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Plains
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  Hear from the Curator

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Hear from the Curator

Hear Dan Johnson, Curator of Native Plants and Associate Director of Horticulture explain the unique qualities of the North American steppe, a region that includes Denver.






Discover plants native to Colorado growing in the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden, featuring grasses and wildflowers of the North American steppe region.



A grassland landscape of western North America (Colorado).

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  Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

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Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)



Native to: North America
Bloom time: July

Blue grama grass is one of the dominant native grass species of the shortgrass prairie of the North American steppe, like that of Pawnee National Grasslands in northeastern Colorado. With low water requirements and beautiful eyelash-shaped seed heads, blue grama is a great low-maintenance lawn replacement for Colorado homes.

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  Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

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Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)



Native to: North America
Bloom time: June through July

The butterfly weed is an important food source for migrating monarch butterflies, making it ideal for pollinator gardens. It is also drought-tolerant, adapting to dry conditions by storing water in its fleshy roots.

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  Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra)

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Indian paintbrush (Castilleja integra)



Native to: North America
Bloom time: May through September

Indian paintbrush plants are partially parasitic—they create energy through photosynthesis, but they also take nutrients from the roots of nearby plants. This can make them tricky to grow in a garden, but they can be successfully grown by planting them next to a grass that can help feed them.