As the owner of A Better Edge, I’ve seen countless Colorado landscapes transformed by the right combination of hardscaping and plant selection. When clients ask me about the best edging plants for their Colorado property, I always remind them that the perfect choice depends on several factors: soil conditions, sun exposure, moisture levels, and aesthetic preferences. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share insights from my years of experience creating stunning landscape edges throughout Colorado’s diverse regions.
Understanding the Role of Edging Plants in Colorado Landscapes
Plants are the living transition between hardscapes and the rest of your garden. The proper plant can:
- Define garden boundaries
- Create visual interest
- Soften hardscape elements like concrete curbing
- Control erosion
- Reduce maintenance needs
Our Landscape Services in Colorado frequently incorporate hardscaping elements (like concrete edging) and carefully selected plants to create cohesive, low-maintenance landscapes that thrive in our unique climate.
Native Colorado Plants: The Sustainable Edge
Native plants often make the best edging plants in Colorado due to their natural adaptation to challenging climate conditions. These plants seamlessly transition between hardscapes and the natural environment when paired with our concrete edging and flagstone pathways.
Top Native Edging Plants for Colorado
- Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
- Height: 18-36 inches
- Bloom time: Early summer
- Color: Vibrant blue-purple
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, attracts pollinators
- Perfect companion to: Concrete pathways and retaining walls
- Maintenance: Minimal
- Cost: $16-32 per plant (depending on size)
- Blue Avena Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
- Height: 24-36 inches
- Features: Attractive gray-blue foliage
- Benefits: Drought-resistant, provides year-round interest
- Complements: Concrete edging and specialty features
- Cost: $24-48 per established plant
- Prairie Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora)
- Height: 4-8 inches
- Bloom time: Summer through fall
- Color: Bright yellow
- Benefits: Extremely drought-tolerant once established
- Works well with: Our concrete flagstone installations
- Cost: $14-26 per plant
“Native edging plants not only thrive in Colorado’s climate but also support local ecology. When combined with our professional concrete edging, they create a landscape that feels both designed and natural.” – Colorado Native Plant Society
Drought-Tolerant Edging Plants for Water-Wise Colorado Gardens
With water conservation increasingly crucial in Colorado, drought-tolerant plants offer beauty and practicality. Our Landscape Services frequently incorporate these hardy plants alongside our concrete hardscaping elements.
Best Drought-Tolerant Plants for Colorado
- Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
- Height: 2-3 inches
- Spread: 12-18 inches
- Bloom time: Early summer
- Color: Purple, pink, or white (variety dependent)
- Features: Aromatic foliage, thrives between stepping stones
- Perfect pairing: Concrete pathways
- Cost: $20-36 per flat (covers approximately 10-12 sq ft)
- Angelina Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’)
- Height: 3-6 inches
- Spread: Up to 24 inches
- Color: Golden-yellow foliage, yellow summer flowers
- Features: Color intensifies to orange/copper in fall and winter
- Ideal with: Concrete walls and staggered edging
- Cost: $16-30 per plant
- Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum spp.)
- Height: 3-4 inches
- Features: Rosette-forming succulent
- Benefits: Extremely drought-tolerant
- Perfect accent for: Concrete specialty features
- Cost: $14-26 per plant (varies by variety)
Comparative Drought Tolerance of Popular Colorado Plants
| Edging Plant | Water Needs | Sun Requirements | Colorado Hardiness Zones | Maintenance Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creeping Thyme | Low | Full sun to part shade | 4-9 | Low |
| Angelina Stonecrop | Very Low | Full sun | 3-9 | Very Low |
| Hens and Chicks | Very Low | Full sun to part shade | 3-8 | Very Low |
| Lavender | Low | Full sun | 5-9 | Medium |
| Catmint | Low | Full sun to part shade | 3-8 | Low |
Colorful Flowering Plants for Colorado Gardens
Colorado offers several options combining beauty and resilience for clients looking to add vibrant color to their landscape edges. These flowering edging plants create stunning borders around concrete patios, walkways, and other hardscape features.
Top Flowering Plants for Colorado
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Height: 24-36 inches
- Bloom time: Mid-summer to fall
- Color: Purple-pink with orange-copper center
- Benefits: Attracts butterflies, drought-tolerant once established
- Perfect complement to: Concrete edging and walls
- Cost: $20-36 per established plant
- Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa)
- Height: 1-4 feet (variety dependent)
- Bloom time: Late spring until frost
- Colors: Yellow, white, pink
- Benefits: Extremely hardy, drought-tolerant, long-blooming
- Works beautifully with: Commercial Landscape Services installations
- Cost: $36-70 per shrub (depending on size)
- Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Bloom time: Summer through fall
- Color: Lavender-blue flowers with silvery foliage
- Benefits: Heat and drought-tolerant, deer-resistant
- Enhances: Concrete walls and specialty features
- Cost: $30-54 per established plant
- Salvia (Salvia spp.)
- Height: 18-24 inches (varies by variety)
- Bloom time: Early summer to fall
- Colors: Purple, blue, pink, red (variety dependent)
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies
- Perfect for: Commercial and residential Landscape Services
- Cost: $18-32 per plant
Structural and Evergreen Plants for Year-Round Interest
Evergreen edging plants provide consistent form and color for year-round structure and interest. When paired with our concrete hardscaping elements, these plants create a framework for your landscape that looks good every season.
Best Structural Plants for Colorado
- Dwarf Boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ or ‘Winter Gem’)
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Features: Dense evergreen foliage, can be formally shaped
- Benefits: Year-round structure, drought-tolerant once established
- Perfect pairing: Formal concrete edging and specialty features
- Cost: $70-120 per established shrub
- Liriope (Liriope muscari)
- Height: 12-18 inches
- Features: Grass-like foliage, purple flower spikes in late summer
- Benefits: Semi-evergreen in protected sites, erosion control
- Complements: Concrete pathways and flagstone
- Cost: $24-42 per plant
- Dwarf Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo ‘Pumilio’)
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Features: Dense, dark green needles year-round
- Benefits: Extremely hardy, drought-tolerant once established
- Enhances: Commercial Landscape Services installations
- Cost: $90-160 per established shrub
Edging Plants for Different Colorado Microclimates
Colorado’s diverse topography creates numerous microclimates. Our Landscape Services professionals understand that the best plant for Denver may differ from what works in Colorado Springs or the mountain communities. Here’s a regional breakdown:
Front Range (Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins)
The Front Range experiences hot summers and cold winters with moderate precipitation. Best plants include:
- Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Features: Vertical habit, golden seed heads
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, winter interest
- Works well with: Concrete edging and walls
- Cost: $30-54 per established plant
- Sunset Hyssop (Agastache rupestris)
- Height: 24-30 inches
- Bloom time: Summer through fall
- Colors: Orange-pink flowers
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, fragrant, attracts pollinators
- Perfect accent for: Concrete pathways and specialty features
- Cost: $18-36 per plant
Mountain Communities (Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge)
Higher elevations mean shorter growing seasons and colder temperatures. Best plants include:
- Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
- Height: 6-12 inches
- Features: Evergreen groundcover with red berries
- Benefits: Extremely cold-hardy, drought-tolerant once established
- Enhances: Concrete edging and flagstone installations
- Cost: $18-32 per plant (covers approximately one sq ft)
- Creeping Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens)
- Height: 12 inches
- Features: Evergreen foliage that turns burgundy in winter, yellow spring flowers
- Benefits: Shade-tolerant, drought-resistant once established
- Perfect with: Commercial Landscape Services hardscaping
- Cost: $24-36 per plant
Western Slope (Grand Junction, Montrose)
Hotter, drier conditions on the Western Slope call for different plants:
- Rabbit Brush (Ericameria nauseosa)
- Height: 2-4 feet
- Features: Silver-gray foliage, yellow flowers in late summer
- Benefits: Extremely drought-tolerant, attracts pollinators
- Works well with: Concrete walls and specialty features
- Cost: $28-42 per established plant
- Desert Four O’Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)
- Height: 12-18 inches
- Bloom time: Summer through fall
- Color: Magenta-purple
- Benefits: Heat and drought-tolerant, spreads to form a groundcover
- Complements: Concrete edging and flagstone
- Cost: $18-34 per plant
Seasonal Considerations for Colorado Plants
Colorado’s distinct seasons affect plants differently. Here’s how to plan for year-round appeal when combining plants with our concrete hardscaping elements:
Spring Interest
- Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
- Height: 8-12 inches
- Bloom time: Early spring
- Color: Bright yellow
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, rock garden favorite
- Perfect with: Concrete edging and pathways
- Cost: $16-26 per plant
- Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
- Height: 8-12 inches
- Bloom time: Early spring
- Colors: Purple, pink, or white
- Benefits: Early season interest, fuzzy seed heads
- Enhances: Concrete flagstone and specialty features
- Cost: $18-30 per plant
Summer Stars
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ or ‘Hidcote’)
- Height: 18-24 inches
- Bloom time: Early to mid-summer
- Color: Purple
- Benefits: Fragrant, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant
- Works beautifully with: Commercial Landscape Services installations
- Cost: $24-40 per established plant
- Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
- Height: 12-18 inches
- Bloom time: Late spring through summer
- Color: Lavender-blue
- Benefits: Long-blooming, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant
- Perfect pairing: Concrete edging and pathways
- Cost: $20-36 per plant
Fall Features
- Autumn Joy Sedum (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)
- Height: 18-24 inches
- Bloom time: Late summer into fall
- Color: Pink to copper
- Benefits: Drought-tolerant, winter interest
- Complements: Concrete walls and edging
- Cost: $20-36 per established plant
- Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Features: Blue-green foliage turning copper-orange in fall
- Benefits: Native, drought-tolerant, winter interest
- Enhances: Landscape Services projects with concrete elements
- Cost: $24-42 per established plant
Winter Structure
- Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
- Height: 6-9 feet (can be kept shorter with pruning)
- Features: Bright red stems in winter
- Benefits: Wildlife value, year-round interest
- Perfect for: Commercial Landscape Services installations
- Cost: $60-120 per established shrub
- Compact Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium ‘Compacta’)
- Height: 2-3 feet
- Features: Evergreen holly-like foliage, yellow flowers in spring
- Benefits: Year-round interest, shade-tolerant
- Works well with: Concrete specialty features
- Cost: $50-90 per established plant
Combining Hardscaping and Plants: The A Better Edge Approach
At A Better Edge, our Landscape Services incorporate hardscaping elements and carefully selected edging plants to create cohesive, low-maintenance landscapes. Here’s how we approach different project types:
Residential Garden Borders
For home gardens, we often pair our concrete edging with:
- Dwarf fountain grass for movement
- Creeping thyme for fragrance and color
- Hens and chicks for drought-tolerance
- Black-eyed Susan for summer color
Our concrete edging ranges from $20-40 per linear foot, depending on style and complexity.
Commercial Property Borders
Commercial Landscape Services require durable, low-maintenance solutions. We typically recommend:
- Ornamental grasses for scale and movement
- Dwarf shrubs for structure
- Hardy perennials for seasonal color
- Evergreen groundcovers for year-round interest
Commercial concrete edging projects usually cost $36-60 per linear foot, including professional installation.
Specialty Features and Focal Points
For specialty landscape features, we create custom concrete walls and edging paired with:
- Statement plant specimens
- Ornamental trees
- Unique perennial combinations
- Seasonally changing color palettes
Specialty feature installations start at $1,000 and up, depending on size and complexity.
Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect Edging Plant
The best plant for your Colorado landscape depends on your specific site conditions, preferences, and the hardscaping elements you choose. At A Better Edge, our Landscape Services professionals consider all these factors when recommending plant and material combinations.
Whether you’re looking for native plants, drought-tolerant options, colorful flowers, or year-round structure, Colorado offers a wide range of excellent plants. When paired with our high-quality concrete edging, pathways, flagstone, and walls, these plants create a cohesive, beautiful landscape that stands the test of time.
Contact A Better Edge today for a free consultation to discover the perfect combination of plants and hardscaping elements for your Colorado property. Our Landscape Services team is ready to help you create the outdoor space of your dreams, with the perfect balance of beauty, functionality, and sustainability.
