Low-Maintenance Perennials of Colorado and Other Mountain West States Add these low-maintenance perennials to your high-country garden for a landscape that thrives with minimal effort. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 31, 2025 Close Beautiful gardens don’t have to come with endless upkeep—especially if you pick the right outdoor plants. With drought-tolerant, native plants, you can enjoy a practically carefree yard filled with color from spring to fall. To get you started, we've assembled a group of easy-to-maintain perennials that are perfect for gardens in Colorado and other states of the Mountain West region. These time-tested perennials have so much staying power, you might even spot them flourishing in gardens that have been neglected for years. 15 Top Native Plants of the Mountain West 01 of 10 Rocky Mountain Columbine Late spring to midsummer is Rocky Mountain columbine season in high-country gardens. These rugged wildflowers add a graceful touch of blue to the landscape and require almost no maintenance. They're also deer-resistant and make an excellent cut flower that lasts up to two weeks in a vase with proper care. Plant Name: Aquilegia caerulea Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Grow It With: Pair Rocky Mountain columbine with the dainty shade lover, lily-of-the-valley, for a pretty mix in your no-maintenance garden. Zones: 3-8 02 of 10 Liatris The spikes of liatris (also known as blazing star) tower above most other plants, but their vertical growth adds unique beauty to summer gardens and cuttings. Blazing star plants are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant. Plus, they’re excellent at attracting birds and butterflies to your garden. Plant Name: Liatris spicata Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow It With: Butterflies and bees love liatris and coneflower. So, pair the two to entice the helpful pollinators. Zones: 3-9 03 of 10 Purple Coneflower Speaking of coneflowers, these low-maintenance perennials are as charming as they are tough. You can plant purple coneflower in virtually any sunny spot, and it'll bloom all summer and fall. Plus, purple coneflower's daisy-shape blooms look great in any design style, especially cottage gardens. Plant Name: Echinacea purpurea Growing Conditions: Rich soil, full sun, will tolerate some shade Size: To 4 feet tall and wide Grow It With: Add contrasting color with yellow yarrow. Zones: 3-9 04 of 10 Sedum Sedums are super versatile, tough garden plants that withstand the heat, drought, and other challenging conditions of the high country. They are also available in a variety of colors and textures, so try mixing different sedums together. Tall 'Matrona' looks excellent over a carpet of 'Dragon's Blood,' for example. This combo's rich purple foliage will create oohs and aahs from garden guests all summer. Plant Name: Sedum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Grow It With: Use hens and chicks for a drought-tolerant ground cover that adds even more texture. Zones: 3-10 05 of 10 Russian Sage The leaves and blooms of Russian sage may look delicate, but this vigorous grower adds fragrance and pretty late-summer to early-autumn flowers in sunny landscapes with dry soil. We love the soft shades of silver and lavender in late summer from this plant when the garden is usually awash in shades of gold and red. Plant Name: Perovskia atriplicifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide Grow It With: The sunny yellow and orange blooms of blanket flowers (Gaillardia) offer a cheery contrast to the tall, loose, lavender-blue sage flowers. Zones: 4-9 06 of 10 Shasta Daisy Add cheer and charm to your landscape with shasta daisy, a drought-tolerant garden favorite that attracts birds to your yard with almost no maintenance. These fast-spreading plants bloom in late spring and early summer, making them the ideal plant for stabilizing a sunny slope. They're also abundant bloomers with sturdy stems that look stunning in a simple vase. Plant Name: Leucanthemum x superbum Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow It With: Try a casual plant, such as meadow buttercup (Ranunculus), for cool-season blooms that add effortless appeal. Zones: 4-9 07 of 10 Fireweed Create drama and excitement in your landscape with fireweed's spikes of glowing pink flowers from midsummer to early fall. Give this perennial room to roam, though: It's a fast spreader. Because it grows fast, you'll have plenty of blooms to enjoy in the garden and to cut and use in the house. Plant Name: Epilobium angustifolium Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 1 foot wide Grow It With: Consider a shrubby plant such as burning bush for structure and contrast to add to your low-maintenance garden Zones: 3-7 08 of 10 Rocky Mountain Penstemon Every summer, these rugged, low-maintenance perennials welcome butterflies and hummingbirds in droves with their spires of purple-blue blooms. Many penstemon varieties bloom for about a month from late spring to early summer, but some can bloom even longer in the right conditions. These slow spreaders eventually form impressive clumps—so it's extra easy to divide and share Rocky Mountain penstemon with gardening friends. Plant Name: Penstemon strictus Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow It With: Match penstemon with another vigorous grower, such as the sprawling flowers of poppy mallow, which grows wild in dry, rocky areas. Zones: 3-9 09 of 10 Dianthus There are hundreds of types of dianthus (also called "pinks") available. While they vary in color, texture, and size, you can count on them all to add great scents to your garden with little to no maintenance. Plant a handful of different varieties, and you can enjoy their charming flowers all spring and summer. Plant Name: Dianthus Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, neutral soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Grow It With: Give dianthus height by pairing it with the spiky blooms of liatris. Zones: 3-10 10 of 10 Poppy Mallow Hot, dry conditions don't bother poppy mallow. These perennials create a cushion of color all spring and into summer. The charming flowers look like miniature hibiscus in glowing pink, purple, and white shades. They are a distinctive groundcover to grace those spots in the landscape where most outdoor plants fail. Plant Name: Callirhoe Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide Grow It With: Look for plants with long, contrasting foliage and tall blooms, such as daylilies. Zones: 4-9 When planning a garden in Rocky Mountain states or similar regions, look for native perennials that are already adapted to the Mountain West’s sun, soil, and altitude. That way, you’ll spend less time fussing over upkeep and more time enjoying the view. Match each plant to the conditions it thrives in—whether that’s rocky slopes, dry soil, or shady corners—and your garden will thrive naturally with little need for intervention. 19 Rock Garden Ideas to Add Visual Interest to Your Landscape Explore more: Gardening Gardening By Region Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit