Keep your backyard vibrant and your soul refreshed during the long, hot days of summer with the gorgeous blooms of those tough perennials. Gardening at high elevations — altitudes of 5,000 feet or more — presents a unique set of challenges. The intense glare and heat of sun, lean soils, sparse rainfall and low humidity may intimidate any gardener. The key is to concentrate on native plants and the ones that are well adapted to those tough growing conditions.
The assortment of plants presented here offers many weeks of gaudy flowers with very little care or water, after their root systems are created. They are particularly ideal for warm zones in the landscape — gardens situated from south- or west-facing building foundations or walls, adjacent to driveways and sidewalks, or even in the narrow strip beside the road.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet
(Zauschneria garrettii)
Vibrant orange-red trumpet-shaped blossoms create a mass of colour for months on end. A true ground cover and an incredible noodle jar, it spreads to form a living mulch. Let it drape over retaining walls one of large boulders. Plant this bold blossom with blue or purple ones for even more punch.
Globe thistle (Echinops ritro), blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) and lavender (lavandula spp) are great companions for creeping hummingbird trumpet. It prefers a moderately enhanced, well-drained garden soil but will tolerate (and disperse less harshly in) a lean ground. It is deer resistant.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5 to 9; locate your zone); elevations around 8,000 feet
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Total sunlight; day shade at lower elevations
Mature size: 4 to 6 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Seasonal attention: Blooms July through August
When to plant: Spring
Read about a flatter species of Zauschneria
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Chocolate Flower
(Berlandiera lyrata)
Who can resist chocolate? You can keep your diet on track by forgoing the candy and enjoying the sweet treat of fragrance from these types of blossoms instead.
Bright yellow petals surround a mahogany-red center atop an open, sprawling form. This native perennial is best used in small groups or masses at a prairie or wildflower garden.
Put it near stones or paving — the surface warmth will enhance the blossoms’ aroma. Pair it with ice plant (Delosperma spp), dwarf Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’) and Parry’s agave (Agave parryi). Chocolate blossom enjoys poor, dry dirt. It is deer resistant.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 9); elevations around 7,000 feet
Water condition: Low
Light requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide
Seasonal attention: Flowers June to September
When to plant: Spring or fall
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Hollyhock
(Alcea rosea)
This classic favorite sports 5- to 6-foot-tall spikes packed with big (4-inch-diameter) blossoms in yellow, red, pink or white. The blossoms bring both hummingbirds and butterflies.
Hollyhock is a short term perennial or biennial and will self-sow (without being weedy) when the flowers are allowed to ripen and place seed.
It is a stylish addition to a wildflower garden, meadow or mixed boundary. Blend it with lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), bearded iris (Iris germanica) and tall sedum (Sedum spectabile). Provide well-drained, average to lean soil.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 3 to 2); elevations around 8,000 feet
Water requirement: Moderate to low
Light requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet wide and 5 inches to 6 feet tall
Seasonal attention: Blooms July to August
When to plant: Spring or fall
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Prairie Red Coneflower
(Ratibida columnifera pulcherrima)
deep red flowers that dance atop long, slender stalks and delicate, airy foliage create prairie red coneflower a terrific addition to a xeric mixed border or wildflower garden. Prairie red coneflower, also known as Mexican hat, is native to a large area of western North America. It is an important nectar source for native bees, butterflies and other insects.
Plant it using dotted blazing star (Liatris punctata), crazy four o’clock (Mirabilis multiflorus) and Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa). Although it is a short-term continuing (two or three decades), it is going to reseed readily. Plant it in well-drained clay to sandy soil.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 10); elevations around 8,000 feet
Water condition: Very low, but can withstand moist soil
Light requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide
Seasonal attention: Blooms late June to August
When to plant: Spring or fall
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Yellow Pineleaf Penstemon
(Penstemon pinifolius ‘Mersea Yellow’)
A long-lived, native penstemon that blossoms non invasive, has evergreen foliage and can be bunny resistant — what more can you desire? Use pineleaf penstemon as a low edging plant for a shrub border or in drifts with blanket flower (Gallardia spp), red yucca (Hesperaloe parvifolia) and ‘Terracotta’ yarrow. Well-drained soil with low fertility is excellent for this penstemon.
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 9); elevations around 8,000 feet
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 12 inches tall and 15 inches wide
Seasonal interest: Blooms late June to July
When to plant: Spring or fall
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Here’s a zoomed-out look at yellowish pineleaf penstemon.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Big Blue Sea Holly
(Eryngium ‘Big Blue’)
Every backyard needs some architectural crops — those who are inflexible and sculptural — to contrast the ones that are soft and billowy. Enormous blue sea holly may be exactly what you have been searching for. Stiff blue stems using a 4-inch diameter and spiny, blue bracts make a distinctive metallic appearance.
Sea holly is deer and rabbit resistant, but appealing to butterflies. Include it in a cutting garden, since it’s excellent for both dried and fresh arrangements. Pair big blue sea holly with lavender (Lavandula spp), as shown, plus whirling butterflies (Gaura lindheimeri) and ornamental grasses. It adapts to average, clay as well as sandy soils.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 9); elevations around 7,500 feet
Water condition: Low (but water well the initial year to establish it)
Light requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Seasonal attention: Blooms July to August
When to plant: Spring or fall
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