Mountain
Master Gardener Flower Favorites
adapted
from Fact Sheet 7.406, by J. Feucht*
QUICK FACTS:
Herbaceous perennials
are the best colorful flowers for the mountains.
Annual and perennial Garden flowers can be grown at high elevations
and often produce more color than those grown at lower elevations. Gardens
planted in full sun, such as those planted on south and southeast exposures,
usually thrive.
Microclimates can
be created in exposed areas by screening plants from strong winds and
weather with structures, fences, trees and/or shrubs.
Light-colored granitic
(decomposed granite) soils, common in many mountainous areas, are less
apt to absorb heat. Adding organic matter, such as peat, dark mountain
topsoil or manure, improves water retention and heat absorption. Keep
in mind, that even with the addition of ammendments, your soil may still
be low in certain essential nutrients and you may want to test your
soil after adding organic material. (Contact your Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension county office for soil test information.)
Use organic mulches
to protect perennials from severe drying where snow cover is not likely
to remain during the winter. You may need to use netting or branches
to keep the wind from blowing your mulch off. Mulches can also be a
disadvantage, as they can keep the soil cool and delay spring growth.
Removing mulches in early spring allows the soil to warm up.
Plant perennials
in spring or early summer, as soon as the soil can be worked. Plants
planted in late summer or fall have less chance of survival. Be prepared
to provide temporary cover (frost caps) for both annuals and newly planted
perennials, especially when bought at lower elevations.
Gradually acclimate
annuals and perennials that are established in containers at the greenhouse
or in the home. About two weeks before the anticipated planting time,
reduce watering and expose the plants to increasingly longer outdoor
conditions. If plants are well-rooted in the containers or are potbound,
loosen the outside of the root ball before planting.
Flowering is usually
delayed four days for every 400 feet rise in elevation. This can mean
different combinations for planting than down below. Avoid very late-blooming
plants, as they probably wont’ bloom before frost. Likewise, plants
that require a lot of heat (such as cosmos or Russian Sage) may not
bloom before frost.
In areas with lots of snow, some xeric plants might rot out during the
winter, even if they are cold hardy (i.e. Penstemon palmeri, lambs ears,
white tufted evening primrose).
TABLE 1:
Garden Perennials for Mountain Communities at 6,000 to 10,000 Feet Elevation.*
Achilles lanulosa — Yarrow
Color: White
Native. Dry locations. Fern-like foliage. Easy to grow. Full sun. Long
blooming. A. millefolium also can work well, but can be aggressive.-
various colors.
Allium spp. — Wild onion
Color: Pink
A. cernuum and A. geyeri are native. Good in rock gardens.
Antennaria spp. — Pussy toes
Color: Pink
A charming gray mat-forming groundcover, with incidental flowers. A.
parvifolia is native.
Aquilegia coerulea, chrysantha and formosa — Columbine
Color: Various
The listed species are native to some part of Colorado. Most long-spurred
hybrids also do well. Use rich soil. Likes afternoon shade. Early blooming,
and will bloom long if deadheaded.
Anaphalis margartiacea — Pearly everlasting
Color: White
Native. Very showy in mass plantings. Flowers dry well for arrangements.
Later blooming. Full to part sun.
Baptisia australis — Baptisia
Color: Blue
Tough tall plant with lupine like blooms early summer. Full sun.
Campanula spp. — Bellflower
Color: Purple
Most will do well. C. rotundifolia is native and long-blooming. C. glomerata
is very dependable, but can be aggressive. Full sun to part shade. May
be attractive to rabbits and chipmunks.
Centaurea montana — Mountain bluet
Color: Blue, white
A low, creeping plant. Young leaves silver-white. Short, early showy
season. Not as aggressive as annual bachelor’s buttons. Full sun.
Cerastium arvense — Mouse-eared chickweed, C tomentosum
— Snow-in-summer
Color: White
Native and not. Both have lovely white flowers. The non native C. tomentosum
can be aggressive. Do not plant where it can escape.
Coreopsis sp. — Coreopsis
Color: Yellow, pink
Long blooming, xeric, tolerant of poor soils.
Chrysanthemum maximum — Shasta daisy
Color: White
Observed at 9,700 feet elevation. Probably hardy over 10,000 feet. Good
cut flower. Easy culture. Good alternative for the noxious weed, oxeye
daisy.
Delphinium spp. — Delphinium
Color: Blue, white, purple
Healthy 4- to 5-foot spikes were observed in Leadville, elevation 10,162
feet. One of the best for mountain Gardens. Full sun to part shade.
D. grandiflorum grows shorter, and does better in windy situations.
**Dianthus barbatus — Sweet William
Color: Pink, red, white
Forms low, colorful mats at higher elevations. Biennial.
Dianthus plumarius — Cottage pink
Color: Rose, white, purple
Blue-green foliage forms dense grass-like mats. Lovely, long blooming
and fragrant.
Dicentra spectabilis — Bleeding heart
Color: Rose-red
Old-fashioned favorite. Tolerates shade.
**Digitalis purpurea — Foxglove
Color: Purple, red, white, pink, variegated
May not be dependable over 9,000 feet. Flowers appear in second year.
I can’t get these to grow, but others have.
Echinacea angustifolia and E. purpurea — Purple coneflower
Color: Purple
In areas with early fall frost, these might not bloom. Plant in a warm
microclimate.
Eriogonum umbellatum — Sulphur flower
Color: Chartreuse
Early summer bloom. Tolerates poor soils. Foliage turns reddish in fall.
Erysimum asperum — Wallflower
Color: Orange to bronze
Native. One of the earliest plants to bloom. Biennial or perennial.
Lovely with penstemons.
Gaillardia aristata — Blanket flower
Color: Yellow-red
Native. Start seed indoors for flowers first year. Easy. Long blooming.
Geranium spp. — Hardy geraniums
Color: Blue, pink
G. viscosissimum and G. caespitosum are native. Watch for hardiness
zones on other varieties. Some have red fall color.
Heuchera spp. — Coral Bells
Color: Red, white
H. sanguinea has red flowers, loved by hummingbirds. Does well in compost
enriched soils, full sun or part shade.
**Ipomopsis aggregata — Scarlet Gilia
Color: Red, pink or white
Showy red flowers late in season. Biennial. Loved by hummingbirds. I.
aggregata in the Front Range is white to pinkish.
Iris germanica — Bearded iris
Color: Various
May not flower until July at higher elevations. Full sun.
Iris siberica — Siberian iris
Color: Violet, white
Observed no higher than 9,300 feet elevation but probably hardy above
10,000 feet. Moist soils. Late bloom.
Linum lewisii — Blue flax
Color: Blue
Native. Erect, branchy plant, sometimes bush-like. Avoid the European
kind, L. perenne, - there is too much potential to escape into natural
areas.
Lupinu argenteus — Silver lupine
Color: Blue
Native. Very hardy. Grows on poor soils. Fixes nitrogen.
Lychnis chalcedonia — Maltese cross
Color: Scarlet, pink, white
Striking when in bloom. Blooms mid-August above 9,000 feet.
Mertensia lanceolata — Chiming bells
Color: Blue
Early blooming, is smaller and requires less water than its cousin,
M. ciliata.
Monarda spp. — Beebalm
Color: Red, pink, purplish
M. fistulosa is native. Others also do well. Loved by hummingbirds.
Prefers full sun to part shade, enriched soil and moisture.
Muscari spp. — Grape hyacinth
Color: Blue
Bulb. Plant in good soil in fall. Blooms in June at altitude.
Myosotis alpestris — Forget-me-not
Color: Blue with yellow center
A dwarf plant for rocky niches. Cover with evergreen boughs in winter.
Narcissus spp. — Daffodil
Color: White, yellow
Bulb. Plant in well-drained soils 6 to 8 inches deep in the fall. Sunny
spots will provide earlier bloom.
Nepeta spp. — Catmint
Color: Blue
Long blooming, xeric, tolerates poor soils.
Oenothera spp. — Evening primrose
Color: White,yellow
Tough native plants. Long blooming. O. caespitosa is low with large
white flowers, and O. howardii has yellow flowers.
Oxytropis sp. — Locoweed
Color: White, pink
O. sericea and O. lambertii are native species that bloom early summer,
and tolerate poor soils. May intergrade. Full sun. TOXIC to livestock.
Paeonia officinalis — Peony
Color: White, red, pink
Flowers appear in late July above 9,000 feet. Well-drained soils.
Papaver nudicale — Iceland poppy
Color: Yellow, orange
An arctic species with several cultivated forms. Foliage light blue-green.
Papaver orientale — Oriental poppy
Color: Orange, pink, maroon
Flowering period short but showy.
Penstemon linaroides, pinifolius, procumbens, strictus, virens,
virgatus — Beardtongues
Color: Red and blue flowers
Natives, early to mid summer bloom, loved by hummingbirds. P. procumbens
is a mat-forming groundcover.
Phlox paniculata — Perennial phlox
Color: Pink, white, purple
Flowers mid- to late summer above 9,000 feet.
Phlox subulata — Creeping phlox
Color: Pink, purple or white
Great rock garden plant. Likes full sun.
Rudebeckia hirta — Black-eyed susan
Color: Yellow with black center
The native plant is very hardy. Late blooming. Can be short lived, even
act as a biennial but reseeds readily. Some cultivars are hardy as well.
Saponaria ocymoides — Trailing soapwort
Color: Pink
Don’t confuse it with S. officinalis — noxious weed. Charming
trailing plant with a profusion of pink blossoms.
Salvia spp. — Salvias
Color: Usually blue
May night is a reliable cultivar at 8500’, but may not be in colder
areas. Mulch in winter.
Scabiosa sp. — Scabious
Color: Blue or white
Long blooming flowers, very tough and xeric.
Sedum acre — Goldmoss stonecrop
Color: Yellow
Forms bright green, low mat of fleshy foliage. Use in rocky areas.
Sedum spurium — Two-row sedum
Color: Pink
Variety “Dragon's Blood.” Has rose-pink flowers. A good
rock-Garden plant. Can overgrow bounds.
Sempervivum tectorum — Hen-and-chicks
Color: Pink
Flowers may not appear for years. Flowering plant dies but off-shoot
“chicks” soon fill in. Easy culture.
Sisynchrium
angustifolium — Blue-eyed grass
Color: Blue
Grass like plants with small blue flowers early season. Likes moist,
rich soils. Sun to part shade.
Trollius europaeus — Globeflower
Color: Lemon-yellow
Use in moist, rich soils.
Valeriana officinalis — Heliotrope
Color: White, pink, lavender
Fragrant flowers. Leaves feathery. For tall, informal background use.
Veronica spp. — Speedwell
Color: Blue, white, pink
Often a creeping groundcover. Most species do very well, but check for
hardiness zones.
Viola kitaibeliana — Johnny jump-up
Color: Violet
Often flowers even under snow cover. Reseeds well.
TABLE 2:
Annuals for Mountain Communities at 6,000 to 10,000 Feet Elevation.*
Calendula
spp. — Pot-marigold
Color: Yellow,
orange
A good cut flower. Flower heads can be used to flavor soups and stews.
Seeds germinate rapidly.
Delphinium
spp. — Larkspur
Color: Blue, pink, white
Native varities, such as D. nuttalium are best, but D. ajacis is also
a good bet. Sow in fall.
Eschscholzia
californica — California poppy
Color: Yellow, orange
Actually a
perennial but performs as hardy annuals. Sow seeds in Garden as early
as possible. Withstands considerable frost. Can sow in fall.
Gladiolus
spp. — Gladiolus
Color: Various
A perennial but treated as an annual. Plant corms as soon as soil can
be worked. Plant about 6 inches deep in warm, sunny location. Dig after
first frost and store cleaned and dry in a cool place. Do not let corms
freeze.
**Petunia
hybrids
Color: Various
A tender perennial sold as an annual that withstands considerable frost.
Sunny locations are best. Beware, chipmunks love these!
Phacelia
campanularia — California bluebell
Color: Intense blueSelf seeds readily, blooms all summer. Another one
that does better in the mountains.
Tagetes
sp. — Marigold
Color: Yellow, orange
Will suffer greatly in first frost. Grows easily from seed and flowers
early.
Viola spp.
— Pansy
Color: Various
Actually a biennial but will act as annual in the mountains
**Zinnia
spp. — Zinnia
Color: Various
Starts easily from seed and develops quickly. Best where growing season
is over 80 days.
** These
plants are best started indoors in the spirng or purchased as bedding
plants.
* J.R. Feucht, Colorado
State University Cooperative Extension landscape plants specialist and
professor (retired), horticulture. Reviewed by D.E. Whiting, Cooperative
Extension landscape plants specialist, horticulture and landscape architecture.
2/99. Updated June 5, 2003 by Irene Shonle, Director of Colorado State
University in Gilpin County (her updates have not yet been reviewed)
© Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. 1995-2003.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Milan A. Rewerts, Director of Cooperative Extension, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Cooperative Extension programs are
available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products
mentioned is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.
Relevant
Fact Sheets from the CSU Cooperative Extension:
Shrubs
fore Mountain Communities: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07407.html
Trees
for Mountain Communities : http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07408.html
Native
Shrubs for Colorado Landscapes: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07422.html
Native
Trees for Colorado Landscapes: http://www.colostate.edu/pubs/insects/07421.html
