Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1.5–3 ft tall and blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Colorado · Zones 3–6
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Colorado
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. 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 Common Yarrow and Butterfly Weed. Drought-tough natives earn their reputation with deep roots, so the secret is patience: water them through the first season while those roots reach down, then taper off and let them fend for themselves. Plant in fall or early spring, give them sharp drainage and full sun, and resist the urge to coddle — overwatering kills more of these than any heat wave.
The plants
38 native species for Colorado
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 6–16 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 3–6 ft tall, and blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 1–2 ft tall, and blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 1.5–2 ft tall, and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 1–2.5 ft tall and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 5–8 ft tall and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 6–12 in tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 3–6 ft tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 30–50 ft tall, and flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 4–8 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
14 more also qualify: Ninebark, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Showy Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, New Jersey Tea, Blue Grama, Fragrant Sumac, Compass Plant, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Switchgrass.
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.