Native plants · Colorado
Native plants of Jackson County
328 plant species are recorded as native to Colorado in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Jackson County by USDA PLANTS. 221 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Jackson County, Colorado
- Native species
- 328 Typical Colorado county: 237 (median of 63 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 221 Typical Colorado county: 148
- Share by type (all 328 native species)
-
Percent of the 328 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (57%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 221
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| alpine laurel Kalmia microphylla | Shrub | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| American red raspberry Rubus idaeus | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 1a |
| American speedwell Veronica americana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| analogue sedge Carex simulata | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| arctic pearlwort Sagina saginoides | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Arizona fescue Festuca arizonica | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| balsam poplar Populus balsamifera | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| 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 |
| black sagebrush Artemisia nova | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| blue wildrye Elymus glaucus | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bluntseed sweetroot Osmorhiza depauperata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Booth's willow Salix boothii | Shrub | 24 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 8b |
| boreal sagebrush Artemisia arctica | Shrub | 1.5 ft | — | — | Zone 1a |
| bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| bushy bird's beak Cordylanthus ramosus | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Cascade azalea Rhododendron albiflorum | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 8a |
| Chamisso arnica Arnica chamissonis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 rush Juncus confusus | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common juniper Juniperus communis | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| creeping barberry Mahonia repens | Shrub | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia | Grass or grass-like | 4.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Drummond's rush Juncus drummondii | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Drummond's willow Salix drummondiana | Shrub | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| elephanthead lousewort Pedicularis groenlandica | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii | Tree | 120 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2a |
| Engelmann's aster Eucephalus engelmannii | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fineleaf pondweed Stuckenia filiformis | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| fireweed Chamerion angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| flat-top pussytoes Antennaria corymbosa | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| floating pondweed Potamogeton natans | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| foothill arnica Arnica fulgens | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| fowl bluegrass Poa palustris | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fringed brome Bromus ciliatus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| fringed grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| Gardner's saltbush Atriplex gardneri | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| Geyer willow Salix geyeriana | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| Geyer's sedge Carex geyeri | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| glaucous bluegrass Poa glauca | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | — | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina | Tree | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| grouse whortleberry Vaccinium scoparium | Shrub | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| hairy arnica Arnica mollis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| heartleaf arnica Arnica cordifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| heartleaf bittercress Cardamine cordifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Idaho bentgrass Agrostis idahoensis | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Idaho blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium idahoense | Wildflower (forb) | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| inland sedge Carex interior | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Shrub | 6 in | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Letterman's needlegrass Achnatherum lettermanii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| Lewis flax Linum lewisii | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| limber pine Pinus flexilis | Tree | 66 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| little green sedge Carex viridula | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma | Wildflower (forb) | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| littleleaf pussytoes Antennaria microphylla | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| littleseed ricegrass Piptatheropsis micrantha | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| lodgepole pine Pinus contorta | Tree | 99 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 1a |
| longbeak buttercup Ranunculus longirostris | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| longstalk clover Trifolium longipes | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 8a |
| longstyle rush Juncus longistylis | Grass or grass-like | 1.8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| mountain brome Bromus marginatus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| mountain sedge Carex scopulorum | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| mud sedge Carex limosa | Grass or grass-like | 1.8 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| mule-ears Wyethia amplexicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| muttongrass Poa fendleriana | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| Nebraska sedge Carex nebrascensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| northern bedstraw Galium boreale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana | Grass or grass-like | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| old man's whiskers Geum triflorum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5a |
| orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pale agoseris Agoseris glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| park willow Salix monticola | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| Parry's rush Juncus parryi | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pine dropseed Blepharoneuron tricholepis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5a |
| plantainleaf buttercup Ranunculus alismifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| prickly currant Ribes lacustre | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 1a |
| purple avens Geum rivale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| purple oniongrass Melica spectabilis | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| quaking aspen Populus tremuloides | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| red elderberry Sambucus racemosa | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 12b |
| red swampfire Salicornia rubra | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago multiradiata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| rush pussytoes Antennaria luzuloides | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa | Shrub | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| silver sagebrush Artemisia cana | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| silvery primrose Primula incana | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| silvery sedge Carex canescens | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile | Grass or grass-like | 1.7 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| slenderbeak sedge Carex athrostachya | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| small white violet Viola macloskeyi | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| smallflowered woodrush Luzula parviflora | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| smallwing sedge Carex microptera | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| softleaf sedge Carex disperma | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spearleaf arnica Arnica longifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| squashberry Viburnum edule | Shrub | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 1a |
| squirreltail Elymus elymoides | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| star sedge Carex echinata | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum | Fern | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa | Tree | 90 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2a |
| sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| swordleaf rush Juncus ensifolius | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| tailcup lupine Lupinus caudatus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| tall cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| textile onion Allium textile | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| thickspike wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum | Vine | 10 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| umbrella starwort Stellaria umbellata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis | Tree | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 polemonium Polemonium occidentale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| western sweetroot Osmorhiza occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| western valerian Valeriana occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wheat sedge Carex atherodes | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Whipple's penstemon Penstemon whippleanus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white hawkweed Hieracium albiflorum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii | Wildflower (forb) | 7 in | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
| yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 107
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- alpine fescue Festuca brachyphylla
- alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
- American bugseed Corispermum americanum
- American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
- American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
- American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
- American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
- autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
- ballhead ipomopsis Ipomopsis congesta
- balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- beautiful cinquefoil Potentilla pulcherrima
- Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
- bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
- bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
- brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
- Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
- entireleaved thelypody Thelypodium integrifolium
- fairy slipper Calypso bulbosa
- falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
- Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
- greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
- hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
- 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
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
- moss campion Silene acaulis
- mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
- mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
- muskflower Mimulus moschatus
- narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
- needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
- nodding buckwheat Eriogonum cernuum
- Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
- northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
- Norway sedge Carex norvegica
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
- pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- pinyon goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
- Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
- rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
- redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
- Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
- River Broom-Rape Orobanche riparia
- Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
- Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
- rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
- roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
- scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
- scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
- seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
- sheathed pondweed Stuckenia vaginata
- shortray fleabane Erigeron lonchophyllus
- shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
- sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
- slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
- small bur-reed Sparganium natans
- small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
- snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
- spearleaf stonecrop Sedum lanceolatum
- spiny milkvetch Astragalus kentrophyta
- spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
- tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
- tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
- tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
- thread rush Juncus filiformis
- tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
- tobacco root Valeriana edulis
- twinflower Linnaea borealis
- veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
- white violet Viola renifolia
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
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.
- biennial wormwoodArtemisia biennis
- claspleaf twistedstalkStreptopus amplexifolius
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.
| Measure | Jackson County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 328 | 237 | 1,119 |
| Garden-ready natives | 221 | 148 | 585 |
| Tree | 22 | — | 66 |
| Shrub | 34 | — | 92 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 187 | — | 626 |
| Grass or grass-like | 77 | — | 278 |
| Vine | 3 | — | 20 |
| Fern | 5 | — | 37 |
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
- Jackson County (county FIPS 08057), Colorado. 328 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