15 Plants That Thrive in High-altitude Landscapes

Plants in High-altitude Landscapes

Gardening at elevations presents unique challenges. The growing seasons, moisture levels, soil conditions, and pest control up there wildly differ from those at sea level and make gardening trickier. A vital part of establishing a successful garden higher up is choosing the right kind of plants that thrive in high-altitude landscapes. 

Why does high altitude matter for plants?

Altitude is an important factor in plant ecology. High elevations are exposed to rough weather and harsh growing conditions for plants. Slopes are generally hard to keep watered, but with sweeping winds, intense sunlight, low temperatures, and shorter growing seasons, it can be tough to maintain a nice landscape. 

A few factors that affect plant growth at high elevations include:

  • Low temperatures caused by lots of air movement, drier wind, and low air pressure slows down plant growth. Some plants will even stop growing in the winter. Colder air and low soil temperatures also lead to a short growing season. 
  • Strong sunlight and high radiation levels because of thinner air in higher landscapes create an unfavorable environment for plants to grow. The scorching sun shines longer at high elevations and the high solar radiation, UV-B and UVA, levels can cause significant tissue damage. 
  • Low oxygen levels directly impact root growth. Plants need oxygen for aerobic respiration and having a limited supply will cause stress.
  • High precipitation due to the air’s inability to retain moisture creates a highly humid environment.
  • Limited nutrition because of low temperatures and unfriendly soil conditions greatly affects plant growth. 
  • Long-lasting snowpacks prolong the inactive period for plants and ultimately weaken the root system. 
  • Strong winds increase evaporation and break plant stems and branches. High-speed winds also decrease the humidity levels and cause moisture stress as the plants start losing water faster. 

Plants that thrive at high elevations

It’s safe to say that the higher you go, the tougher it gets. But despite its sparse and rocky reputation, high-altitude landscaping is pretty manageable if you choose the right kind of plants that have evolved to be hardy enough to survive in high altitudes. Here are 15:

1. Alpine aster

A member of the aster family, the alpine aster is an excellent choice for a mountain garden. This plant produces short-lived blooms that range from blue, pink, and purple to white and gray. 

They appear somewhat similar to their relative daisies as they grow a single flower per stalk rather than forming bunches or clusters. They prefer dry, well-drained soil but do well in generally poor soil conditions, too. 

Alpine asters should be planted at least a foot apart to allow adequate airflow and growth room. They also do great under drought-like conditions but don’t like humidity. 

  • Botanical name: Aster alpinus
  • Plant type: Perennial 
  • Mature plant size: 8-12 inches
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
  • Hardiness zones: 4-7

2. Bergenia

Mountainous areas get constant sun exposure in some spots and very little in others, thanks to the rugged terrain. Bergenia, nicknamed pig squeak, is an excellent choice for low-light areas but it’s a hardy plant that would do just fine in the sun, too. 

Bergenia produces clumps of small bell-shaped flowers that are usually pink in color. The flowers have thick stems that stand up well to high-speed winds at high altitudes. This plant doesn’t need much moisture to grow, hence it can handle drought longer. 

It thrives in the poor soil conditions of higher elevations mainly because it doesn’t require nutritious soil to grow. 

  • Botanical name: Bergenia
  • Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
  • Mature plant size: 1-2 feet tall 
  • Ideal growing conditions: Partial to no shade 
  • Hardiness zones: 4-8

3. Bleeding heart

The bleeding heart plant creates beautiful arching stems with heart-shaped red or pink blooms. This plant is a shade lover, but it can tolerate the added sunlight and cooler temperatures of high altitudes. 

Bleeding hearts like to grow in consistently damp soil. And since the wind and cold quickly dry up the soil at high elevations, you should add mulch and compost around the plant to enhance quality and lock in moisture. It looks like a delicate plant, but it is relatively tough. All you have to do is keep it dry in the winters and watered through mid-summer till the fall. 

Bleeding hearts pairs up nicely with plants like bergenia, a late bloomer, which is another shade-loving plant. 

  • Botanical name: Dicentra
  • Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
  • Mature plant size: 2-3 feet
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full or partial sun and moist, damp soil
  • Hardiness zones: 3-9

4. Delphinium

Delphinium is for people who like high-maintenance plants. It requires more care than the other hardy plants on the list but still thrives in high-altitude landscapes. This plant grows thickly clustered flowers with long stalks that make it an attractive focal point in any garden.

It’s super tolerant of the cold, one of the reasons it works great at higher elevations. The only challenge with the delphinium plant is that its stalks are hollow and need support to stand against the brutal winds. It also requires regular watering and nutrient-rich soil. 

  • Botanical name: Delphinium elatum 
  • Plant type: Flowering herbaceous perennial 
  • Mature plant size: Up to 6 feet
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with nutrient-rich, moist soil
  • Hardiness zones: 3-7 

5. Lupine

Lupin features spiky foliage that packs its blossoms in. Belonging to the pea family, these plants do really well on mountainsides as they need cooler temperatures to grow. Lupins do not mind low-nutrient soil and bright sun. They practically take care of themselves and survive all the high-altitude roughness very elegantly. 

Note: This plant is toxic to many animals and humans and should be kept out of reach of children and pets. 

  • Botanical name: Lupinus
  • Plant type: Can be grown both as annuals and perennials
  • Mature plant size: 1-4 feet tall
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and cool environment
  • Hardiness zones: 4-9 

6. Yarrow

Yarrow is one of the few herbs that thrives in high-altitude landscapes. This type of plant loves loamy, dry soil and is generally very low maintenance. Even if you forget about them after planting, they’ll survive just fine.

In fact, yarrow thrives so well in high altitudes and poor soil that it can quickly invade your entire garden. It produces tiny blooms and is mostly used as a medicinal herb. 

  • Botanical name: Achillea millefolium
  • Plant type: Perennial 
  • Mature plant size: 1-3 feet
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and cool environment
  • Hardiness zones: 3-9

7. Sedum

Just like yarrow, sedum is a pretty low-maintenance plant for your high-altitude garden. The other name for these flowers is stonecrop, which says a lot about how hardy this plant is. It comes from a large group of plants and has a huge variance. 

Some types will grow as groundcovers, some grow tall, while others vary in their hardiness. So, it’s easier to find a sedum plant that does well with intense light, cold winds, and dry soil higher up. 

It is an excellent choice for beginners or people who just want to give their high-altitude gardens a try. 

  • Botanical name: Sedum
  • Plant type: Perennial
  • Mature plant size: 1-3 feet tall
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and cool environment
  • Hardiness zones: 3-10

8. Garden Phlox

High altitude means rough winters, but the summers can also be brutal because of direct, long hours of sun exposure. Garden phlox is one of the few plants that does well in the cold and survives under a hot sun without wilting away.

It produces small flowers in clusters forming a large sphere atop a stem. The variety of colors, ranging from white, pink, yellow, and purple to hues of blue and purple will add a pop of color to any garden. 

Garden phlox is an attractive plant for visiting animals and might need a little care and attention because it’s susceptible to powdery mildew. 

  • Botanical name: Phlox paniculata
  • Plant type: Perennial
  • Mature plant size: 2-4 feet tall 
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
  • Hardiness zones: 4-8

9. Boltonia

This plant is also known as false aster. It’s an excellent pick for high altitudes because boltonia does very well in poor soil. Native to the Midwest, this wildflower grows perfectly well in sandy and gravelly soil. It grows wildly in a wide range of climates and is great at taking care of itself.

Boltonia makes a late-blooming addition to your high-elevation garden and gets a sea of attractive blooms in late summer and fall. It’s recommended for inexperienced gardeners who are learning the ropes.

Once established, boltanias prove to be very resilient. They are drought tolerant and will survive through the toughest weather conditions without dying or wilting away.

  • Botanical name: Boltonia asteroids
  • Plant type: Rhizomatous perennial
  • Mature plant size: 3-6 feet tall
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun or partial shade with moist, rich soil
  • Hardiness zones: 4-9

10. Columbine

If you’re worried that high-altitude gardening is only for drab plants, think again. Columbine produces gorgeous flowers in a wide range of colors, and you can choose whichever color complements your garden design the best. From red and yellow to white and blue, there’s a lot to pick from. 

This short-lived perennial grows well in higher areas as they aren’t much tolerant of extremely hot summers. They do not require additional watering once established and are generally easy to maintain. 

  • Botanical name: Aquilegia
  • Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
  • Mature plant size: 1-3 feet tall
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with moist, well-draining soil
  • Hardiness zones: 3-9

11. Blanket flower

The blanket flower is a hybrid of native gaillardias which bears colorful blooms and comes in a wide variety of sizes, variations, and forms. It’s a widely adapted, short-season plant that will survive through heat and drought and all the other challenges of high-elevation gardening. 

It is an easy-to-grow perennial that forms a slowly spreading mound that eventually “blankets” the area. The blanket bears big showy flowers in all colors throughout the spring and summer months. It attracts pollinators but can be toxic for humans and some animals. 

  • Botanical name: Gallardia 
  • Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
  • Mature plant size: 24-36 inches
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with well-draining soil
  • Hardiness zones: 3-10 

12. Dogwood Tree

The dogwood tree makes a great high-altitude plant. This flowering, deciduous tree is common from southeastern Canada to eastern North America to New Mexico. Dogwood bears flowers, which are actually petal-like bracts, that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. Its red fruit is an easy food source for songbirds and other wildlife.

The leaves on this plant are a beautiful reddish-purple or red that might turn into a poor fall color if grown in full shade. It’s a hardy plant that tolerates heat quite well and makes a great choice for high elevations that receive lots of direct sunlight. 

  • Botanical name: Cornus florida
  • Plant type: Perennial
  • Mature plant size: 15-25 feet tall
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil
  • Hardiness zones: 5-9

13. Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster is a deciduous shrub that is hardy enough to happily grow in higher elevations. The bushes can grow up to a height of 10 feet or more and make great barriers or high hedges in your high-altitude landscaping. 

Cotoneaster produces bright red leaves in autumn and berries that lure lots of wildlife and birds to the garden. The blooms have five petals that might open fully or stay half shut. The blooms are small and creamy white, white, or a shade of pink in color. The foliage can sometimes also develop a beautiful pink and red hue. 

  • Botanical name: Cotoneaster
  • Plant type: Perennial shrub
  • Mature plant size: 4-7 feet tall 
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade in well-drained, moist soil
  • Hardiness zones: 5-8

14. Mountain pansy

Boasting beautiful yellow or purple flowers, pansies make a great choice for high elevations. It’s a ground-hugging herb that has flowering stems that go up to 20 cm. The flowers are usually yellow or purple, with fine brown lines. 

The flowers of the mountain pansy can tolerate dry, cold conditions. In fact, drier soil helps pansies to toughen up and withstand the cold. And if they seem a little dull, you can check gardening tips for dry conditions at Lawn Love.

  • Botanical name: Viola lutea
  • Plant type: Perennial herb
  • Mature plant size: 4-8 inches 
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained, fertile soil
  • Hardiness zones: 4-8 

15. Lilacs

If you’re careful about your plant selection, a mountain lilac can outlive every other garden plant. They’re drought tolerant, tough, and have long lifespans. Lilacs get big masses of flowers that spread a sweet fragrance around. 

Lilacs are native to the colder regions of northern China and southeastern Europe and do well in high-altitude cold. They have been hybridized to produce a large variety of colors, so you can add whatever hue you like to your garden. 

  • Botanical name: Syringa vulgaris
  • Plant type: Perennial 
  • Mature plant size: 2-3 feet tall for dwarf types and 12-15 feet tall for larger varieties
  • Ideal growing conditions: Full sun in well-drained, moist, and slightly alkaline soil
  • Hardiness zones: 3-7

FAQ

Q. What altitude would plants stop growing?

A: Plants usually stop growing between 11,500 and 13,000 feet above sea level.

Q. Can you grow a vegetable garden in Colorado?

A: Yes, although a high-altitude state like Colorado has colder soil temperatures, many cool-season crops grow well, like peas, radishes, and lettuce when the soil reaches 40-50℉.

And if you need a hand with your high-altitude landscaping, text or call our Lawn Love pros to the rescue! 

Main photo credit: Michael | Pexels

Farah Nauman

Farah Nauman is a freelance writer and an accountant based in Pakistan. She spends most of her time combating the South Asian heat and being a mom to her three fluffy cats and a dozen little Aloe Veras in her house.