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Native plants · Colorado

Native plants of Summit County

237 plant species are recorded as native to Colorado in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Summit County by USDA PLANTS. 158 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

Summit County, Colorado

Native species
237 Typical Colorado county: 237 (median of 63 counties)
Garden-ready natives
158 Typical Colorado county: 148
Share by type (all 237 native species)
Percent of the 237 native species in each growth type
Tree 8% (20)
Shrub 11% (27)
Wildflower (forb) 47% (112)
Grass or grass-like 29% (69)
Vine <1% (2)
Fern 3% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (47%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (29%).

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 zone 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 158

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

Garden-ready native plants of Summit County, Colorado
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun 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 Meadow-Foxtail Alopecurus magellanicus Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
boreal sagebrush Artemisia arctica Shrub 1.5 ft — — Zone 1a
bristlecone pine Pinus aristata Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis Shrub 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
chestnut rush Juncus castaneus Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun 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
Columbia needlegrass Achnatherum nelsonii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
cutleaf daisy Erigeron compositus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana Grass or grass-like 3.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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
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
Eaton's fleabane Erigeron eatonii Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 5b
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
heartleaf bittercress Cardamine cordifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
high northern buttercup Ranunculus hyperboreus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade 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
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
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
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 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
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern singlespike sedge Carex scirpoidea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
oniongrass Melica bulbosa Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
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
pine dropseed Blepharoneuron tricholepis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata Shrub 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
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
purple avens Geum rivale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High 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
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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
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
sagebrush buttercup Ranunculus glaberrimus Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun High Zone 3a
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
shortfruit willow Salix brachycarpa Shrub 3.6 ft — — Zone 5a
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
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
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun High Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
slenderbeak sedge Carex athrostachya Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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
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
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
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
thrift seapink Armeria maritima Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
twoflowered rush Juncus biglumis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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 polemonium Polemonium occidentale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
western stoneseed Lithospermum ruderale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
Whipple's penstemon Penstemon whippleanus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
woolly groundsel Packera cana Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 79

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 lewisia Lewisia pygmaea
  • alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
  • alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
  • American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
  • American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
  • American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
  • autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
  • beautiful cinquefoil Potentilla pulcherrima
  • beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • bitter fleabane Erigeron acris
  • blite goosefoot Chenopodium capitatum
  • bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
  • Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • dryspike sedge Carex siccata
  • fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
  • Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
  • greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
  • heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
  • lesser spikemoss Selaginella densa
  • liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
  • manyflower stickseed Hackelia floribunda
  • meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
  • Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
  • moss campion Silene acaulis
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • northern bentgrass Agrostis mertensii
  • northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
  • Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
  • northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
  • Norway sedge Carex norvegica
  • pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
  • plains bluegrass Poa arida
  • Porter brome Bromus porteri
  • pullup muhly Muhlenbergia filiformis
  • purple reedgrass Calamagrostis purpurascens
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • single delight Moneses uniflora
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
  • spearleaf stonecrop Sedum lanceolatum
  • spotted fritillary Fritillaria atropurpurea
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tobacco root Valeriana edulis
  • trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
  • western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
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.

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, Summit County and Colorado
MeasureSummit CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 237 237 1,119
Garden-ready natives 158 148 585
Tree 20 — 66
Shrub 27 — 92
Wildflower (forb) 112 — 626
Grass or grass-like 69 — 278
Vine 2 — 20
Fern 7 — 37

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Summit 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
Summit County (county FIPS 08117), Colorado. 237 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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