Zone 5 means average winter lows of −20°F to −10°F on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, and across the interior West it usually means dry summers too. On the 2023 map that includes Fort Collins, Longmont, Golden and Monument in Colorado (5b), Cheyenne and Rapid City (5b), Casper and Billings (5a), and Idaho Falls (5b). Denver proper moved to 6a on the 2023 map, but its higher western and southern suburbs are still 5b. The good news: this is shortgrass-steppe country, and the plant palette that evolved here is deep.
Every plant below is rated to at least zone 5 and is low-water once established. Where ratings disagree between sources, we use the more conservative figure.
The 24 at a glance
| Plant | Zones | Water | Height | Bloom / feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catmint 'Walker's Low' | 4–8 | Low | 24–30 in | Late spring–fall |
| Yarrow | 3–9 | Very low | 18–36 in | Summer |
| Salvia 'May Night' | 4–8 | Low | 18–24 in | Late spring, rebloom |
| Rocky Mountain penstemon | 4–9 | Very low | 24–30 in | Late spring |
| Sunset hyssop (agastache) | 5–9 | Very low | 20–36 in | Midsummer–frost |
| Blanket flower | 3–9 | Very low | 12–24 in | Summer–fall |
| Chocolate flower | 4–9 | Very low | 12–18 in | Late spring–fall |
| TABLE MOUNTAIN® ice plant | 4–8 | Very low | 1–3 in | Summer |
| Autumn Joy sedum | 3–9 | Low | 18–24 in | Late summer–fall |
| Blue grama | 3–10 | Very low | 12–24 in | Summer–winter |
| Little bluestem | 3–9 | Very low | 24–48 in | Fall–winter color |
| Karl Foerster feather reed grass | 4–9 | Low | 36–60 in | June–winter |
| Blue oat grass | 4–8 | Low | 18–30 in | Evergreen |
| Rabbitbrush | 4–9 | Very low | 2–5 ft | September |
| Apache plume | 4–8 | Very low | 4–6 ft | Late spring–fall |
| Fernbush | 4–8 | Very low | 5–6 ft | July |
| Panchito manzanita | 4–8 | Very low | 10–15 in | Evergreen |
| Three-leaf sumac | 4–8 | Very low | 4–6 ft | Fall color |
| Big sagebrush | 4–9 | Very low | 3–6 ft | Evergreen silver |
| Bur oak | 3–8 | Low | 60–80 ft | Shade |
| Pinyon pine | 5–8 | Very low | 10–30 ft | Evergreen |
| Kentucky coffeetree | 3–8 | Moderate while young, then low | 60–75 ft | Winter form |
| Claret cup cactus | 5–9 | Very low | 6–12 in | Spring, scarlet |
| Soapweed yucca | 3–8 | Very low | 2–3 ft | Early summer |
Perennials
Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low')
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 24–30 in · Bloom Late spring to fall
The indestructible blue haze. Catmint takes zone 5 winters, deer and hail. Care tip: Shear by a third after the first flush.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Zones 3–9 · Water Very low · Size 18–36 in · Bloom Summer
Native, tough and pollinator-rich. Yarrow wants lean soil. Care tip: Don't water or feed it, or it flops.
Salvia 'May Night' (Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht')
Zones 4–8 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Late spring, rebloom
Deep-violet spikes to open the season. Salvia 'May Night' is a bumblebee favorite. Care tip: Cut spent spikes to the base for a second flush.
Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 24–30 in · Bloom Late spring
The zone 5 star, native to the region. Rocky Mountain penstemon feeds hummingbirds and native bees. Care tip: Gravel mulch around the crown, never wood.
Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris)
Zones 4–10 (zone 4b only with sharp drainage) · Water Very low · Size 20–36 in · Bloom Midsummer to frost
Plant Select rates it to zone 4b, but drainage decides whether agastache survives a zone 5 winter. Care tip: Leave stems standing until spring.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)
Zones 3–8 · Water Very low · Size 12–24 in · Bloom Summer to fall
A native daisy that blooms through heat and hail. Blanket flower is short-lived but reseeds. Care tip: Let late flowers go to seed.
Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 12–18 in · Bloom Late spring to fall
Cocoa-scented yellow daisies. Chocolate flower loves hot, dry spots. Care tip: Cut back hard in spring.
TABLE MOUNTAIN® ice plant (Delosperma 'John Proffitt')
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 1–3 in · Bloom Summer, fuchsia
The safest ice plant for zone 5, rated zones 4–8. The common hardy ice plant (D. cooperi) also works in dry zone 5 sites. Care tip: Gravel mulch and no winter water.
Autumn Joy sedum (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude')
Zones 3–9 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Late summer to fall
Succulent structure that ends the season in bronze. Autumn Joy sedum stands all winter. Care tip: Pinch in late May if it flops.
Grasses
Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Zones 3–10 · Water Very low · Size 12–24 in · Feature Eyelash seed heads
Colorado's state grass, as an ornamental ('Blonde Ambition') or a low-water lawn. Blue grama greens up late. Care tip: Cut back in early spring.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Zones 3–9 · Water Very low · Size 24–48 in · Feature Copper winter color
Made for snow-lit winter landscapes. Little bluestem stays upright in lean soil. Care tip: Leave it standing until March.
Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora)
Zones 4–9 · Water Low · Size 36–60 in · Feature Plumes June into winter
The upright accent. Feather reed grass greens up early in spring. Care tip: Give it a deep soak every week or two in summer heat.
Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
Zones 4–8 · Water Low · Size 18–30 in · Feature Evergreen steel blue
Evergreen blue tufts for winter color. More options are in ornamental grasses. Care tip: Comb out dead blades; don't cut blue oat grass to the ground.
Shrubs
Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 2–5 ft · Bloom September, gold
Silver foliage and a fall nectar feast. Rabbitbrush needs no water once rooted. Care tip: Cut back by a third in early spring.
Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 4–6 ft · Bloom Late spring to fall
White flowers and pink feathery seed heads at the same time. Apache plume is a Plant Select favorite. Care tip: Thin old stems rather than shearing.
Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium)
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 5–6 ft · Bloom July, white
Fragrant, ferny and covered in bees in midsummer. Care tip: Remove brown flower spikes in fall or spring. See fernbush.
Panchito manzanita (Arctostaphylos × coloradensis 'Panchito')
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 10–15 in × 2–3 ft · Feature Evergreen
A broadleaf evergreen groundcover for winter interest. Care tip: Plant Panchito manzanita in spring, not fall.
Three-leaf sumac (Rhus trilobata)
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 4–6 ft · Feature Orange-red fall color
Fall color plus berries for wildlife. Care tip: Use three-leaf sumac on slopes, where its slow suckering helps.
Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 3–6 ft · Feature Evergreen silver
The scent of the West. Care tip: Don't irrigate big sagebrush once established.
Trees
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low once established · Size 60–80 ft
Slow, massive and drought-tolerant once its roots are down. Care tip: Plant bur oak small; it transplants poorly when large.
Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis)
Zones 5–8 · Water Very low · Size 10–30 ft · Feature Evergreen, pine nuts
Compact, thrifty and native. Care tip: Water pinyon pine monthly in dry winters for its first few years.
Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Zones 3–8 · Water Moderate for the first 3–5 years, then low · Size 60–75 ft
A bold winter silhouette and light summer shade. It's drought-tolerant once established, but it is not a low-water tree in its first years: the Missouri Botanical Garden lists medium water. Care tip: Water deeply every week or two through its first summers, tapering over three to five years.
Common hackberry (zones 3–9) is another tough plains shade tree for zone 5; see low-water trees for more.
Cactus and succulents
Claret cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus)
Zones 5–9 · Water Very low · Size 6–12 in · Bloom Spring, scarlet
A native that blooms outrageously and overwinters under snow. Care tip: Plant claret cup in a raised, gritty bed.
Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca)
Zones 3–8 · Water Very low · Size 2–3 ft, bloom stalks 3–4 ft · Bloom Early summer, cream
The hardiest yucca, native to the Plains. Care tip: Cut spent bloom stalks at the base. Plains prickly pear and hens-and-chicks fill out a zone 5 succulent bed; see cold-hardy succulents and cold-hardy cactus.
Needs a little more water: columbine
Colorado blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) is the state flower and fully hardy in zone 5, but it isn't a low-water plant. The Missouri Botanical Garden lists medium water, and at low elevations it wants afternoon shade and regular summer water. Grow it in a moderate-water zone near the house, or in part shade with other dry shade plants, rather than in the dry beds with the plants above.
Zone 5 success rules
- Drainage decides winter survival. More zone 5 xeric plants die of wet feet in December than of cold. Plant borderline species high and gritty.
- Use microclimates. A south wall can run noticeably warmer than an open, windy corner. Put agastache and ice plant in the warm spots.
- Plant in spring or early fall so roots establish before the ground freezes. The full sequence is in 10 steps to xeriscaping.
- Water in dry winters. CSU notes that woody plants take at least two growing seasons to establish; a deep soak during warm, dry winter spells keeps evergreens and new plantings alive.
From our installs
Along the northern Front Range, zone 5 gardens fail for the same reasons every year: clay soil that holds winter moisture, and plants set too low. We loosen the soil rather than enrich it, plant crowns slightly high, and use gravel mulch around penstemon, agastache and cactus. New plantings get a deep watering once or twice a week the first summer, tapering in September. Hail is a fact of life here; grasses, yucca, sagebrush and catmint shrug it off, while broad-leaved plants look ragged for a few weeks. (Xeris Landscaping is owned by Xeriscaping.com's founder.)
Frequently asked questions
What zone is Denver in?
On the 2023 USDA map, central Denver is zone 6a. Many surrounding areas, including Golden, Longmont and Monument, are 5b. Enter your ZIP in our zone lookup to check, or see the Fort Collins–Boulder zone page.
What's the best low-water shade tree for zone 5?
Bur oak is the most reliable. Common hackberry and Kentucky coffeetree grow faster but need more water while young.
Can I grow agave in zone 5?
Only as an experiment, in a raised, gravelly bed with no winter water. Yucca, claret cup and prickly pear give a similar look and are reliably hardy. See cold-hardy agave and yucca.
When should I plant in zone 5?
Spring (after the last frost) or early fall. Cactus, agave and ice plant do best planted in spring or early summer.
What if I'm in zone 4 or zone 6?
See xeriscape plants for zone 6 and the upcoming zone 4 guide. Our hardiness zone guide explains what the zones mean, and xeriscaping in Colorado Springs covers a city that spans zones 5b and 6a.
