Poppy mallow's magenta flowers and green leaves complement the silver leaves of lamb's-ears, lavender or gray santolina. Many native plants are well adapted to this region's semi-arid climate. They continue the look of a natural area into a cultivated Garden. Keep in mind that some plants native to the Rocky Mountains require more water and cooler exposures, so all are not suitable choices for a xeriscape. Be sure to incorporate them into the proper microclimate of a Garden.
Grasses are a dominant plant of the western landscape.
Xeric shrubs, or shrubs that need little water, tend to have a fine texture and make good combinations with evergreens such as junipers and pines. Xeric shrubs include lilac, beauty bush, Apache plume, Peking cotoneaster and blue mist spiraea. There are few truly drought tolerant trees, but a few examples are Kentucky coffee tree, bur oak, honeylocust and western catalpa. Check the xeriscape plant section at Garden centers and nurseries for more plant selections and information. Permission is hereby given to duplicate this Plant talk Colorado TM script as is if credit is given to the sources.