Are you looking for the best outdoor plants for Colorado? If so, you have come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the top four choices for your landscape. These plants come in a variety of colors and textures, and can be mixed together to create a full color palette. Sedum plants thrive in dry climates and are drought-tolerant. They also come in a range of sizes and can be used in any setting, whether in your garden or as a focal point.
Lavender
If you are in arid climates, you may be wondering how to care for your new outdoor lavender plant. The truth is, lavender is drought-tolerant, but it does need adequate supplemental water to survive. This amount varies from one zone to another, depending on the soil and climatic conditions. If you are concerned about watering your new lavender plant, consider adding landscape fabric or mulch to the planting area. Be sure to leave a gap around the base of the plant to allow excess moisture to escape.
If you live in a cold climate, you can try L. angustifolia. This variety is hardy and is great for rock gardens. It grows well in part sun and prefers a moist soil. This plant was named Plant Select winner of 2014, and the fragrance is particularly pleasant. Phenomenal Lavender is another excellent choice for cold-hardy climates. It is easy to grow and has long blue flowers, and it is drought-resistant. This perennial also attracts butterflies to your garden.
Once you have chosen your plant, you should introduce it outside for at least an hour, or for eight hours. This will help it establish a root system and increase its survival. Lavender can be planted anywhere from spring through fall, but the best time to plant it is in the fall when the ground is still cool. A late planting will ensure that you won’t harvest the flowers before the fall frost. So, keep your eye on the weather and watch for the last frost.
Lavender needs well-drained soil, but in the winter, it needs good drainage. You can add gravel or sand before planting your lavender plant. It also grows well in slopes and raised beds. In humid climates, you can add rock or stone as mulch. And, in hotter climates, you can add lime. You can also use lime to increase the pH balance of the soil.
Hummingbird Mint
A flowering plant native to the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, Hummingbird Mint attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard. It can reach heights of three feet in the right place and can thrive in a container. The plants’ tubular, upright spikes are scented with a strong mint fragrance. The flowers are scented but not toxic, and the plant is cold hardy.
This plant’s beautiful red flowers are attracting to hummingbirds. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds because of their tubular shape. It also attracts a variety of pollinators and insects to your yard. The leaves and flowers are easy to care for, and it doesn’t need much water. The young plant just needs regular watering. However, overwatering may cause root rot.
A plant that can survive a Colorado winter is the Hummingbird Mint. Its long stems are great for attracting bees and butterflies. When you plant Hummingbird Mint, leave the stems over the winter. Cut down to woody growth only in the spring. It will continue to grow and bloom throughout the summer and attract birds, butterflies, and bees.
Agastache is native to the Midwest and Eastern Asia. It first appeared on the Bering Land Bridge about 25 million years ago. Its name comes from two ancient Greek words, agan “very” and tsakeros (again, “very”). The plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family and has square stems. The plant’s blooms are pink or blue and last from late summer through the fall.
Unlike other plants, Hummingbird Mint prefers well-drained soil and fertilized ground. It does not thrive in wet soil and may not come back as strong the following spring. It can be planted alone or in mixtures with other plants that attract bees and butterflies. There are many different types of Hummingbird Mint, including compact varieties with narrow bloom spikes and taller varieties with bigger blooms.
Apache Plume
After planting an Apache plume in your backyard, you should fertilize it in early spring. Use a slow-release fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Spread a thin layer of fertilizer around the shrub, and then water in thoroughly. Continue fertilizing until you see new growth. Make sure to add a few inches of compost to the soil before watering your plume in the spring and summer.
The Apache plume is a shrub native to the American West, where it grows in deserts and mountains. It prefers well-drained soil that drains well. It is not suited for lawns, but does well in sunny spots with a south or west exposure. Its fine texture is appealing to both humans and animals. It requires moderate watering once established and grows best in full sun.
The Apache plume grows up to six feet tall. It requires minimal maintenance and grows without much effort. Its name comes from its resemblance to an Apache war bonnet. It can be grown in containers at your local Southwest nursery. Once established, Apache plumes need only moderate watering. But if you do decide to grow them in the ground, you should do so near other drought-tolerant plants for additional benefits.
This plant is a shrub native to the deserts of the southwest. Its erect growth habit and glossy gray leaves add interest to dry landscapes. Its white or pink plumes are attractive to birds, and they attract hummingbirds and other wildlife. The foliage is pinnately divided, and attached alternately on slender stems. For these reasons, Apache Plume is one of the best outdoor plants for Colorado.
Viburnum
The Viburnum family consists of a variety of evergreen shrubs and perennials that thrive in shady or sunny areas. The Viburnum family is also hardy in Colorado and most varieties of Viburnum are disease resistant. The lilac family includes the Hydrangea, the Aquilegia, the Clematis, and the Lilac strelitzii, which all provide dense foliage and attractive flowers. This group of plants also attracts lots of butterflies and birds. Although lilacs like to grow in full sun, they also require some water during hot days.
The Viburnum family contains a number of species that grow from two to twenty feet tall. Some of these species are cultivated for their fragrant flowers, while others are grown for their fall foliage color. The old-fashioned snowball viburnum, for example, produces white flowers during the late spring. Although the species is sterile, it grows to 15 feet and is widely used in the Front Range of Colorado.
Viburnum is a versatile choice that provides privacy in a sunny backyard. The Chinese snowball bush produces the largest blooms, measuring up to eight inches across. Viburnum macrocephalum’s blooms shift from cream-green to white, and can be spotted in several shades at the same time. Viburnum carlcephalum adds a sweet fragrance to the snowball bush’s flowers. It blooms in the late spring and early summer. Its fragrant flowers are usually a beautiful shade of pink or white, and have carnation clove overtones.
A great plant choice for your yard in Colorado is the Viburnum, which is drought-tolerant. It can survive the dry climate of Colorado and thrive in most soils. It also produces blackberries in the fall. During the summer, the Viburnum is one of the fastest-growing shrubs for privacy in the state and can grow up to eight feet tall! Its flowering time also depends on its size, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Douglas Fir
The Douglas-fir is the most common type of evergreen in Colorado. Its needles are 1 inch long and flat. Its bark is thick, and its cones are distinctive. Douglas-firs can grow up to 100 feet tall, but they are rarely larger than 5 feet in diameter. They thrive in sheltered, moist areas. They grow fast and have a long life. Regardless of whether you plant Douglas fir in full sun or in shade, you can count on them to provide beautiful fall color to your landscape.
A Douglas-fir’s growth rate varies from two to three inches per year. In a controlled experiment in the Rocky Mountains, seedlings survived with nearly seventy percent survival. This was not the case in a non-aerated environment. The soil moisture and texture was variable, and the firs’ roots were often embedded in coarse fragments. In contrast, Douglas-firs survived when planted in well-drained soil that was enriched with humic substances and a good moisture content.
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is a common species of conifers. It grows in open areas, and its branches spread out along the bole. Trees in dense stands lack lower branches. The sapling bark of the tree is heavily covered with resin blisters and is photosynthesis-active. Mature individuals are covered in a thick, corky bark. The bark thickness in the northern Rockies is around an inch.
Once established, the Douglas-fir tree requires little maintenance. Once established, the Douglas-fir tree can survive in soils with as little as 16 inches of rainfall a year. It is also very drought-tolerant and can thrive in mixed plantings. If you are planning to plant this tree in your garden, don’t hesitate to consult a garden professional if you’re unsure of where to plant it.