Xeriscaping can reduce your outdoor water use by 50 to 75 percent while creating a landscape that actually looks better than a traditional lawn in Colorado Springs' semi-arid climate. Here are seven proven xeriscaping ideas designed specifically for the conditions along the Front Range.
Colorado Springs averages just 16 inches of rainfall per year and sits in USDA Hardiness Zones 5b through 6a. That means whatever you plant needs to handle summer heat, winter lows down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit, intense UV at altitude, alkaline clay soils, and periodic drought. Traditional bluegrass lawns fight every one of those conditions. Xeriscaping works with them.
What Is Xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping is a landscaping approach developed in Colorado in the early 1980s by Denver Water. The name comes from the Greek word "xeros" meaning dry. It does not mean covering your yard in gravel and calling it a day. Proper xeriscaping follows seven principles: planning and design, soil improvement, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, efficient irrigation, mulching, and proper maintenance.
The goal is to create a beautiful, functional landscape that requires significantly less water, fertilizer, and maintenance than a conventional lawn. Done well, a xeriscape yard has more visual interest than a traditional one, not less.
7 Xeriscaping Ideas for Colorado Springs
1. Rock Garden with Alpine Perennials
Colorado Springs sits at the base of Pikes Peak, and rock gardens feel completely natural here. Use a mix of local moss rock and Pueblo flagstone to create elevation changes and planting pockets. Fill the pockets with alpine perennials that thrive in rocky, well-drained conditions.
Best plants for this design: Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum), Ice Plant (Delosperma), Creeping Phlox, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, and Sedum. These are all Zone 5 hardy and tolerate the alkaline soils common in El Paso County.
A rock garden design works particularly well on slopes where erosion control is needed. The rocks slow water runoff while the plants stabilize the soil with their root systems.
2. Native Grass Meadow
Replace part or all of your bluegrass lawn with a native grass blend that needs no irrigation once established. Native grasses evolved on the Colorado shortgrass prairie and are perfectly adapted to our conditions.
Top native grass choices: Blue Grama (the Colorado state grass), Buffalo Grass, Sideoats Grama, Little Bluestem, and Prairie Dropseed. A blend of Blue Grama and Buffalo Grass creates a low-growing "lawn alternative" that mows to 3-4 inches and needs watering only during extreme drought.
Native grass meadows take one to two growing seasons to fully establish. During that first year, they need supplemental watering. After that, Colorado's natural rainfall is usually sufficient. The long-term water savings are dramatic — up to 75% compared to Kentucky Bluegrass.
3. Dry Creek Bed
A dry creek bed serves double duty: it manages stormwater runoff from your property (a real concern during Colorado Springs' intense summer thunderstorms) and creates a striking visual feature that looks great year-round, even when completely dry.
Line the creek bed with river rock graded from large boulders along the edges to smooth 3-4 inch cobble in the center. Plant the banks with drought-tolerant ornamental grasses like Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass and Blue Avena Grass. Add native shrubs like Three-Leaf Sumac and Apache Plume for height and seasonal color.
Dry creek beds are especially effective on properties with grade changes, which are common throughout the Colorado Springs area. They direct water away from foundations and patios while eliminating the need for underground drain pipe in many situations.
4. Succulent and Cactus Display Garden
Colorado Springs' sunny, dry climate supports a surprising variety of cold-hardy succulents and cacti. A dedicated succulent garden near a south-facing wall or patio creates a low-maintenance focal point that needs almost zero supplemental water.
Cold-hardy succulents for Zone 5b/6a: Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia), Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma), Yucca (multiple species), Agave parryi (Parry's Agave, hardy to -20F), and various Sempervivum varieties. Plant in a raised bed with excellent drainage — mix existing soil 50/50 with coarse sand or decomposed granite.
These plants are virtually maintenance-free once established. No mowing, no fertilizing, no regular watering. They look good twelve months a year and add unique textural interest that sets your yard apart.
5. Boulder Feature with Ornamental Grasses
Large boulders are a defining feature of the Colorado landscape, from Garden of the Gods to Palmer Park. Incorporating 2-4 foot boulders into your yard with sweeps of ornamental grasses around them creates a natural, low-water design that echoes the surrounding terrain.
Best ornamental grasses: Blue Avena (18 inches, steel blue), Karl Foerster (5 feet, upright), Blonde Ambition Blue Grama (a Colorado-bred cultivar, 2 feet), and Switchgrass (4-5 feet, fall color). Pair with Rabbitbrush (Chamisa) for spectacular fall yellow blooms.
This design works well in large front yards or along property borders. The boulders anchor the composition while the grasses provide movement and seasonal change.
6. Xeric Pollinator Garden
Design a garden that serves both water conservation and pollinator habitat goals. Colorado has over 900 native bee species, and many of the best xeric plants are also outstanding pollinator resources.
Pollinator-friendly xeric plants: Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Russian Sage (Perovskia), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbera hirta), Red Rocks Penstemon, Blanket Flower (Gaillardia), and Western Yarrow (Achillea). All of these are Zone 5 hardy and drought-tolerant once established.
Arrange plants in drifts of 3-5 of the same species rather than single specimens. This creates visual impact and makes it easier for pollinators to find and work the flowers. Add a few flat stones for butterfly basking spots.
7. Gravel Courtyard with Strategic Plantings
A gravel courtyard design replaces a traditional lawn with a permeable surface of decomposed granite or pea gravel, punctuated by strategically placed specimen plants, potted containers, and hardscape features like a custom-designed seating area.
This approach is particularly effective for smaller front yards or side yards where a lawn never thrived anyway. Use landscape fabric beneath the gravel to suppress weeds, and create planting cutouts for drought-tolerant specimens like Dwarf Mugo Pine, Juniper ground covers, and ornamental grasses.
The gravel surface itself handles drainage naturally, eliminates the need for irrigation infrastructure, and creates a clean, modern aesthetic that complements Colorado's natural landscape.
Water Savings You Can Expect
Colorado Springs Utilities reports that outdoor watering accounts for roughly 50% of a typical household's summer water use. Here is what you can realistically save with xeriscaping:
- Partial conversion (50% of yard): 25-40% reduction in outdoor water use
- Full xeriscape conversion: 50-75% reduction in outdoor water use
- Annual savings: $200-$600+ per year depending on lot size and current usage
- Maintenance savings: 50-75% less time spent on lawn care
Many Colorado Springs water providers also offer xeriscape rebates. Check with Colorado Springs Utilities about current incentive programs before starting your project.
Getting Started with Xeriscaping
The best time to start a xeriscape project in Colorado Springs is spring (April through May) or early fall (September). Spring planting gives roots a full growing season to establish before winter. Fall planting works well because cooler temperatures reduce transplant stress and fall rains help with establishment.
CN Landscaping designs and installs complete xeriscaping projects throughout Colorado Springs and the surrounding Pikes Peak region. We understand the soil, climate, and plant selections that work here because we live and work here every day.
Call (719) 460-5685 or request a free estimate to discuss your xeriscaping project.