State Plant Listings
Colorado
Vegetation References
(Dominant plant species present in each vegetation type are listed in Appendix C)
11 Douglas Fir Forest (Pseudotsuga)
14 Western Spruce-Fir Forest (Picea-Abies)
17 Pine-Douglas Fir Forest (Pinus-Pseudotsuga)
20 Southwestern Spruce Fir Forest (Picea-Abies)
21 Juniper-Pinyon Woodland (Juniperus-Pinus)
31 Mountain Mahogany-Oak Scrub (Cercocarpus-Quercus)
32 Great Basin Sagebrush (Artemisia)
34 Saltbrush-Geasewood (Artiplex-Sarcobatus)
45 Alpine Meadows and Barren (Agrostis, Carex, Festuca, Poa)
46 Fescue-Mountain Muhly Prairie (Festuca-Muhlenbergia)
49 Sagebrush Steppe (Artemisia-Agropyron)
50 Wheatgrass-Needlegrass Shrubsteppe (Agropyron-Stipa-Artemisia)
58 Grama-Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua-Buchloe)
63 Sandsage-Bluestem Prairie (Artemisia-Andropogon)
89 Northern Floodplain Forest (Populus Salix-Ulmus)
Botanical Experts
William A. Weber, Professor Emeritus
University of Colorado Museum Herbarium
Clare Small Gymnasium (Basement)
Campus Box 350
Boulder, CO 80309-0350
(303) 492-6171
(303) 303-492-5105 (fax)
internet: weberw@spot.colorado.edu
Susan Spackman
Colorado Natural Heritage Program
Colorado State University
103 Natural Resources Bldg.
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-1309
(970) 970-491-0279/3349 (fax)
Recommended Flora
Weber, W.A.; R.C. Wittmann. 1996a. Colorado Flora, Eastern Slope, 2nd Ed. University Press of Colorado, PO Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544. ISBN: 0870813870.
Weber, W .A.; R.C. Wittmann. 1996b. Colorado Flora, Western Slope, 2nd Ed. University Press of Colorado, PO Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544. ISBN: 0870813889.
Weber, W.A.; R.C. Wittmann. 1992. Catalog of the Flora of Colorado. University Press of Colorado, PO Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544.
Native Plants for Landscape Use in Colorado
Forbs (annuals/biennials)
Cleome serrulata (Rocky Mountain beeplant)
Erysimum capitatum (western wallflower, prairie rocket)
Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)
Helianthus petiolaris (plains sunflower)
Ipomopsis aggregata (sky rocket, scarlet gilia)
Machaeranthera bigelovii var. bigelovii (plains aster, tansy aster)
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia (tahoka daisy, tansy aster)
Oenothera elata ssp. hooked (giant evening primrose)
Forbs (perennials)
Abronia fragrans (sweet sand verbena)
Aconitum columbianum (western monkshood)
Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting)
Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane)
Arnica cordifolia (heartleaf arnica)
Artemisia ludoviciana (white sage, prairie sage, artemisia)
Aster ascendens (purple aster, Pacific aster)
Aster ericoides (heath aster, white wreath aster)
Aster foliaceus (leafy aster)
Aster laevis (smooth aster)
Campanula rotundifolia (harebell)
Castilleja integra (Indian paintbrush)
Clematis hirsutissima (clematis, vase flower, leather flower, lion's beard)
Dalea candida (white prairie clover)
Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover)
Epilobium angustifolium (fireweed, willow herb)
Erigeron compositus (alpine daisy)
Erigeron speciosus (showy fleabane)
Gaillardia aristata (blanket flower, gaillardia, brown-eyed Susan)
Gaura coccinea (scarlet gaura)
Geranium viscossisimum (sticky wild geranium)
Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (prairie verbena, Dakota vervain)
Hedysarum boreale (sweet vetch, sweet broom)
Heliomeris multiflora (showy goldeneye)
Heterotheca villosa var. villosa (golden aster)
Iris missouriensis (Rocky Mountain iris, western blue flag)
Liatris punctata (dotted blazing star, gayfeather)
Linum lewisii (wild blue flax)
Lupinus argenteus (silvery lupine)
Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot daisy, rock daisy)
Mirabilis multiflora (wild four o'clock)
Oenothera cespitosa (gumbo evening primrose, gumbo lily)
Penstemon ambiguus (sand penstemon)
Penstemon angustifolius (whorled penstemon)
Penstemon barbatus (red penstemon, scarlet bugler)
Penstemon glaber v. alpinus (blue penstemon, alpine penstemon)
Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain penstemon)
Phacelia sericea (silky phacelia)
Ratibida columnifera (prairie coneflower, long-headed coneflower, Mexican hat)
Ratibida tagetes
Rudbeckia laciniata (cut-leaf coneflower)
Saxifraga bronchialis (spotted saxifrage, matted saxifrage)
Sidalcea neomexicana (checker mallow, prairie mallow)
Silene acaulis (moss campion)
Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed)
Solidago canadensis (meadow goldenrod)
Solidago missouriensis (Missouri goldenrod, prairie goldenrod)
Solidago rigida (stiff goldenrod)
Sphaeralcea coccinea (scarlet globe mallow))
Sphaeralcea parvifolia (globe mallow)
Stanleya pinnata (desert or prince's plume)
Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall or purple meadow rue)
Yucca baccata (blue yucca, banana yucca, fleshy-fruited yucca)
Yucca glauca (yucca, soapweed)
Zinnia grandiflora (Rocky Mountain zinnia, yellow zinnia, plains zinnia)
Grasses/Grass-like plants
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)
Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem)
Aristida purpurea (purple three awn)
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)
Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama)
Bouteloua hirsuta (hairy grama)
Buchloe dactyloides (buffalograss)
Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint grass)
Calamovilfa longifolia (sandreed grass, prairie sandreed)
Carex nebrascensis (Nebraska sedge)
Carex utriculata (beaked sedge)
Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hairgrass)
Distichlis spicata (seashore saltgrass)
Eleocharis macrostachya spike rush)
Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye)
Elymus lanceolatus (thickspike wheatgrass)
Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue, blue bunchgrass)
Glyceria grandis (American mannagrass, tall mannagrass, reed meadowgrass)
Koeleria macrantha (June grass)
Leymus cinereus (Great Basin wild rye)
Muhlenbergia montana (mountain muhly)
Muhlenbergia porteri (bush muhly)
Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian ricegrass)
Panicum obtusum (vine mesquite)
Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass)
Poa secunda (pine bluegrass)
Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Scirpus acutus (hardstem bulrush)
Scirpus maritimus (alkali bulrush, prairie bulrush, bayonet grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass)
Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass, freshwater cordgrass)
Sporobolus airoides (alkali sacaton)
Sporobolus cryptandrus (sand dropseed)
Stipa comata (needle-and-thread grass)
Trisetum spicatum (spike trisetum)
Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaved cattail)
Typha latifolia (cattail)
Shrubs (deciduous)
Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo, indigo bush)
Artemisia frigida (prairie sagewort, fringed sage)
Atriplex canescens (four-wing saltbush, wingscale)
Atriplex confertifolia (spiny saltbush, shadscale saltbush, hop sage)
Chrysothamnus nauseosus (rabbit brush, chamisa)
Cornus sericea (red-twig dogwood, red-osier dogwood)
Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume)
Holodiscus dumosus (bush rock-spires, cream bush, ocean spray)
Krascheninnikovia lanata (winterfat)
Prunus pumila var. besseyi (sand cherry)
Prunus virginiana (chokecherry)
Purshia tridentata (antelope brush)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rhus trilobata (squawbush, basketbush, skunkbush)
Ribes aureum (golden currant)
Ribes cereum (wax currant, western red currant, squaw currant)
Ribes odoratum (buffalo currant, golden currant)
Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)
Rosa woodsii (western wild rose, woods rose)
Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus (red raspberry)
Rubus parviflorus (western thimbleberry)
Salix bebbiana (Bebb willow, long-beaked willow)
Salix scouleriana (western pussy willow, Scouler's willow)
Shepherdia argentea (silver buffaloberry)
Shepherdia canadensis (buffaloberry)
Symphoricarpos albus (snowberry)
Symphoricarpos oreophilus (mountain snowberry)
Shrubs (evergreen)
Artemisia nova (black sagebrush)
Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush, Great Basin sagebrush)
Ceanothus fendleri (Fendler ceanothus, buckbrush)
Ceanothus velutinus (mountain balm, buckbush)
Cercocarpus montanus (mountain mahogany, silverleaf mountain mahogany)
Juniperus monosperma (one-seed juniper)
Kalmia polifolia (swamp laurel, bog laurel)
Trees (deciduous)
Acer glabrum (Rocky Mountain maple)
Betula fontinalis ( water birch)
Celtis laevigata var. reticulata (netleaf hackberry)
Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood)
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)
Prunus americana (wild plum)
Quercus gambelii (Gambel's oak, Rocky Mountain white oak)
Salix amygdaloides (peachleaf willow)
Trees (evergreen)
Abies concolor (western white fir)
Abies bifolia ( fir)
Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper)
Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain juniper)
Picea engelmannii (Engelmann spruce)
Picea pungens (blue spruce, Colorado spruce)
Pinus contorta var. murrayana (lodgepole pine)
Pinus edulis (pinyon pine, Colorado pinyon)
Pinus flexilis (limber pine)
Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine)
Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir)
Federally Listed Endangered Species
Clay-loving buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophiulum)
Dudley Bluffs bladderpod (Lesquerella congesta)
Dudley Bluffs twinpod (Physaria obcordata)
Knowlton cactus (Pediocactus knowltonii)
Mancos milk-vetch (Astragalus humillimus)
Mesa Verde cactus (Schlerocactus mesae-verdae)
North Park phacelia (Phacelia formosula)
Osterhout milk-vetch (Astragalus osterhoutii)
Penland alpine fen mustard (Eutrema penlandii)
Penland beardtongue (Penstemon penlandii)
Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus glaucus)
Ute ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)
Colorado Noxious Species
Because the noxious weed lists have continually changed since we gathered them in 1994, we are not including them at this time. Not all States have noxious weed lists. Those that do, do not use the same standards of importance and are not comparable. States typically have included plants that interfere with agriculture (Canada thistle), or cause human health problems (poison ivy). Some States are now including a category of plants that invade and degrade the environment (purple loosestrife). Check with your State's Agriculture Department or Weed Scientist listed below. The noxious weed list can be used two ways on roadsides: 1) check to not inadvertently plant these invasive plants, and 2) note the plants you are legally responsible to control. Many States now check adjacent State lists to avoid planting their neighbors' problem plants. Because weeds do not respect political boundaries, and because by their very nature weeds continue to adapt and expand, monitoring and controlling invasives at State borders is a wise part of vegetation management.
(Weed and Seed Law)
Department of Agriculture
Division of Plant Industry
700 Kipling Street # 4000
Lakewood, CO 80215
K. George Beck
Colorado State University
Weed Research, Room 116
Ft. Collins, CO 80523
(303) 491-7568
Colorado Resources
Colorado Natural Heritage Program
Colorado State University
103 Natural Resources Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-1309
The Nature Conservancy Field Office
1244 Pine Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 444-2950
Colorado Native Plant Society
PO Box 200
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Department of Agriculture
700 Kipling ST., Ste. 4000
Lakewood, CO 80215
(303) 239-4100
State Forest Service
Forestry Bldg., State University
Ft. Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-6303
State Cooperative Extension
1 Administration Bldg.
Colorado State University
Ft. Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-6281
Denver Botanic Garden
100 S. York Street
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 331-4000
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
100 Puppy Smith Street
Aspen, CO 81611
