Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: cold-hardy to zone 3 and happy in clay and loam soil, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Colorado · Zones 3–6
Easy Native Plants in Colorado
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. Every species here is genuinely native to Colorado and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for Colorado's semi-arid, cold winters, high sun climate across Southern Rockies & High Plains, not a generic list. Local standouts include Swamp Milkweed and Common Yarrow. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
27 native species for Colorado
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Plant it and forget it: white (wild form) flowers and 1.5–3 ft tall, no fuss; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Plant it and forget it: for rocky and loam ground and reaching 1–2.5 ft, no fuss, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and 1–2 ft wide, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and white spring lace flowers, no fuss — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A beginner's native — 1.5–2 ft tall and happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A beginner's native — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and sky blue flowers, content with whatever you give it; it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A beginner's native — reaching 3–5 ft and cold-hardy to zone 3, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A beginner's native — good through zone 9 and 15–25 ft wide, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–4 ft tall and white flowers — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A beginner's native — reaching 2–4 ft and 2–4 ft wide, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay, rocky, and loam ground and spreading 1.5–2 ft, and forgives neglect, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and deep blue-purple flowers, and forgives neglect; it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–7 and happy in clay and loam soil, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A beginner's native — happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and inconspicuous green flowers, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 5–10 ft and reaching 5–10 ft — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Plant it and forget it: spreading 12–18 in and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, no fuss — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Plant it and forget it: 1.5–2.5 ft wide and flat gold heads flowers, no fuss; it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — foamy white flowers and reaching 3–5 ft, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
About as hard to kill as a native gets — star-shaped pink flowers and for sand, clay, and loam ground, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and hardy in zones 3–8, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and 8–20 in tall — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
3 more also qualify: Fragrant Sumac, American Elderberry, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Colorado
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.