Quick answer: 55 native plants for birds are native to Colorado, 44 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
55 species
- American plum Prunus americana · 37 states
- Banana yucca Yucca baccata · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea · 9 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Creeping Oregon grape Mahonia repens · 15 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Dotted blazing star Liatris punctata · 17 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii · 7 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia · 9 states
- Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor · 9 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha · 29 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia · 14 states
- Scarlet bugler Penstemon barbatus · 2 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Upland larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum · 13 states
- Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis · 5 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
Native plants for birds in Colorado: what to know
55 of the 100 plants native to Colorado in this directory fit this need: 55% of the state's list, above the 52% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 46 are also good for pollinators, 35 are also drought-tolerant, 25 are also deer-resistant.
46 of them grow in full or partial sun and 24 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Black-eyed Susan and Buffalograss to trees such as American plum and Bearberry. For wildlife, 46 support pollinators, 55 provide food or cover for birds and 25 are caterpillar host plants.
44 of the 55 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Harebell, Indiangrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun