This website is a celebration and discussion of native plants focused on the area around Durango, Colorado in the Southwest corner of the state. Our goal is to spread awareness about the value of using native plants in water wise landscaping, as well as celebrate the beauty of these often unnoticed plants. Planting with Native Plants can give you a beautiful landscape which requires less water, is well adapted to the local climate, and will support wildlife naturally. Please check out our online plant guide for a rudimentary identification source for flora of the region. We also cover introduced but naturalized plants and noxious weeds.
FEATURED PLANT FOR December
Mullein is an introduced plant with a long history of uses. Recognized by its velvety soft and large leaves, or massive missile-like flower stalks, it can be found throughout La Plata county. It is easily controlled through manual pulling, but it is also beneficial in many ways. It attracts insects which attract birds, who also eat the seeds. The seeds contain rotenone, making them poisonous to some animals. During times of heavy snow, the flower stalks can provide a food source for birds.
READ MOREOur guide may also include plants from nearby areas such as Northern New Mexico, Southeast Utah & the rest of Colorado. Our interest in Colorado Native Plants stems from a lifetime of outdoor pursuits and work in the nursery business. While we do our best to provide accurate scientific descriptions of plants, we have collected many images while not possessing a plant key. In some cases where we do not have sufficient data to identify a species we'll list with the Genus and "spp" meaning "several species." We welcome your help, please use the contact form for any corrections, comments, critiques, or even criticisms.
Scientific Name vs Common Name
While we do include common names where applicable, we list plants first by their scientific names which are made up of genus, species, and subspecies. Common names differ from area to area, and the same common name is often used for several genera across different regions. Also, in recent years DNA data has been used to regroup species and even locate them into different genera. We value accuracy, but only use the "new" name when it has been universally accepted. We use the USDA as the arbiter of acceptance for new names.