After getting great feedback on my 20 Best Xeriscape Plants for Colorado post, which included a few follow-up requests, I have decided to publish a list of the best high altitude plants for landscaping.
The Challenges of High Elevations
When landscaping at higher elevations, there are many challenges to consider. The plants themselves are often limited in how cold of winter temperature they can withstand. And there are also the challenging microclimates, wind, and levels of moisture that can occur at high altitudes.
Grazing deer and elk are also a common problem at higher elevations. All of these factors should be carefully considered in the design of the landscape. Consult the USDA Plant Hardiness zones for your local area, and consider working with an experienced landscape architect or garden designer.
It would be a great idea to do some nature walks in your local area to observe the native plants that are thriving naturally, and are well adapted to the various microclimates that can be found in your area.
I have decided to limit the list to plants that I feel will do well above 8,000 ft. There are several plants that are advertised to do well above 7,500 ft, but I am not comfortable recommending all of them, so lets go with 8,000.
Deciduous Trees
- Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides
- Canada Red Cherry Prunus virginiana ‘Canada Red’
- Russian Hawthorne Crataegus ambigua
- Ginnala Maple Acer ginnala
- Apple and Crabbaple Malus (several types)
- Alder Alnus tenuifolia
- Tartarian Maple Acer tartaricum
- Birch Betula (several types)
- Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia
- English Oak Quercus robur
Evergreen Trees
- Southwestern White Pine Pinus strobiformis
- Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa
- Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens
- Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii glauca
- White Fir Abies concolor
- Limber Pine Pinus flexilis
- Bristlecone Pine Pinus aristata
Deciduous Shrubs
- Burning Bush Euonymus ‘Turkstanica Nana’
- Peking Cotoneaster Cotoneaster lucidus
- American Cranberry Viburnum trilobum
- Currant Ribes (several types)
- Lilac Syringa (several types)
- Potentilla Potentilla (several types)
- Siberean Peashrub Caragana arborescens
- Snowball Viburnum Viburnum opulus
- Rock Spirea Holodiscus dumosus
- Sumac Rhus (several types)
- Willow Salix (several types)
- Sand Sage Artemesia filifolia
- Serviceberry Amelanchier (several types)
- Barberry Berberis (several types)
Evergreen Shrubs
- Juniper Juniperus (several types)
- Mugo Pine Pinus mugo
- Dwarf Alberta Spruce Picea glauca
- Blue Globe Spruce Picea pungen ‘Globosa’
- Weeping Norway Spruce Picea abies ‘Pendula’
- Yucca Yucca (several types)
- Euonymus Euonymus (several types)
Ornamental Grasses
- Blue Oat Grass Helictotrichon sempervirens
- Blue Fescue Festuca glauca
- Ravenna Grass Erianthus ravennae
Perennials
- Aster Aster (several types)
- Columbine Aqueiegia
- Blue Flax Linum perenne
- Snow in Summer Cerastium tomentosum
- Wild Strawberry Waldsteninia ternata
- Kinnikinnick Actostaphylos uva-ursi
- Painted Daisy Tanacetum coccineum
- Delphinium Delphinium (several types)
- Bleeding Heart Dicentra spectabilis
- Oregon Grape Holly Mahonia repens
- Yarrow Achillea (several types)
- Lupine Lupinus (several types)
- Sedum Sedum (several types)
- Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida
- Windflower Anemone canadensis
- Serbia Iris Iris sibirica
So, what do you think of this list? I am sure that others reading this blog (myself included) would love to hear about your own experiences gardening at high altitude with any of these plants.
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Thanks for the help! I’m going to definitely come back to this page as soon as spring arrives! Got to do landscape 13 acres and had no idea where to start. Now I have a good idea what kind of plants are best for this area.
Thanks for the comment Erica. For that many acres, you may want to look at some mountain seed mixes too.
Hi, can’t seem to keep a tree growing in Black forest except pines. Mt Ash and regular Ash are alive but no growth. Husband says not enough warm time to grow at over 7800ft. Any suggestions ?
Hi Pam,
That elevation is tough- You might try some large shrubs such as Utah Serviceberry or Mountain Mahogany which you can sometimes find at a tall size at planting. Have you tried any Oaks? You might also check out this CSU extension resource: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/Garden/07421.html I hope this was helpful- good luck and let us know how whatever you plant does!
I just found this site so this may have been covered at some time but do you have a list for over 10,000 feet?
Hi Margy,
Some of these will be OK at that elevation, but you are going to be pretty limited in your choices. I don’t know where you are writing from, but a good route is to always check local. By local I mean 1) are there any small garden centers or garden clubs in your area with first-hand knowledge of what grows well in your area?, and 2) take a hike (or drive) around your local area and observe what plants are growing native- those will always be your safest bet! Good luck, and please let us know what you find out!
Great site! I plan to move to Colorado soon. Since my gardening background is in the Southeast — azaleas, crepe myrtles, etc. — this info will be invaluable.
Yes, it will be quite different gardening in Colorado. You will need a good understanding of the local climate, rainfall, and elevation. And then you will discover that there are micro-climates here where the growing conditions can vary considerably even within 1 individual yard! But that’s what makes gardening fun. Best of luck on your move!
I live at 7500 feet and more plants to add are: helebore, hostas, astilbe, dianthus, pansies, St. Johnswort. Some roses are OK and I’m working on others – trial and error. I’m anxious to see how my foxglove survives, as well as the salvia, and whether or not my sunflowers come back. Daffodils and tulips do well, too. I’m going to give a hydrangea a try, but it must be grandiflora. Thanks for the confirmation! 🙂
I was wondering what plants have little to no maintenance, and thrive in arid dry climate, im here on the east side of the sandia mountains in NM and we get on average 10 inches of rain each year with temperatures that go up to 110* at time and below 0 at other times
Sean: Some great choices for your area would be yuccas, agaves, and cacti. All three of these types of plants are low maintenance, and there are many species and varieties to choose from. You could also consider some ornamental grasses such as Mexican Feather grass or Blue Grama ‘Blonde Ambition’ grass. As far as flowering perennials, you have a huge array of possible options such as Hyssops (genus Agastache), Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata), Penstemons (many varieties), and Salvias (also many varieties) just to name a few. For evergreens, you might consider Manzanitas, Junipers or Pines such as Pinyon Pine.
I live in Durango area, but at 8000 ft. Thank you for the lists, and I might add Nepeta, common Bearded iris, Russian Sage, Rabbit Brush, Lavendar Augustofolia, daylily, Dessert Four OClock and Ajuga do well and require no particular maintenance. I also grow Oregano in a raised bed next to the house and never have to pamper it. From seed just cast about, I have had luck with Gazania, Hollyhock, Mexican Hat, blue Flax and California Poppy.
My question: I have a sandy bare hillside that blows dust into the house in summer. I want to cover it with anything maintenance free and low growing. Any ideas?
Teresa- Is this hillside in full sun or some shade? If it is in full sun, have you considered planting native grasses in that area? You could also include some wildflower seeds in the mix, and try to create a drought tolerant meadow. You might want to consider amending the soil first if it is very sandy. Low shrubs such as spreading junipers, yuccas or cold hardy cacti could also be interspersed throughout to add structural and visual interest. There are a couple seed companies we recommend for native seeding mixes. One is Pawnee Buttes Seed Company in Greeley, CO, and the other is Arkansas Valley Seed Company in Denver and Rocky Ford. Visiting their websites would be a good starting point.
If you don’t want to do native grasses, you could try various ground covers such as Veronica, Snow-In-Summer, Silvery Horehound, Ice Plant, Pussytoes, Wine Cup, Plumbago, Creeping Grapeholly, Creeping Phlox, Sedums, Hens & Chicks, and Partridge Feather. Most of these ground covers also require full sun, except for Plumbago and Grapeholly.
Thanks for the suggestions. One I would add is Salvia. I live at 8000 feet in the Rocky Mts, southern exposure, dry arid climate…usually. My salvia thrives and spreads like crazy. I don’t have as much luck with other plants. Many of the listed above last a few years then die. It’s a struggle to have a garden in high altitude especially when considering most of everything I grow is salad for the wildlife.
we are building a home at exactly 8,000′ and we are in a very wet alpine basin bordered by many wetlands. id love to find some plants that DRINK lots of water as we are diverting water in all directions. seems to me if we can find some really thirsty plants/shrubs/trees; it will really help us out. pls keep in mind that we have every large animal imaginable on our property in montana. suggestions? thx
corey
Need water hungry trees to stabilize 50 foot east facing hill. Shale at 10 feet beneath hill. Everything is about 7600 feet. Want to plant trees with extensive root systems in there to help dry that spring but mostly to stop the hill from moving downstream. It was fine until old trees got in the way of ‘progress.’
I’m considering purchasing about 12 acres just south of Leadville. The elevation is 9,250 on the property. Any recommendations for trees, shrubs and grasses?
Congratulations, that’s beautiful country! It is quite high in elevation, most of the plants on this list should be OK, but I would check with the local extension office and/or a local nursery to see what they think as well.
Matt, hopefully your still blogging. Built a home in Hatch Utah along hwy 89. 7100 ft. house sits on a hill, back of house w view gets morning sun thru pinion pine shade, front all sun, little shade noon to sunset. looking for a few evergreen shrubs, hedging type plant options for wind block on fences and skinny pine tree or options. Any help for us transplanted so. cal retirees is appreciated.
Larry and Jeannie
Hi Larry,
Some deciduous shrubs that Matt didn’t talk about in his article, but that might work for you, depending on how much irrigation you can give them are Chokeberry, Ninebark, Cheyenne Privet, Cheyenne Mock Orange, Nanking Cherry, Mountain Mahogany, Gambel Oak and Elderberry.
Deciduous trees that might be worth a try are Bigtooth Maple, Chokecherry, some cottonwood varieties, and also Aspens.
There’s not too many other Evergreen trees and shrubs available that Matt didn’t mention in his article. There are some different types of Pinyon pine shrubs available, but they aren’t very large. You might want to check out your nearest garden center, and see if they have any suggestions for narrow evergreen trees and shrubs that grow well in your area.
Happy Gardening!
I am living at 7600 feet on a mountain side…lots of rock and sand…Peonies love it here…(YES) lavender does okay, salvia is okay, grasses like Karl Forester are very happy…some moss, some ferns, amazingly enough daisies. Vinca and Thyme do well…Thank you for more ideas as I am a frustrated mile high gardener. (Native to Denver) 2000 feet makes a huge difference.
Hi Lynn,
Glad to hear about your garden successes so far! If you are looking for more high altitude plant ideas, I suggest visiting the Betty Ford Gardens in Vail. Many wonderful plants to be seen in a lovely setting.
Happy Gardening!
Hello there, We are moving to a 77 acres in Pine Grove, Ca. The natural beauty of this property is perfect however I want to detail around the new house we are putting on our new ranch. This is at 2600 elevation. Any suggestions what citrus trees if any would survive and flowers?? Thank you,
Tina [email protected]
Hello,
I am not sure what citrus trees would do well in Pine Grove. Unfortunately I don’t know much about growing citrus. You should contact the University of California Cooperative Extension. Hopefully they can get you in touch with some master gardeners in your area. A master gardener can help you determine what USDA hardiness zone (how cold your area can get in winter) your property is in, and they can suggest the best fruit trees for your area. The other option would be going to the closest nursery in your area, and asking them what fruit trees are best for your property. Thanks and Good Luck!
Hello Folks,
We just bought a place in the Sacramento Mtn’s of NM and would like to plant some fruit trees, berries and grapes if possible. We are at about 7700 elevation with plenty of sun light for most of the day. Any suggestions on what varieties to plant. Short season up here usually. Thanks, Sam
Hello, I looked at the USDA Hardiness map for your area, and it looks like you might possibly be in zone 6 or 7. If that is the case, you should be able to plant a great variety of fruit trees, berries and grapes. That is especially if you have ample supplies of water to irrigate them. The most reliable fruit trees if you were in a colder zone such as zone 4 or 5 (the lower the zone #, the colder the winter low temperatures for your area) would be just apples, pears and plums. Most of Denver is a zone 5 or 6, and experts warn that peaches and apricots can get zapped with a spring cold snap, which usually kills the flower buds, meaning no fruit will set. I recommend you check out the New Mexico cooperative extension website (http://extension.nmsu.edu/garden.html). They have a list of what fruit trees grow well in New Mexico. Type in fruit trees in the website’s site search box at the top of the page. According to that list, it looks like you might be able to grow figs and persimmons on your property (depending your hardiness zone, of course). Those are two plants that are nearly impossible to grow in Colorado, with out a greenhouse! The extension website also has information on horticultural practices to follow to ensure growing success. Another option to get more information would be to visit your nearest plant nursery or garden center. They should have staff on hand that can advise you on the best plant for your growing conditions. Thanks and Good Luck!
We have acreage in Nathrop (just under 8100ft). Lots of prickly cactus. What is the best method to minimize or eradicate them without harsh chemicals? We want to have a horse friendly field but do not have a large water source. The property is in the sun, with exception to 4 or 5 Cottonwood trees clumped together by a ravine.
Hello,
The best approach to eliminating cactus from a field is probably to just shovel-prune them (aka dig them up and throw them away). I say this, because even if you used an herbicide to kill them, I’d think that you would still need to dig them out to rid the field of the now dead but still prickly cactus. If they are in good condition, perhaps you could make a little cash by selling them to someone who wants cactus? Or perhaps you could locate them out of the field to a different area on your property where they’d be out of the way of the horses?
I am looking for a privacy screen for my property at 8540 feet elevation in Georgetown, Colorado. Tall and fast would be good.
Richard,
Probably the best screening shrubs and trees for your property would be evergreen. Some of the upright junipers might work and are drought tolerant, but they are not good at dealing with snow loads and can get deformed by big snow storms. You might want to try Bristlecone Pine trees (Pinus aristata) (not very fast growing), or some of the varieties of Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). If you don’t need evergreen screening, you could use any of the large varieties of Lilac shrubs (Syringa vulgaris). Willow (Salix) and Dogwood (Cornus) are also good deciduous choices for high altitude landscapes.
Any vines I can use to climb a chain link fence? I live in zone 8, Kyle Canyon, Las Vegas, NV.
Here in the Denver area, some vines that grow well on chain link fences are Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans), Silver Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii), Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora) and different varieties of Honeysuckle (Lonicera). Most of these are somewhat drought tolerant in Denver once established, but I don’t know if they can handle the heat of Las Vegas. I recommend you visit the local plant nurseries and garden centers in your area to see what vines they might recommend. Also, the local universities might have an extension service that provides plant recommedations (https://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/mastergardener/askus/). Good Luck!
now if you could just match this list with one that is deer resistant.
Bob
Looking for plants with thorns. My landscape has been decimated the past three years by the over population of deer. Even the plants that are supposed to be deer resistant don’t have a chance.