Shrub shown in photo: potentilla
Drought-resistant shrubs are an excellent choice for landscapes where water conservation, durability, and year-round structure are priorities.
Once established, many of the shrubs listed below will thrive with limited water, making them especially valuable in our dry and drought-prone climate with intense sun and periodic record-breaking Summer heat.
IMPORTANT NOTE: be especially mindful of the shrubs listed below that may pose a fire risk to your property like Rabbitbrush, Juniper, Three-leaf sumac, and Mountain mahogany, which should be planted 15-30 feet away from your home and any structure, and ideally in rock mulch not too close to other fire-prone plantings like winter-dry ornamental grasses (for example).
Excellent Drought-Resistant Shrubs for Colorado
Apache plume
A small, airy shrub with white flowers followed by feathery pink seed heads. It thrives in dry, sunny locations and requires very little maintenance once established.
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
This native shrub has silvery foliage and unusual purple flower spikes. It's particularly attractive in naturalistic and pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Potentilla
One of the most dependable flowering shrubs for Colorado. It tolerates cold, drought, and poor soil while producing flowers throughout much of the summer.
Junipers
Excellent evergreen choices for structure and year-round interest. They tolerate drought once established and are available in many forms, from low groundcovers to upright specimens.
Russian sage
Technically a woody perennial rather than a true shrub, but it functions beautifully as a small landscape shrub. Its silvery foliage and lavender-blue flowers thrive in heat and drought.
Ninebark
Fantastic native shrub prized for it's multi-season color and appealing winter texture. Many varieties and colors to choose from - ask your local nursery what they recommend for your landscape. Never prune in the Fall - only in Spring after blooms are done.
Catmint Walker's Low
A tough, long-blooming perennial that produces aromatic grey-green foliage and spikes of blue-purple flowers from late spring through fall. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, handles drought well, resists deer and pollinators adore it.
Rabbitbrush
A Colorado native that thrives in hot, dry conditions and poor soils. Its yellow flowers appear in late summer and fall, providing valuable nectar for pollinators.
Three-leaf sumac
A tough native shrub with attractive green foliage, clusters of flowers, and brilliant red-orange fall color. It's excellent for slopes and naturalized landscapes.
Mountain mahogany
A highly drought-tolerant native that works beautifully on hillsides and in xeric landscapes. Its interesting seed structures add winter interest.
Cotoneaster
Excels in challenging conditions - this beautiful shrub with red berries quickly forms a spreading mat, making it highly effective for erosion control on slopes. Extremely drought-tolerant.
Barberry
Vibrant foliage and throny branches that deer won't touch, this is a well-loved shrub in Colorado for it's hardiness and drought-tolerance.
What Makes a Shrub Drought Resistant?
Drought-tolerant shrubs often have adaptations such as small or waxy leaves, deep root systems, silvery foliage, or naturally slow growth.
However, drought resistant doesn't mean drought-proof. Newly planted shrubs need regular irrigation while establishing their root systems, often for the first two to three growing seasons.
Plant With Drought Tolerance in Mind
A sophisticated low-water landscape isn't simply a collection of plants that need little water. You'll want to group shrubs according to their irrigation needs, improve soil where appropriate, use efficient drip irrigation, and apply mulch to reduce evaporation.
Other excellent choices for water-wise shrubs are detailed in this article from HGTV. Focus only on shrubs in the article that mention Zones 3 or 4, as anything higher won't grow well at our altitude and climate.
IMPORTANT NOTE: be especially mindful of the shrubs listed below that may pose a fire risk to your property like Rabbitbrush, Juniper, Three-leaf sumac, and Mountain mahogany, which should be planted 15-30 feet away from your home and any structure, and ideally in rock mulch not too close to other fire-prone plantings like winter-dry ornamental grasses (for example).
Excellent Drought-Resistant Shrubs for Colorado
Apache plume
A small, airy shrub with white flowers followed by feathery pink seed heads. It thrives in dry, sunny locations and requires very little maintenance once established.
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)
This native shrub has silvery foliage and unusual purple flower spikes. It's particularly attractive in naturalistic and pollinator-friendly landscapes.
Potentilla
One of the most dependable flowering shrubs for Colorado. It tolerates cold, drought, and poor soil while producing flowers throughout much of the summer.
Junipers
Excellent evergreen choices for structure and year-round interest. They tolerate drought once established and are available in many forms, from low groundcovers to upright specimens.
Russian sage
Technically a woody perennial rather than a true shrub, but it functions beautifully as a small landscape shrub. Its silvery foliage and lavender-blue flowers thrive in heat and drought.
Ninebark
Fantastic native shrub prized for it's multi-season color and appealing winter texture. Many varieties and colors to choose from - ask your local nursery what they recommend for your landscape. Never prune in the Fall - only in Spring after blooms are done.
Catmint Walker's Low
A tough, long-blooming perennial that produces aromatic grey-green foliage and spikes of blue-purple flowers from late spring through fall. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, handles drought well, resists deer and pollinators adore it.
Rabbitbrush
A Colorado native that thrives in hot, dry conditions and poor soils. Its yellow flowers appear in late summer and fall, providing valuable nectar for pollinators.
Three-leaf sumac
A tough native shrub with attractive green foliage, clusters of flowers, and brilliant red-orange fall color. It's excellent for slopes and naturalized landscapes.
Mountain mahogany
A highly drought-tolerant native that works beautifully on hillsides and in xeric landscapes. Its interesting seed structures add winter interest.
Cotoneaster
Excels in challenging conditions - this beautiful shrub with red berries quickly forms a spreading mat, making it highly effective for erosion control on slopes. Extremely drought-tolerant.
Barberry
Vibrant foliage and throny branches that deer won't touch, this is a well-loved shrub in Colorado for it's hardiness and drought-tolerance.
What Makes a Shrub Drought Resistant?
Drought-tolerant shrubs often have adaptations such as small or waxy leaves, deep root systems, silvery foliage, or naturally slow growth.
However, drought resistant doesn't mean drought-proof. Newly planted shrubs need regular irrigation while establishing their root systems, often for the first two to three growing seasons.
Plant With Drought Tolerance in Mind
A sophisticated low-water landscape isn't simply a collection of plants that need little water. You'll want to group shrubs according to their irrigation needs, improve soil where appropriate, use efficient drip irrigation, and apply mulch to reduce evaporation.
Other excellent choices for water-wise shrubs are detailed in this article from HGTV. Focus only on shrubs in the article that mention Zones 3 or 4, as anything higher won't grow well at our altitude and climate.
Repeating a few well-chosen shrubs throughout a landscape creates a cohesive, high-end look while reducing upkeep and water demand.