• An aspen grove showing yellow foliage in the fall.aspen grove image by Carbonbrain from Fotolia.com
  
  Colorado native indigenous plants are plants growing in Colorado before the arrival of Europeans who brought along exotic plant species and disturbed the ground to cultivate crops. Not all native plants are indigenous plants in Colorado because some plants native to the United States may have originated from outside the region. It is the native indigenous plants most adapted to the soil and climate conditions of Colorado.
  
  

Coreopsis

• Coreopsis or Golden Wave (Coreopsis tinctoria) is a prolific blooming annual or tender perennial indigenous to Colorado. It has spread throughout the Eastern and Southern United States as it escaped cultivation in the Eastern U.S. The yellow daisy-like flowers with a red center are held atop 24 inch stems. Entire fields may be covered with the yellow flowers in the spring. It does not grow under extreme drought conditions, but the seeds can remain dormant for several years.
  
  

Black-Eyed Susan

• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a short-lived perennial or annual wildflower indigenous to Colorado. It produces 2-to 3-inch-wide bright golden yellow flowers with dark brown centers in the spring. The bloom period is followed by the production of seed cones containing hundreds of seeds. It prefers even moisture in fall and spring when it is young, but is drought tolerant once it is actively growing.
  
  

American Plum

• The American plum or Wild Plum (Prunus americana ) is a small fruiting tree growing to 35 feet tall. It can be found in moist shady areas or open pastures where there is sufficient moisture growing. It spreads by the roots forming dense thickets that produce white fragrant blooms in the spring. The 1-inch-diameter fruit is orange, red or purple and ripens in late summer. It is enjoyed by wildlife and is often collected and used in jams and jellies.
  
  

Pinyon Pine

• The Pinyon Pine, Two-Needle Pine, or Colorado Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis) is a small pine growing to 30 feet that produces edible seeds known as pinyon nuts. The nuts are also enjoyed by a variety of wildlife. The pinyon pine tree grows in elevations as high as 7,000 feet and can tolerate cold areas and dry soils.
  
  

Quaking Aspen

• The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is a fast grower that reaches 50 feet tall. It is adapted to all soil types in Colorado, but grows best in evenly moist soil with little competition from other plants. It spreads by roots and seeds. The distinguishing feature is the white bark and flat leaves that tremble or "quake" when disturbed by a light breeze. The leaves of the deciduous quaking aspen turn a bright yellow in the fall.
  
  

Rocky Mountain Iris

• The Rocky Mountain Iris or Western Blue Flag (Iris missouriensis) forms clumps as it spreads by underground rhizomes in moist open low-lying areas in pastures or meadows. The sword-like leaves are toxic and avoided by wildlife and cattle. Growing to 2 feet high, each slender stem produces as many as four blue or purple white-veined flowers with yellow bases in late spring.