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Native plants · Colorado

Native plants of Chaffee County

187 plant species are recorded as native to Colorado in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Chaffee County by USDA PLANTS. 119 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Chaffee County, Colorado

Native species
187 Typical Colorado county: 237 (median of 63 counties)
Garden-ready natives
119 Typical Colorado county: 148
Share by type (all 187 native species)
Percent of the 187 native species in each growth type
Tree 9% (17)
Shrub 11% (20)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (90)
Grass or grass-like 28% (52)
Fern 4% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 5a to 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 119

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Chaffee County, Colorado
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
alpine leafybract aster Symphyotrichum foliaceum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
alpine mountainsorrel Oxyria digyna Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
alpine timothy Phleum alpinum Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
American alpine speedwell Veronica wormskjoldii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
arctic pearlwort Sagina saginoides Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
basin wildrye Leymus cinereus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Bigelow's tansyaster Machaeranthera bigelovii Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Low Zone 10b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
blue spruce Picea pungens Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bristlecone pine Pinus aristata Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
chamisso sedge Carex pachystachya Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
Columbia needlegrass Achnatherum nelsonii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common juniper Juniperus communis Tree 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
cutleaf daisy Erigeron compositus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
diamondleaf willow Salix planifolia Tree 8 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Douglas' dustymaiden Chaenactis douglasii Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Eaton's fleabane Erigeron eatonii Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 5b
Eschscholtz's buttercup Ranunculus eschscholtzii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
fivepetal cliffbush Jamesia americana Shrub 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
glaucous bluegrass Poa glauca Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun — Zone 3a
golden sedge Carex aurea Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
gooseberry currant Ribes montigenum Shrub 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
gray aster Eurybia glauca Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
hair-like sedge Carex capillaris Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
heartleaf arnica Arnica cordifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
high northern buttercup Ranunculus hyperboreus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Shrub 6 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
lemonscent Pectis angustifolia Wildflower (forb) 8 in Sun Low Zone 5a
limber pine Pinus flexilis Tree 66 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
littleseed ricegrass Piptatheropsis micrantha Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
mountain muhly Muhlenbergia montana Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
mountain sedge Carex scopulorum Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
muttongrass Poa fendleriana Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
park willow Salix monticola Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Ross' avens Geum rossii Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 10a
Ross' sedge Carex rossii Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
russet buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
Rydberg's penstemon Penstemon rydbergii Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
shortfruit willow Salix brachycarpa Shrub 3.6 ft — — Zone 5a
showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silvery sedge Carex canescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
small white violet Viola macloskeyi Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
smallwing sedge Carex microptera Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
softleaf sedge Carex disperma Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
southwestern showy sedge Carex bella Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum Grass or grass-like 1.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
spiked woodrush Luzula spicata Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
squirreltail Elymus elymoides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum Fern 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
thickspike wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
threetooth ragwort Packera tridenticulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
Thurber's fescue Festuca thurberi Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
timber oatgrass Danthonia intermedia Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
twoneedle pinyon Pinus edulis Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
umbrella starwort Stellaria umbellata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 4a
water sedge Carex aquatilis Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Whipple's penstemon Penstemon whippleanus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
whitestem gooseberry Ribes inerme Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
woolly groundsel Packera cana Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a

Other native species recorded here 68

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

  • alpine bluegrass Poa alpina
  • alpine fescue Festuca brachyphylla
  • alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
  • American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
  • beautiful cinquefoil Potentilla pulcherrima
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
  • bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • dryspike sedge Carex siccata
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • lesser spikemoss Selaginella densa
  • liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
  • male fern Dryopteris filix-mas
  • manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
  • manyflower stickseed Hackelia floribunda
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • nodding buckwheat Eriogonum cernuum
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • Norway sedge Carex norvegica
  • Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
  • Porter brome Bromus porteri
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • purple reedgrass Calamagrostis purpurascens
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • sanddune cryptantha Cryptantha fendleri
  • sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • single delight Moneses uniflora
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
  • spearleaf stonecrop Sedum lanceolatum
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • wood bluegrass Poa nemoralis
  • wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
  • woolly cinquefoil Potentilla hippiana
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

Compared with Colorado

The typical county is the median of the 63 Colorado counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Chaffee County and Colorado
MeasureChaffee CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 187 237 1,119
Garden-ready natives 119 148 585
Tree 17 — 66
Shrub 20 — 92
Wildflower (forb) 90 — 626
Grass or grass-like 52 — 278
Vine 0 — 20
Fern 8 — 37

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Chaffee County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope
Chaffee County (county FIPS 08015), Colorado. 187 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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