Landscape design & build for Denver

Landscape designs in Denver draw inspiration from the plains and mountain ecosystems that surround the city. Native grasses like Big Bluestem and Little Bluestem feature heavily, punctuated with flowering grassland perennials or structural shrubs like Panchito Manzanita. Trees often feature evergreen conifers, though Cottonwoods and the native Rocky Mountain Maple are also popular.

Being an arid climate, and the home of xeriscaping, low water and drought tolerant designs are becoming increasingly popular, as well. These designs feature many species native to the regional plains ecosystem, with a few tough and drought tolerant species sourced from mountain plant communities.

The best plant selection in Denver foregrounds water conservation, habitat provision, and fire safety, while also achieving the look and feel a client is aiming for.

When browsing, we recommend starting with native species – because they’re adapted to the local climate, they typically need the least help to thrive.

Looking for some specific tips? Here are a few of the most popular species (native and introduced) that we see in Denver projects:

→ Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’:

A tall, upright grass that is a staple in Denver designs. Not native, but it’s tough and low maintenance.

→ Perovskia atriplicifolia:

Another extremely popular species. It’s tough and forgiving; taking cold, heat, dry, and wet conditions, and is popular with pollinators, despite not being a native.

→ Aquilegia caerulea:

The Colorado state flower. Small, self-seeding, and very popular.

→ Acer glabrum:

A great native option for a deciduous tree.

→ Picea pungens:

Likely the most common tall evergreen tree in Denver. Many people prefer ‘Fat Albert’ cultivar.

→ Populus deltoides ssp. monilifera:

Pretty much any cottonwood can grow in Denver, but this one, the Plains Cottonwood, is a great one to start with. One of the few trees native to the western plains, it offers great yellow fall color and grows very quickly.

→ Ericameria nauseosa:

Great in low water landscapes, prized for its yellow flowers, and often planted with Russian Sage.

→ Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’:

Extremely popular due to the way it flowers (looks kind of like eyelashes). Also goes really well with Big Bluestem and Little Bluestem.

→ Arctostaphylos x coloradensis ‘Panchito’:

Native to Western Colorado and the Utah desert. This is an excellent species to provide evergreen structure, and contrasts nicely with grass-heavy designs.

→ Prunus besseyi ‘P011S’:

A very popular spreading shrub with lovely flowers and fall color.

An arid climate and frequent drought make water conservation a high priority for landscape design in Denver.

Landscapes must also accommodate winter snowfall, offering slip-resistance, low maintenance, and resilience to carry through till the snow melts.

As recent regional wildfires have shown, fire is also a serious concern, particularly as you approach natural wooded areas

Now! Any time of year is great to begin work on a landscape project.

Utilizing the winter to work through the design phase sets you up to get on contractors’ books early in the build season, so you can have your design installed and ready to enjoy in time for summer.

We are happy to work with clients to develop designs that meet their level of comfort around fire safety. Choosing fire-resistant plant species and following best practices for fire safe landscape design are options that our designers are happy to employ at a client’s request.

While design can help reduce your risk of fire damage, it’s important to note, there are no fire-proof plants, and maintenance is the most important determinant of a landscape’s fire safety.