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Harlequins Gardens

Harlequins Gardens

Boulder's specialist in well-adapted plants

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Home | Garden Tour Home Page

Garden Tour Home Page

Water-Wise Plants for a No-Water Garden

August 18, 2026

In our 35 years of experience gardening on our two-acre property in the rocky short-grass prairie in far-north Boulder, CO, we have found the plants listed here to grow successfully without supplemental watering once established. The early years of the gardens were blessed with more natural precipitation than we are experiencing now. Some plantings receive more attention than others, but these plants have all managed without irrigation for long stretches of time.

Acer negundo Boxelder Maple
Agave parryi Parry’s Agave
Allium tuberosum Garlic Chives
Argemone polyanthemos Prickly Poppy
Artemisia filifolia Sand Sage
Artemisia frigida Fringed Sage
Artemisia ludoviciana Silver King Artemisia
Artemisia tridentata Big Sage
Buddleia alternifolia argentea Silver Butterfly Bush
Celtis occidentalis Western Hackberry
Celtis reticulata Netleaf Hackberry
Cercocarpus intricatus Littleleaf Mt. Mahogany
Cercocarpus ledifolius Curlleaf Mt. Mahogany
Cercocarpus montanus Trueleaf Mt. Mahogany
Chamaebatiaria millefolium Fernbush
Cleomella serrulata Rocky Mt. Bee Plant
Cotinus ‘Grace’ ‘Grace’ Smoketree
Cotoneaster lucidus Hedge Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster racemiflorus var. soongoricus – Redbead Cotoneaster
Crataegus ambigua Russian Hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Hawthorn
Cupressus arizonica Arizona Cypress
Ericameria nauseosa Tall Blue, Tall Green and Dwarf Blue

Fallopia aubertii Silver Lace Vine
Foeniculum vulgare Purpureum Bronze Fennel
Forestiera neomexicana Desert Olive
Glaucium acutidentatum Horned Poppy
Gleditsia triacanthos Honeylocust
Helianthus annuus Common Sunflower
Helianthus salicifolius Willow Leafed Sunflower
Iris germanica Bearded Iris
Juniperus monosperma One Seed Juniper
Juniprus scopulorum Rocky Mt. Juniper
Koelreuteria paniculata Golden Rain Tree
Limonium gmelinii Siberian Statice
Linum lewisii Native Blue Flax
Mahonia aquifolium Oregon Grape Holly
Mahonia fremontii Desert Holly
Malus other apples
Malus Royalty Royalty Crab
Marrubium cyllenaum Greek Horehound
Marrubium rotundifolium Silver Edged Horehound
Morus tatarica Hardy Mulberry
Penstemon Many species
Philadelphus coronarius Sweet Mock Orange
Pinus edulis Pinyon Pine
Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine
Prunus americana American Plum
Prunus virginiana Canada Red Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana Chokecherry
Rhus glabra cismontane
Rhus trilobata Threeleaf Sumac
Rocky Mt. Sumac
Rosa eglanteria Sweetbrier Rose
Rosa Fruhlingsgold Spring Gold Rose
Rosa Henry Kelsey Henry Kelsey Rose
Rosa John Davis John Davis Rose
Rosa moyesii Eddy’s Jewel Rose

Sedum many varieties
Sphaeralcea fendleri Tall Globemallow
Syringa vulgaris Common Purple Lilac
Tanacetum parthenium Feverfew
Yucca baccata Banana Yucca
Yucca glauca Plains Yucca

Native Plants in Display Gardens for 5-7 Waterings Per Year

August 18, 2026

The native plants listed here have all been grown successfully in gardens here that were watered only 5 to 7 times per year. We amend our rocky soils when planting. Gardens vary in amounts and timing of sun exposure. Our definition of ‘native’ is broad, and includes plants from our specific locale, the state of Colorado, and the arid, temperate steppe, foothill, montane and alpine regions of the Rocky Mountain states and the southwest.

Achillea lanulosa (Achillea millefolium var. lanulosa) (Yarrow)
Agave parryi neomexicana (New Mexico Century Plant)
Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry)
Amorpha canescens (Leadplant)
Amorpha fruticosa (False Indigo)
Amorpha nana (Dwarf Leadplant)
Amsonia jonesii (Jones’ Bluestar)
Andropogon gerardii ‘Pawnee’ (Pawnee Big Bluestem)
Andropogon saccharoides (Silver Beard Grass)
Aquilegia barnebyi (Barneby’s Columbine)
Aquilegia caerulea (Rocky Mt. Columbine)
Aquilegia chrysantha (Yellow Columbine)
Arenaria hookeri (Sandwort)
Argemone polyanthemos (Prickly Poppy)
Artemisia campestris (Wild Tarragon)
Artemisia filifolia (Sand Sage)
Artemisia frigida (Fringed Sage, Silver Sage )
Artemisia ludoviciana (Silver King Artemisia)
Artemisia nova (Black Sage)
Artemisia tridentata syn. Seriphidium tridentatum (Western Big Sage)
Artemisia tripartita(Cutleaf Big Sage)
Aster ericoides (Wreath Aster)
Aster fendleri ‘My Antonia’ (‘My Antonia’ Rock Aster)
Aster obligifolius (Aromatic Aster)
Aster sericeus (Silky Aster)
Atriplex canescens (Four-wing Saltbrush)
Atriplex confertifolia (Spring Saltbrush)
Baptisia australis minor (Dwarf False Blue Indigo)
Blepharoneuron tricholepis (Pine Dropseed)
Bouteloua curtipendula (Side Oats Grama)
Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Gramma)
Callirhoe involucrata (Wine Cups)
Calylophus serrulatus (Sundrops)
Ceanothus fendleri (Buckbrush)
Cerastium arvense (Field Mouse Ear)
Ceratoides lanata (Winterfat)
Cercocarpus intricatus (Dwarf Mountain Mahogany)
Cercocarpus ledifolius (Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany)

Cercocarpus montana (Mountain Mahogany)
Chamaebataria millefolium (Fernbush)
Chilopsis linearis (Desert Willow)
Chrysothamnus nauseosus nauseosus (Dwarf Rabbitbrush)
Clematis ligusticifolia (Western Virgin’s Bower)
Coryphantha missouriensis
Crataegus douglasii (Douglas Hawthorn)
Cupressus arizonica (Arizona Cypress)
Cylindropuntia imbricata (Cholla, Candelabra Cactus)
Cylindropuntia whipplei (Whipple’s Cholla)
Datura wrightii (D. meteloides) (Sacred Datura)
Echinacea tennesseensis (Tennessee Coneflower)
Echinocereus caespitosus
Echinocereus reichenbachii (Lace Cactus)
Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup Cactus)
Echinocereus viridiflorus
Eragrostis trichodes (Sand Love Grass)
Erigeron flagellaris (Whiplash Daisy)
Eriogonum heracleifolium
Eriogonum jamesii flavescens
Eriogonum niveum niveum
Eriogonum ovalifolium
Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulphur Flower)
Eriogonum umbellatum ‘Kannah Creek’
Eriogonum umbellatum subalpinum
Eriogonum wrightii wrightii (Wright’s Sulfur Flower)
Escobari vivapara
Fallugia paradoxa (Apache Plume)
Fendlera rupicola (Cliff Fendler Bush)
Forestiera neo-mexicana (New Mexican Privet)
Gaillardia aristata (Indian Blanket Flower)
Geranium fremontii (Fremont Geranium)
Geranium richardsonii (Richardson Geranium)
Gilia aggregata (Scarlet Gilia)
Gutierrezia sarothrae (Snake Weed)
Helianthus pumilus (Dwarf Sunflower)
Hesperaloe parviflora (Texas Red Yucca)
Humulus lupulus neomexicana (Wild Hop Vine)
Hymenoxys scaposa (Perky Sue)
Juniperus monosperma (Single-seed Juniper)
Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mt. Juniper)
Leucocrinum montanum (Sand Lily)
Liatris punctata (Gayfeather, Blazing Star)
Linum lewisii (Native Blue Flax)
Lithospermum multiflorum (Many-flowered Pucoon)
Lomatium orientale (Native Parsley)

Mahonia fremontii (Fremont’s Mahonia)
Mentzelia decapetala (Blazing Star)
Mirabilis multiflora (Desert Four-O’Clock)
Nolina microcarpa (Beargrass)
Oenothera caespitosa (Tufted Evening Primrose)
Oenothera howardii (Howard’s Evening Primrose)
Oenothera mac. Incana ‘Silver Blade’
Opuntia fragilis (Fragile Prickly Pear)
Opuntia polyacantha (Yellow Prickly Pear)
Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian Rice Grass)
Oxytropis lambertii (Lambert’s Locoweed)
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ (Red Switchgrass)
Pediocactus simpsonii (Mt. Ball Cactus)
Penstemon alamosensis
Penstemon ambiguous
Penstemon angustifolius
Penstemon arenicola
Penstemon barbatus ‘Coccineus’
Penstemon buckleyi
Penstemon cardinalis
Penstemon clutei
Penstemon cyananthus
Penstemon davidsonii
Penstemon gormanii gormanii
Penstemon grandiflorus
Penstemon havardii
Penstemon linarioides coloradoensis
Penstemon mensarum
Penstemon palmeri
Penstemon procerus
Penstemon pseudospectabilis
Penstemon rostriflorus (Bridges Penstemon)
Penstemon secundiflorus (Sidebells Penstemon)
Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mt. Penstemon)
Penstemon teucroides
Penstemon virens
Penstemon virgatus ssp. asa grayii
Pinus edulis (Pinyon Pine)
Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)
Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen)
Prunus americanus (Wild Plum)
Prunus besseyi (Western Sand Cherry)
Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’ (Dwarf Sandcherry)
Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry)
Ptelea trifoliata (Wafer Ash, Hop Tree)
Quercus gambelii (Gambel Oak)

Quercus undulata (Wavy Leaf Oak)
Rhus trilobata (Lemonade Bush, Skunkbrush)
Ribes aureum (Golden Currant)
Ribes cereum (Wax Currant)
Ribes odoratum ‘Crandall’ (Crandall Clove Currant)
Rosa acicularis (Arctic Rose)
Rosa arkansana
Rosa woodsii (Woods Rose)
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’ (Little Bluestem)
Sedum lanceolatum (Lanceleaf Stonecrop)
Senecio spartioides (Grassleaf Senecio)
Shepherdia argentea (Silver Buffaloberry)
Silene regia (Royal Catchfly)
Solidago nana (Dwarf Goldenrod)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)
Sphaeralcea coccinea (Cowboy’s Delight; Scarlet Globemallow)
Sphaeralcea incana (Globe Mallow)
Sporobolus airoides (Alkali sacaton)
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
Sporobolus wrightii (Wright’s Sacaton)
Tradescantia occidentalis (Western Spiderwort)
Yucca baccata (Banana Yucca)
Yucca glauca (Narrowleaf Soapweed)
Yucca harrimanii (Dollhouse Yucca)

Non-Native Plants in Display Gardens for 5-7 Waterings Per Year

August 18, 2026

The plants listed here have been grown successfully in our display gardens and in other locations around our 2-acre property for long periods of time, receiving only 5 to 7 waterings per year.

Acantholimon glumacium
Acantholimon hohenackeri
Acantholimon litwanovii
Achillea ‘Moonshine’
Achillea ageratifolia (Greek Yarrow)
Achillea kellereri (Keller’s Yarrow)
Achillea serbica (Serbian Yarrow)
Aethionema ‘Warley Rose’
Agave parryi neomexicana
Alba Suaveolens-rose
Alchemilla mollis (Ladies Mantle)
Allim schoenoprasum (Chives)
Allium tuberosum (Garlic Chives)
Allium senescens glaucum
Allium sphaerocehalum (Drumstick Allium)
Alyssoides graeca (Greek Bladderpod)
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata maxim…..
Arabis caucasica
Arenaria montana
Arp Rosemary
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’
Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’
Aubrieta ‘White Wall Gem’
Aubrieta deltoides ‘Purple Gem’
Aurinia saxatilis (Basket of Gold)
Berggarten Sage
Betonica foliosa
Brunnera macrophylla (Perennial Forget-me-Not)
Buxus ‘Julia Jane’
Buxus microphyllus koreana
Campanula garganica
Caryopteris x clandonensis (Blue Mist Spirea)
Catananche caerulea (Cupid’s Dart)
Centaurea bella
Centauria cyanus ‘Emperor William’ (Blue Bachelors Button)
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Plumbago)
Champlain-rose
Clematis ‘Niobe’
Clematis ‘Prairie Traveller’s Joy’
Clematis recta
Complicata-rose
Constance Spry-rose
Corydalis ochroleuca
Cyclamen hederifolium (Hardy Cyclamen)
Darlow’s Enigma-rose
Desiree Parmentier-rose

Dianthus freynii
Dianthus gratianapolitanus ‘Tiny Rubies’
Dianthus petraeus noeanus
Dianthus Tuscan Honeymoon
Dortmund-rose
Ephedra viridis
Eriogonum umbellatum ‘Kannah Creek’
Eriogonum heracleifolium
Eriogonum ovalifolium
Erodium chrysanthum
Escholzia californica (California Poppy)
Euonymus fortunei ‘Minima’
Foeniculum vulgare (Bronze Fennel)
Fruhlingsgold-rose
Geranium cinerium ‘Ballerina’
Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium macrorrhizum from Bulgaria
Geranium robertianum (Herb Robert)
Geranium sanguineum
Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke)
Glaucium acutidentatum (Horned Poppy)
Golden Wings-rose
Harrison’s Yellow-rose
Helianthemum grandiflorum
Helianthemum nummularia
Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose)
Hemerocallis (unknown)
Henry Kelsey-rose
Heuchera ‘Firefly’
Heuchera sanguineum (Coral Bells)
Iberis sempervirens (Evergreen Candytuft)
Iberis sempervirens ‘Little Gem’ (Dwf. Evergreen Candytuft)
Iris orientalis
John Cabot-rose
John Davis-rose
Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree)
Lavandula angustifolia Munstead, Hidcote
Lavandula intermedia Grosso
Limonium gmelinii Siberian Statice
Linum flavum (Yellow Flax)
Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ (Hall’s Honeysuckle)
Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)
Lysimachia punctata (Yellow Loosestrife)
Malva sylvestris mauritianum (Magic Hollyhock)
Marrubium cyllenium
Marrubium rotundifolium
Myrrhis odoratus (Sweet Cecily)
Onosma echioides
Oreganum ‘Hopley’s Purple’
Oreganum vulgare (Oregano)
Origanum vulgare ‘Norton’s Gold’
Othello-rose
Parkdirektor Riggers-rose

Paxistima canbyi Mountain Lover
Penstemon many species
Phlox subulata ‘Boothman’s Variety’
(Boothman’s Creeping Phlox)
Phlox subulata ‘Millstream Jupiter’
Picea glauca ‘Conica’ (Dwarf Alberta Spruce)
Polygonum aubertii (Silver Lace Vine)
Potentilla argentea
Rosa foetida bicolor (Austrian Copper Rose)
Rosa glauca (Red-leaf Rose)
Rosa moyesii ‘Eddy’s Jewel’
Rose de Rescht
Ruta graveolens (Rue)
Salvia sclaria (Clary Sage)
Sambucus nigra (Black Elderberry)
Santolina chamaecyparris (Grey Santolina)
Saponaria lempergii ‘Max Frei’
Scabiosa lucida Fairy Pincushion
Scutellaria orientalis
Sedum ‘Bronze Carpet’
Sedum ‘Morchen’
Sedum album
Sedum seiboldii
Sedum rupestre (Pinetree Sedum)
Sedum spectabilis ‘Autumn Joy’
Sedum spectabilis ‘Indian Chief’
Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’
Sempervivum ‘Ohio Burgundy’
Sempervivum arachnoides
Sisyrinchium macrocarpum
Sphaeralcea fendleri
Spirea bumalda ‘Goldflame’
Spirea ‘Cheyenne Snowmound’
Stachys byzantina (Lambs Ears)
Tanacetum densum var. amani
The Fairy-rose
The Gift-rose
Thymus (many creeping forms)
Thymus baeticus
Veronica allioni
Veronica armena
Veronica cuneifolia
Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Veronica)
Veronica macrostachya, silver form
Veronica oltensis
Veronica pectinata
Veronica prostrata
Wisteria macrastachya Aunt Dee Wisteria

Join Our Virtual Garden Tour!

September 19, 2019

For over a quarter century Harlequin’s Gardens has shared plants, Eco-products, and advice for organic methods of gardening with our community. We are proud of the success so many have had and want to create a forum for all to share their results.

So, we’re creating a “Virtual Garden Tour” for our community to share not just photos of their gardens but also a little about gardening goals, styles and experiences–especially sustainable approaches.[Read More]

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Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

We do not ship plants!

Our plants are for sale ONLY at our Boulder location. We DO NOT ship plants or any other products.  Come visit us!

Hours by Season

MARCH HOURS
Thursday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

STARTING APRIL 1
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

 

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Contact Us

303-939-9403 (Retail)
staff@harlequinsgardens.com

4795 North 26th St
Boulder, CO 80301

Sign-up for E-Newsletters!

Sign-up for our weekly e-newsletters to receive empowering gardening tips, ecological insights, and to keep up on happenings at Harlequin’s Gardens — such as flash sales and “just in” plants. We never share customer’s addresses!

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Our Hours

JANUARY-FEBRUARY HOURS:
Thursday-Saturday, 10AM-4PM

MARCH HOURS:
Thursday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM

APRIL-OCTOBER HOURS:
Tuesday-Sunday, 9AM-5PM
Closing end of Oct.

Mondays, CLOSED

The plants we grow are organically grown. All the plants we sell are free of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides.