Trees are a vital part of any Colorado landscaping. Incorporating trees into your landscaping not only increases your curb appeal, but it also increases the value of your property, can help shield your home from the elements, brings birds, squirrels, and other wildlife to your backyard, can give you added privacy, and overall enables you to enjoy your yard even more than before. However, with all the different options out there for trees, it may seem difficult to choose the best trees for your landscaping. That is why we are here to help guide you in selecting the best trees for your Colorado landscape!
What Type of Trees Grow Best in Colorado?
Generally, some of our favorite trees for use in landscapes across Northern Colorado and the Front Range are Ash trees, Boxelder trees, Hackberry trees, Honeylocust trees, Juniper trees, Kentucky Coffee trees, Linden trees, Oak trees, Spruce trees, and more! All of these trees provide different benefits, some of which are wonderful shade trees, with others sporting decorative flowers, others featuring beautiful fall colors, and others being evergreen. Let's get into some of these details so that you can choose the tree that suits you and your space best!
13 Colorado Landscaping Tree Ideas
1. American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana)
Ash Trees are very popular throughout Northern Colorado. This particular variety produces beautiful white flowers in the spring, followed by colorful yellow-red berries in clumps that make for lovely fall interest. It is a fantastic variety for attracting birds and butterflies to the area as well!
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Hardiness Zone: 2-6
Light Requirements: Partial sun, full sun
Height: 12-25 feet
Width: 10-15 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Bloom Color: White
Fall Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Spring
Attributes: Attracts birds, attracts butterflies, drought-tolerant, native, moist conditions, acidic soil, alkaline soil
2. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Aspen trees are a great native option. These trees are beautiful, low maintenance, fast-growing, and can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions. They are popular for their fluttering green leaves in the summer that turn a striking yellow color in the fall.
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Hardiness Zone: 2-5
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 50-60 feet
Width: 20-30 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Bloom Color: Yellow
Fall Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Spring
Attributes: Drought tolerant, fast-growing, native, moist conditions, acidic soil, alkaline soil
3. Sensation Boxelder (Acer negundo 'Sensation')
Boxelder trees are also great options for tree landscaping. They are native to Colorado, making them overall more suited to a variety of growing conditions. They display a variety of beautiful colors throughout the year and don blooms in the spring.
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Hardiness Zone: 5-8
Light Requirements: Partial sun, full sun
Height: 25-35 feet
Width: 25-35 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Bloom Color: White
Fall Color: Orange, red
Bloom Time: Spring
Attributes: Drought tolerant, native, moist conditions, acidic soil, alkaline soil
4. Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Hackberry trees grow moderately fast and are very adaptable. They grow particularly well in urban environments and are very tolerant of drought and windy conditions. Find even more information about Hackberry trees in our blog on The Best Trees for Colorado Backyards.
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 50-75 feet
Width: 40-50 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Fall Color: Yellow
Attributes: Deer resistant, drought tolerant
5. Honeylocust Trees
Two of our favorite varieties of Honeylocust trees are the Skyline Honeylocust, Shademaster Honeylocust, and the Sunburst Honeylocust. These are beautiful, thornless varieties that offer light, filtered shade. They are hardy to zone 4, require full sun, are deer resistant, are tolerant of drought once established, and offer vibrant yellow fall color when the seasons begin to change. Learn more about these varieties in our blog on the best colorado trees for summer planting!
6. Moonglow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow')
Moonglow Junipers feature exceptionally showy, silvery-blue foliage with a feathery texture. They have a broad pyramidal form that makes for a most attractive landscape accent. These native evergreen trees are excellent for adding privacy, blocking unsightly views, and can also act as a sound barrier.
Plant Type: Evergreen tree
Hardiness Zone: 3-7
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 18-20 feet
Width: 6-8 feet
Foliage Color: Blue, silver
Attributes: Attracts birds, deer resistant, drought tolerant, easy-care, native
7. Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
Also native to Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Juniper has a more traditional evergreen appearance, with deep, forest green foliage on branches that grow upwards in the columnar shape that is typical of many junipers.
Plant Type: Evergreen tree
Hardiness Zone: 3-7
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 25-40 feet
Width: 4-20 feet
Foliage Color: Blue, green
Bloom Time: Spring
Attributes: Drought tolerant, hedge, native, urban tolerant, acidic soil, alkaline soil, fragrant
8. Espresso Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioicus 'Espresso-JFS')
Characterized as a large shade tree, Kentucky Coffee trees have been increasingly popular with their unique foliage, fragrant white flowers, beautiful fall color, decorative seed pods, and outstanding hardiness. Learn more about how to plant and care for a Kentucky Coffee tree! Another benefit of these trees is their high tolerance to pollution, which makes them great trees for urban environments. Their low maintenance, drought tolerance, and high adaptability also makes them an easy choice for any tree landscaping. Find more specifics about Kentucky Coffee trees as well as how to care for them in our blog on Trees that are Perfect for Colorado Yards and Landscapes!
9. Linden Trees
Linden trees are another highly popular tree. They are known for their dense shade and their inconspicuous and aromatic white flowers that bloom in late spring/early summer. They are considered one of the best trees for Colorado backyards, and three of our favorite varieties include the Redmond Linden, the Corinthian Linden, and the Greenspire Linden.
10. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Bur Oak trees can grow massive in size and are a great xeric plant. They require little water once they are established, tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, are tolerant of urban pollution, and feature an attractive, corky bark that is especially interesting in the winter.
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Hardiness Zone: 3-8
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 60-80 feet
Width: 60-80 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Fall Color: Yellow, brown
Attributes: Drought tolerant
11. Gembel Oak (Quercus gambelii)
Sometimes referred to as Scrub Oak or Oak Brush, this small Oak variety is a wonderful option for smaller yards that cannot fit an 80-foot tree. It thrives in the western part of the United States, prefers alkaline soils, and is drought tolerant, actually preferring dry soils. Fall color ranges from red to orange to yellow.
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Light Requirements: Full sun
Height: 20-30 feet
Width: 20-25 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Fall Color: Yellow, brown
Attributes: Drought tolerant
12. Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca 'Densata')
This variety of Spruce tree is fantastic for use as a landscape accent, privacy wall, windbreak, noise barrier, or any other screening purposes. They are desirable in appearance, having a symmetrical cone shape and dense needles that emerge bright green and then mature to a blue-green color. These evergreen conifers are low-maintenance, native, fast-growing, and attract desirable wildlife such as birds and butterflies!
Plant Type: Evergreen tree
Hardiness Zone: 2-8
Light Requirements: Partial sun, full sun
Height: 25-50 feet
Width: 15-25 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Attributes: Attracts birds, attracts butterflies, deer resistant, easy-care, fast-growing, native
13. Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens 'Glauca')
Perhaps one of the most popular Spruce varieties, the Colorado Blue Spruce is native to Colorado and is known for its dense, grey-blue needles. It is a wonderfully showy conifer that is great for use as an accent in your landscaping, as a wind barrier, or as a screen from any unwanted sights or sounds.
Plant Type: Evergreen tree
Hardiness Zone: 2-8
Light Requirements: Partial sun, full sun
Height: 10-12 feet
Width: 7-8 feet
Foliage Color: Green
Attributes: Attracts birds, attracts butterflies, deer resistant, easy-care, native, salt-tolerant
Landscaping Tree Ideas for Your Colorado Yard
We hope that this list of 13 trees has helped you decide which trees you want to add to your landscaping. Whether you are looking for something showy, something practical, or something that provides some extra added privacy, there is a tree for any want or need! If you want more ideas regarding trees that could be a good fit for your yard, check out our Plant Finder! And as always, please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.