Mountain Top Landscaping

Wildflowers

• Wildflowers, or native flowers that grew in North America before European settlement, tend to require less maintenance, as they are adapted to the home region's climate, elevation, pests and diseases. Choices for high altitudes include the Colorado columbine, a perennial that thrives at elevations up to 11,000 feet. This 1- to 3-foot tall wildflower blooms with blue, purple and white flowers and attracts pollinators. It grows best in partial shade and average soil. Prairie or silver sage (Aquilegia caerulea) thrives in sites up to 10,000 feet. It prefers full sun, tolerates drought and grows from 15 to 30 inches tall. Prairie sage blooms with clusters of small, yellow flowers but is grown primarily for its silver, aromatic foliage.

Perennials

• Perennials grow for at least three years. Choose cold-hardy species for mountain landscapes. The marsh marigold tolerates elevations over 7,500 feet and is hardy in zones 4 to 9. This perennial grows from 12 to 18 inches tall and blooms with yellow flowers in spring. Marsh marigolds tolerate wet soil and grow well in partial shade to sun. Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) thrive at elevations to 13,000 feet and are hardy in zones 3 to 8. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil and bloom in summer with nodding, purple, bell-shaped blooms. Harebells grow from 8 to 15 inches tall.

Shrubs

• Plant shrubs in spring to late summer. Mountain-hardy types include the wayfaring tree viburnum (Viburnum lantana) which grows to 15 feet tall with an equal spread. This deciduous shrub is hardy in zones 4 to 7 and tolerates elevations to 8,000 feet. It grows best in sun to partial shade and tolerates a range of soils. It produces white flowers followed by yellow, red and black fruits in summer. The ashleaf or Ural spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) grows to 10 feet tall with a similar spread. Hardy in zones 2 to 7, this deciduous shrub blooms in spring with long panicles of white flowers. It has pinnately compound foliage and grows at altitudes to 8,000 feet. Plant ashleaf spireas in sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.

Trees

• Plant trees in the spring and add a layer of mulch over the root zone. The amur maple (Acer ginnala) tolerates drought, wind, dry soil and elevations to 8,500 feet. This deciduous tree grows to 20 feet tall with a 28-foot-spread and is hardy in zones 3 to 8. Its bright-green leaves turn red in fall. Amur maples prefer sun to light shade. The chokecherry (Prunus virginia) tolerates elevations to 8,000 feet and is hardy in zones 2 to 6. This deciduous tree blooms with showy white flowers in spring, followed by red-to-black fruits. It prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil and grows to 30 feet tall.