Native plants · Colorado

Native plants of Pitkin County

209 plant species are recorded as native to Colorado in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pitkin County by USDA PLANTS. 146 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Pitkin County, Colorado

Native species: 209 Typical Colorado county: 237 (median of 63 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 146 Typical Colorado county: 148
Share by type (all 209 native species): Percent of the 209 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (23)
Shrub 10% (21)
Wildflower (forb) 50% (105)
Grass or grass-like 26% (55)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (50%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (26%).

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

Garden-ready natives 146

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pitkin County, Colorado
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
arctic bluegrass Poa arctica	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
arctic pearlwort Sagina saginoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
basin wildrye Leymus cinereus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
blue spruce Picea pungens	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	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
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
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
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
Columbia needlegrass Achnatherum nelsonii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 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
Douglas' sedge Carex douglasii	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
dwarf bilberry Vaccinium cespitosum	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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
gooseberry currant Ribes montigenum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
grouse whortleberry Vaccinium scoparium	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
hair-like sedge Carex capillaris	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
hairy arnica Arnica mollis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
littleseed ricegrass Piptatheropsis micrantha	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
marsh bluegrass Poa leptocoma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
mountain pepperweed Lepidium montanum	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
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 cottonwood Populus angustifolia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
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
pearly pussytoes Antennaria anaphaloides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
plantainleaf buttercup Ranunculus alismifolius	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
Raynolds' sedge Carex raynoldsii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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 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
Rydberg's penstemon Penstemon rydbergii	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
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
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
shortfruit willow Salix brachycarpa	Shrub	3.6 ft	—	—	Zone 5a
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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 wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	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
southwestern showy sedge Carex bella	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
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
squirreltail Elymus elymoides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
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
water birch Betula occidentalis	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 1a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
western sweetroot Osmorhiza occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	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
whitestem gooseberry Ribes inerme	Shrub	8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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

Other native species recorded here 63

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 fescue Festuca brachyphylla
alpine lewisia Lewisia pygmaea
alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
Drummond's campion Silene drummondii
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
moss campion Silene acaulis
mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
nodding onion Allium cernuum
northern bentgrass Agrostis mertensii
Norway sedge Carex norvegica
pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
pullup muhly Muhlenbergia filiformis
purple reedgrass Calamagrostis purpurascens
pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
sanddune cryptantha Cryptantha fendleri
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
spearleaf stonecrop Sedum lanceolatum
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
tobacco root Valeriana edulis
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
wood bluegrass Poa nemoralis
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida

Also listed as native and introduced here 5

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
common reedPhragmites australis
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana

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, Pitkin County and Colorado
Measure	Pitkin County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	209	237	1,119
Garden-ready natives	146	148	585
Tree	23	—	66
Shrub	21	—	92
Wildflower (forb)	105	—	626
Grass or grass-like	55	—	278
Vine	4	—	20
Fern	1	—	37

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pitkin County.

Eagle County, CO 162 garden-ready
Garfield County, CO 232 garden-ready
Gunnison County, CO 271 garden-ready

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: Pitkin County (county FIPS 08097), Colorado. 209 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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