Category: Colorado Native Plants

A Brief Introduction to Colorado Native Shortgrass Prairie Plants | Easy to Find & Grow

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants

By Deb Lebow Aal & Lisa Olsen. Updated October 2023 by Jen Smith. We are frequently asked this question: “How do we know which plants are native to the Front Range?” The truth is it’s a controversial question: plants do move, albeit relatively slowly, aided by water, wind, animals, birds and humans. Researchers do their best to […] Continue reading "A Brief Introduction to Colorado Native Shortgrass Prairie Plants | Easy to Find & Grow"

Climate Change and Landscape Change 

Posted on | Climate Change, Colorado Native Plants

By Tom Swihart The picture above was taken on the first day of Spring in Denver. Springtime in the Rockies. Buckle up! The forecast is for even more extreme weather shifts. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)  Climate Summary for Colorado, we are already experiencing above average annual temperatures, above average numbers of very hot […] Continue reading "Climate Change and Landscape Change "

Let’s Talk Water and Yes, Native Plants Too

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design, Turf Conversion

By Deborah Lebow Aal Ah, yes, water. It IS the weather in Colorado.  We are constantly talking about water. Skiers are obsessed with the snowpack; anglers are obsessed with river flow; farmers talk about the drought that seems to be omni-present. But, is it really a drought if it’s the normal condition? Denver gets an average of about 15 […] Continue reading "Let’s Talk Water and Yes, Native Plants Too"

Can You Get Your Community to Act? Town of Erie Example

Posted on | Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design, Turf Conversion

By Tom Swihart An important goal for the Front Range Chapter of Wild Ones is for members to move their own yard toward native landscaping – and then move their neighbors in the same direction. The example you set can show your neighbors and friends how native landscaping is both possible and desirable. Upgrading yards, […] Continue reading "Can You Get Your Community to Act? Town of Erie Example"

Attracting Butterflies with Colorado Native Plants

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Ecological Services

Primary Author: Deb Lebow Aal If you want to attract butterflies (and who doesn’t?), you will need to plant the right native plants to attract them. The challenge is to support all life stages of the butterfly, from the egg, through the larval and pupal stages, and then the adult. Many plants labeled as butterfly […] Continue reading "Attracting Butterflies with Colorado Native Plants"

A Call To Action

Posted on | Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

by Deb Lebow Aal What have you done, or will you do, this month, or this year, to inspire and empower people to plant native plants? Wild Ones was established to… “promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities.” That is our mission statement. The more […] Continue reading "A Call To Action"

Rocky Mountain penstemon: An excellent choice for a native plant garden

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

By Cynthia Reiners Rocky Mountain penstemon, Penstemon strictus, is an attractive Colorado native perennial that meets several important objectives for a suburban native plant gardener. This species of penstemon is often commercially available, easily grown in a variety of micro-climates and ordinary soil, and visibly supports the local web of life. A less well- known […] Continue reading "Rocky Mountain penstemon: An excellent choice for a native plant garden"