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