Showy Native Plants for Rocky Soils

The Rocky Mountain Region is stretched over 10,000 feet in elevation change and nearly over the full longitude of the Continental United States. Within this massive spread fit more than six biomes, ranging from the grasslands and prairie edges of northern New Mexico to the alpine of Montana. Despite the impressive diversity in soil and climate, many people in the area garden on our region’s namesake: rocks.

Often, rocky soils are quite young. Their presence indicates that not enough time has passed to weather parent materials (yes, rocks) into the complex that is soil. I often see gardeners trying to shoehorn leafy, traditional garden plants into these indisputably western landscapes. A better tactic, however, is embracing flora already adapted to such areas, which offers a simpler and less labor-intensive solution.

Name: Penstemon strictus

Zones: 4–9

Size: 24 to 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide

Conditions: Full to partial sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona

Among regionally adapted plants, a few groups stand out as obvious choices. With more than 250 species recognized, there is a penstemon for every garden—especially those with gravelly soils. These plants abhor the competition encouraged by richer media. Your part of the Rockies likely already has its own suite of these gorgeous plants that will be well-suited to your garden. If you speak to a local garden center or consult a regional wildflower book, they can help you find these species.

If a deep dive into the species isn’t to your taste, consider growing Rocky Mountain beardtongue. This penstemon blooms in early summer. You can expect numerous 2-foot royal purple or cerulean blue spikes of tube-shaped flowers above