This
is a "starter" list of native plants
for Utah and Western Colorado. It is intended
for residential or commercial landscapers who
want to create attractive and varied native landscapes.
White Fir
Subalpine Fir
Catclaw Acacia
Big Tooth Maple
Thinleaf Alder
Water Birch
Desert Willow
River Hawthorne
Singleleaf Ash
Velvet Ash
Utah Juniper
Blue Spruce
Singleleaf Pinyon
Pinyon Pine
Narrowleaf Cottonwood
Fremont Cottonwood
Fremont Popular
Velvet Mesquite
Douglas Fir
Gambel Oak
New Mexico Locust
Dwarf Mountain Ash
Abies concolor
Abies lasiocarpa
Acacia greggii
Acer grandidentatum
Ainus incana
Betula occidentalis
Chilopsis linearis
Crataegus douglasii
Fraxinus anomalus
Fraxinus velutina
Jun. osteosperma
Picea pungens
Pinus edulis
Pinus monophylla
Populus angustifolia
Populus fremontii
Populus frenentii
Populus glandulosa
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Quercus gambelii
Robinia neomexicana
Sorbus scopulina
Beautiful in
mass or alone
Cover for birds; food for squirrels; for small spaces
Nectar for bees, butterflies; forms thorny thicket
Food, cover for birds, mammals, deer; fall color
Seed, cover for birds; spring "cones;" winter bark
Seed, cover for birds; nice winter form, branch color
Nectar for hummingbirds; profuse pink flowers
Nesting cover, fruit for birds; nice blossoms and fruit
Seeds for birds, mammals; start from seed, cutting
Provides seed for birds; velvety leaves
Food, cover for birds, mammals; nice bark, form
Cover for birds, mammals; blue-green foliage
Pine nuts for birds, mammals; slow-growth; graceful
Pine nuts for birds, mammals; pictureque evergreen
Soft wood for nest cavities; medium-size shade tree
Soft wood for nest cavities; fem. produces cotton
Soft wood for nest cavities; fem. produces cotton
Bee nectar; bird food; green foliage; 3-6" seedpods
Year-round bird cover, pretty screen, windbreak
Acorns; winter cover; not hardy N of Ogden
Bee nectar; seeds for quail, squirrels; lav. flowers
Fruit for birds, white flowers in spring; berries in fall
Spring flowers,
purple berries, muted fall colors
Silvery, aromatic foliage; seeds,cover for animals
Delicate silvery gray foliage; seeds for birds
Silvery, aromatic foliage; seeds,cover for animals
Lovely, feathery foliage; seeds for birds
Rose-hued fruits on female plants; great bird seed
Glossy leaves and spring flowers; nectar plant
Profuse fruits in fall; winter food for birds
Ornamental spiralled seeds; winter deer food
Ornamental seed heads and fall color
Long-lasting mid-summer flowers; fernlike leaves
Yellow fall cover; seeds and cover for birds
Spring flowers; fall white berries; winter red twigs
Profuse fragrant purple flowers; nectar plant
Interesting shrub accent; seeds attract quail
White flowers in spring; seed heads fall and winter
Screen or wind break; nectar plant; cover for birds
Yellow flowers late spring; fruit for birds
Blue/purple flowers all summer; nectar plant
Spring flowers; dark purple fruit; red-orange color
Fragrant yellow summer flowers; fall seed plumes
Spring yellow flowers; winter browse for deer
Attractive evergreen shrub; food and cover for birds
Attractive evergreen shrub; quail, chipmunk food
Red fall color; red fall fruit; food and cover for birds
Yellow spring berries; red fall color; fruit for birds
Spring pink flowers; fall red hips; winter animal food
Great branch color in fall; dense cover for wildlife
White spring flowers; showy dark blue fruit
Light green foliage; year-round cover small animals
Reflective, silvery leaves; quail, chipmunk food.
White berries in fall and winter; fruit for birds
Colorful fruit for birds; bark for nests
Creamy white blossoms; nectar for moths
Creamy flowers on tall stalks; nectar for moths
Orange
Yellow
Yellow
Red
Orange
Pink/Purple
Purple
Wht/Yellow
Pink
Yellow
Yellow
Blue
Blue
Purple
Purple
Purple
Wht/Pink
Blue
Red
Cream/Pink
Blue/Purple
Orange
Red/Orange
Su
All Su
Sp
Su
Su
Sp-Su
Su
Su
Su-F
LSu
LSu
Su
Su
Su-F
All Su
All Su
ESu
Su
Sp-ESu
ESu
ESu
Sp-F
Sp-F
Attracts
butterflies
Very drought tolerant and showy
Early season color; large plant
Difficult to establish; attracts hummingbirds
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
Showy, aster-like flowers
Attracts bees, seeds in F/W, matted ground cover
Long blooming season
Provides bird seed for fall and winter
Provides bird seed in fall
Prolific bloomer; spreads rapidly-use in large area
Attracts butterflies
Blooms late into season
Stunning ornamental; attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees and butterflies
Very drought-tolerant/tough/fragrant/attracts moths
Showy ornamental
Attracts hummingbirds
Very fragrant, tubular summer flowers
Hardy; easy to grow
Flowers resemble small hollyhocks
Very hardy; blooms all summer
1. While the plants listed
above are native to and appropriate for their indicated
regions, please recognize that, in some instances,
human development alters the characteristics of
a site such that it may be advisable to use plants
from a neighboring region. For example, plantings
in urban and suburban areas may receive reflected
heat from streets, sidewalks and/or walls or be
in media that receives less moisture than normal
(e.g., next to a paved area – the pavement
blocks rain from entering soil). Accordingly, using
plants from a neighboring region that support higher
temperatures and/or drier conditions may be more
appropriate.
2. While a plant is native to a region, that does
not mean that it will grow everywhere in that region.
The characteristics of any site will typically vary
from place to place and some plants may do better
than others at various places within a site. In
other words, a little experimentation might be required.
3. The above list is a starter list. Though adequate
for most residential and commercial landscapes,
there are many more native plants and should you
want to consider them, please inquire at a listed
nursery, community
service organization, reference
book or other resources.
CREDITS:
1.
Creating landscapes for wildlife; a Guide for Backyards
in Utah
A cooperative project between the State of Utah Natural
Resources Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State
University Cooperative Extension Service and Department
of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.
