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Native plants · Colorado

Native plants of Rio Blanco County

334 plant species are recorded as native to Colorado in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Rio Blanco County by USDA PLANTS. 219 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Rio Blanco County, Colorado

Native species
334 Typical Colorado county: 237 (median of 63 counties)
Garden-ready natives
219 Typical Colorado county: 148
Share by type (all 334 native species)
Percent of the 334 native species in each growth type
Tree 9% (30)
Shrub 10% (35)
Wildflower (forb) 57% (190)
Grass or grass-like 21% (71)
Vine <1% (3)
Fern 1% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (57%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 5b 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 219

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

Garden-ready native plants of Rio Blanco County, Colorado
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High 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 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
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
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
bearded fescue Festuca subulata Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 4b
black sagebrush Artemisia nova Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
Booth's willow Salix boothii Shrub 24 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
boreal sagebrush Artemisia arctica Shrub 1.5 ft — — Zone 1a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
bud sagebrush Picrothamnus desertorum Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
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
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
cerro hawthorn Crataegus erythropoda Tree 16 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
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
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
Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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 selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
creeping barberry Mahonia repens Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana Grass or grass-like 3.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Tree 200 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
Eaton's fleabane Erigeron eatonii Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 5b
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
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
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
foothill deathcamas Zigadenus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Gardner's saltbush Atriplex gardneri Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Geyer's sedge Carex geyeri Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
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
greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
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
James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Low Zone 5a
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
longbeak buttercup Ranunculus longirostris Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
low pussytoes Antennaria dimorpha Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun High Zone 4b
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Modoc hawksbeard Crepis modocensis Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
mountain brome Bromus marginatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun High Zone 4b
mountain pepperweed Lepidium montanum Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Low 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
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Nebraska sedge Carex nebrascensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
nodding microseris Microseris nutans Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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
Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii Wildflower (forb) 10 ft Sun 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
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
park willow Salix monticola Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
pearly pussytoes Antennaria anaphaloides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
pine dropseed Blepharoneuron tricholepis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
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
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
prickly rose Rosa acicularis Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
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
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
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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 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' 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
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
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
shadscale saltbush Atriplex confertifolia Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
shortspine horsebrush Tetradymia spinosa Shrub 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus Tree 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
star duckweed Lemna trisulca Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
streambank wild hollyhock Iliamna rivularis Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
tailcup lupine Lupinus caudatus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
tapertip hawksbeard Crepis acuminata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
tapertip onion Allium acuminatum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
thrift mock goldenweed Stenotus armerioides Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Thurber's fescue Festuca thurberi Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
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
Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma Tree 26 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Utah sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
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 stoneseed Lithospermum ruderale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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 evening primrose Oenothera flava Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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

Other native species recorded here 115

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 milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
  • American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
  • autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
  • ballhead ipomopsis Ipomopsis congesta
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • beautiful cinquefoil Potentilla pulcherrima
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
  • bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
  • desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
  • elkweed Frasera speciosa
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • entireleaved thelypody Thelypodium integrifolium
  • fairy slipper Calypso bulbosa
  • falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
  • hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
  • hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
  • heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • least duckweed Lemna minuta
  • manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
  • manyflower stickseed Hackelia floribunda
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
  • Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
  • narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
  • Norway sedge Carex norvegica
  • oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
  • pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
  • pinyon goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
  • Porter brome Bromus porteri
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • roughfruit fairybells Prosartes trachycarpa
  • roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
  • sagebrush violet Viola vallicola
  • sanddune cryptantha Cryptantha fendleri
  • scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
  • scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • shortray fleabane Erigeron lonchophyllus
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • spearleaf stonecrop Sedum lanceolatum
  • spiny milkvetch Astragalus kentrophyta
  • spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • strapleaf willow Salix ligulifolia
  • summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
  • sweetcicely Osmorhiza berteroi
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tobacco root Valeriana edulis
  • trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
  • veiny dock Rumex venosus
  • veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
  • water whorlgrass Catabrosa aquatica
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
  • western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
  • western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • wood bluegrass Poa nemoralis
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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
  • Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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, Rio Blanco County and Colorado
MeasureRio Blanco CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 334 237 1,119
Garden-ready natives 219 148 585
Tree 30 — 66
Shrub 35 — 92
Wildflower (forb) 190 — 626
Grass or grass-like 71 — 278
Vine 3 — 20
Fern 5 — 37

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Rio Blanco 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
Rio Blanco County (county FIPS 08103), Colorado. 334 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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