soil, thrives on neglect.

Violet-purple May Night salvia flower spikes in late-spring bloom

May Night Salvia

Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht'

Full sunLow waterMay–Jul18 in

Deep violet spikes in late spring. Cut back after first bloom for a second flush.

English lavender mounds with silver foliage and purple flower spikes

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead'

Full sunXericJun–Aug2 ft

Munstead and Hidcote survive Colorado winters best. Needs excellent drainage and a gravel mulch.

Autumn Joy sedum with succulent foliage and dusty rose flower clusters

Autumn Joy Sedum

Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'

Full sunXericAug–Oct2 ft

Broccoli-like buds in July, dusty rose bloom in September, rust-brown seed heads all winter.

Shrubs

9 species · structure & texture
Gold Drop potentilla shrub covered in bright yellow buttercup flowers

Gold Drop Potentilla

Potentilla fruticosa

Full sunLow waterJun–Oct3 ft

Nonstop yellow bloom through drought, heat, and poor soil. Cut back by a third every spring.

Dense rounded dwarf mugo pine in a Colorado foundation bed with stone edging

Mugo Pine

Pinus mugo

Full sunLow waterEvergreen3–10 ft

Dwarf varieties stay in scale for foundation beds. Candle-prune in June to keep tight.

Blue-green creeping juniper spreading over rocks on a Colorado slope

Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis

Full sunXericEvergreen8–18 in

Blue-green groundcover shrub for slopes. 'Blue Chip' and 'Wiltonii' are our go-tos.

Silver-gray rabbitbrush covered in bright yellow fall blooms against distant foothills

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa

Full sunXericSep–Oct4 ft

Native. Silver foliage, riot of yellow bloom in fall when nothing else is flowering. Tough as granite.

Serviceberry in full white spring bloom with Pikes Peak foothills behind

Serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia

Full sun / partMediumApr bloom10–15 ft

White spring bloom, edible berries for birds, orange fall color. Multi-stem or single-trunk.

Canada Red chokecherry with burgundy leaves and drooping white flower panicles

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

Full sun / partLow waterMay bloom15–25 ft

Native. Fragrant white panicles, dark purple fruit. 'Canada Red' offers burgundy foliage all summer.

Common lilac in full purple bloom beside a stone cottage path

Common Lilac

Syringa vulgaris

Full sunMediumMay10–15 ft

Old-fashioned and unbeatable. Prune right after bloom, feed lightly. Long-lived in Colorado soils.

Little Princess spirea with pink flat flower clusters in a landscape bed

Little Princess Spirea

Spiraea japonica

Full sunMediumJun–Jul2–3 ft

Compact, pink-flowered, easy. Deer rarely bother it. A reliable filler in mixed beds.

Concorde barberry shrub with deep burgundy-purple foliage in a stone-edged bed

Concorde Barberry

Berberis thunbergii

Full sunLow waterFoliage2–3 ft

Burgundy foliage for color contrast. Deer-proof. Use sterile cultivars to avoid reseeding.

Trees

8 species · shade & structure
Mature ponderosa pine with cinnamon bark against Colorado foothills at golden hour

Ponderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa

Full sunLow waterEvergreen60–100 ft

Our namesake. Native to the Front Range, cinnamon bark smells of vanilla. Slow to establish, generational once rooted.

Colorado blue spruce with silvery-blue needles framed by Rocky Mountain peaks

Colorado Blue Spruce

Picea pungens

Full sunMediumEvergreen50–75 ft

The state tree. Give it space — 20+ feet from structures. Vulnerable to needlecast in damp summers.

Quaking aspen grove with white trunks and golden autumn foliage along a trail

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Full sun / partMediumDeciduous30–50 ft

Plant in groves, never as singles. Best at higher elevations — in town, keep soil cool with mulch.

Mature hackberry shade tree on a Colorado residential street

Common Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

Full sunLow waterDeciduous40–60 ft

Underrated. Handles wind, clay, drought, and alkaline soils. A smart replacement for failing ash.

Autumn Blaze maple in brilliant red-and-orange peak fall color

Autumn Blaze Maple

Acer × freemanii

Full sunMediumDeciduous40–55 ft

Reliable fall color where sugar maple struggles. Water deeply in first three years.

Skyline honeylocust street tree with feathery green leaves and Pikes Peak in the distance

Skyline Honeylocust

Gleditsia triacanthos inermis

Full sunLow waterDeciduous45–70 ft

Dappled shade that lawns tolerate. Thornless, seedless. A good street tree.

Massive bur oak with a spreading canopy standing alone on Colorado prairie

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

Full sunLow waterDeciduous60–80 ft

Possibly the toughest shade tree for the Front Range. Tolerates fire, drought, alkaline soil. A 200-year investment.

Spring Snow crabapple covered in fragrant white blossoms beside a stone-clad home

Spring Snow Crabapple

Malus 'Spring Snow'

Full sunMediumMay bloom25 ft

Fragrant white bloom, fruitless (no driveway mess). Disease-resistant. A great small-yard specimen.

Ornamental Grasses

5 species · movement & winter interest
Blue grama grass with distinctive eyelash seed heads in a native Colorado meadow

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

Full sunXericWarm-season18 in

Native. Eyelash seed heads in August, straw-blonde in winter. A true lawn alternative in sunny yards.

Clump of little bluestem grass with coppery-red stems and silvery seed heads

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

Full sunXericWarm-season3 ft

Blue-green summer color, coppery-red fall, silvery seed heads. 'The Blues' holds upright.

Karl Foerster feather reed grass with tall golden vertical plumes in a perennial bed

Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis × acutiflora

Full sunMediumCool-season4–5 ft

'Karl Foerster' is our most-used grass. Stiff, vertical plumes appear in June and last until we cut them in March.

Single Karl Foerster reed grass plume standing in a snow-dusted winter garden

Karl Foerster Reed

Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'

Full sun / partMediumCool-season4 ft

Perennial plant of the year 2001 — still the standard. Works with anything, looks good in winter snow.

Spiky silvery-blue blue fescue mounds in a Colorado rock and gravel garden

Blue Fescue

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

Full sunLow waterCool-season10 in

Porcupine-blue mounds for front-of-bed repetition. Divide every 2–3 years to keep vigorous.

Groundcovers

5 species · stepping stones & slopes
Creeping thyme with pink-purple flowers spilling between flagstone pavers

Creeping Thyme

Thymus serpyllum

Full sunXericJun–Jul2 in

Walkable, fragrant, bloom pink or white. Plant between flagstones and let it spill.

Hardy ice plant with magenta succulent flowers in a rocky xeriscape

Hardy Ice Plant

Delosperma cooperi

Full sunXericJun–Sep3 in

Neon-magenta blooms across jelly-like succulent foliage. Needs sharp drainage — not for low spots.

Creeping veronica forming a mat of cobalt-blue flowers on a stone slope

Creeping Veronica

Veronica pectinata

Full sunLow waterMay–Jun4 in

Cobalt-blue mat for slopes. Handles foot traffic in spring, becomes crispy-tidy in summer.

Turkish speedwell carpet of small deep blue flowers in a rock garden

Turkish Speedwell

Veronica liwanensis

Full sunLow waterMay2 in

Plant Select introduction. Evergreen, walkable, deep blue spring carpet.

Rosettes of green-and-burgundy hens and chicks succulents nestled among rocks

Hens & Chicks

Sempervivum tectorum

Full sunXericEvergreen3 in

Architectural rosettes for crevices, wall tops, and rock gardens. Endlessly propagates itself.

Want this palette in your yard?

Tell us what you like, what you hate, and where the afternoon sun hits. We'll design a bed that uses these plants in proportions that work together year-round.

Request a Design Flower Bed Services
Call Now · 719-453-6116