Where to Learn About Waterwise Plants for Colorado (and Similar Western States)

by | Updated: Aug 6, 2024

Where to learn about waterwise plants in Colorado

Looking for waterwise plants? You don’t have to plant cacti or turn your yard into a desert! There are lots of beautiful, low water plants for Colorado, Utah, Idaho and the semi-arid West. They just may not be the flowers and shrubs you know from other regions of the country.

If you’d like to learn about waterwise plants for Colorado or a similar western state, here are 7 of my fave websites + books. All of these resources have photos of waterwise plants, so it’s easier to picture what the plants will look like.

PlantSelect.org

Image credit: PlantSelect.org | Find a Plant page

Plant Select tests and introduces waterwise plants inspired by the Rocky Mountain region. They’re a non-profit collaboration between Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and the western green industry.

Their website has several helpful tools. One is a Plant Finder tool (above). You can search for waterwise plants based on various criteria, including how big the plants will get. On other web pages, you can look up where plants are from (their native origins) and how much irrigation they need, if any.

This is a good website to dig into!

ConservationGardenPark.org

Image credit: ConservationGardenPark.org | Find Waterwise Plants page

Conservation Garden Park is a waterwise demonstration park in northern Utah. Utah residents can visit it to see examples of beautiful landscapes that are low maintenance and low water. And yay for us, Conservation Garden Park has created a big database that showcases the plants in their landscapes.

Utah faces many of the same gardening challenges we have in Colorado: heat, low moisture, tricky soils, etc. This is a great website to explore if you want to learn about waterwise plants.

One of my favorite things about this website is that they include photos of the plants through all the seasons—not just summer. This can be helpful if you want your yard to look good in the fall, winter and spring too!

WaterwisePlants.org

Image credit: Colorado Springs Utilities (WaterwisePlants.org) | Find a Plant page

Colorado Springs Utilities has created waterwise demonstration landscapes that are open to the public. Similar to Conservation Garden Park above, they have a website that showcases the plants in their demonstration landscapes. You can search for waterwise plants using different criteria. Here are a few of their website features I find helpful:

  • You can search for plants by height. I like this feature when looking for shrubs. It’s a good way to make sure you aren’t picking a plant that will outgrow your space.
  • They have “performance” notes for each plant. Be sure to look at those! They contain practical tips. For example, I was looking at a native grass called Prairie Dropseed. They noted that Prairie Dropseed has performed very well in their landscapes. However, it’s a favorite among rabbits. So, if you have rabbits, plan accordingly or skip this grass. (Helpful!)

HighCountryGardens.com

Image credit: HighCountryGardens.com | Plant Finder page

High Country Gardens is an online retailer of sustainable and waterwise plants. Many of their plants are well suited for Colorado and the semi-arid West. They have a Plant Finder tool that can help you discover plants you like, including categories called “Colorado Plants,” “High Elevation Plants” and “Western Plants.”

When I visit their website, I often use their search bar at the top of their website. I use it to look up specific waterwise plants.

If you’re a visual person, their website has great plant photos.

“Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens” (Book)

Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens by Lauren Springer

This is one of my go-to books for waterwise plants in Colorado and the semi-arid West. It’s filled with photos and helpful tips that can be used whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced gardener.

Pro tip: This book contains waterwise plants for different part of the West, including the West Coast. As you go through the book, make sure the flowers you like match your plant hardiness zone. A plant hardiness zone tells you whether a plant is likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures that are expected in your area. Some of the plants in the book are better suited for parts of the West with warmer winters.

“Pretty Tough Plants” (Book)

Pretty Tough Plants book by Plant Select - examples of drought-plants, shrubs and trees for Colorado and the semi-arid West

In addition to having a website, Plant Select has a great book called “Pretty Tough Plants.” I refer to this book all the time. It’s another book that is user-friendly for gardeners of different levels. My understanding is this book is no longer in print, so if you can find a copy on Amazon, snag it!

Native Plant Society Websites

Colorado native plants are often waterwise plants (but not always)

Native plants are plants that have evolved naturally in a region. (The European settlers didn’t introduce them.) Native plants provide great habitats and food sources for birds, insects and wildlife. Many western native plants can tolerate drought and/or don’t need much water. (Though, not all!)

To find native plants for your state, here is a list of native plant societies for the intermountain region. Many have plant databases on their websites:

I hope these websites and books help you learn about waterwise plants, so you can create big beauty for less effort. And cheers to using less water!

Related tips that may interest you:

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