CoNPS Store
Newest items are first, followed by best sellers, then titles by topic or geography.
Tax Exempt Organizations: Click the tax exempt button when placing order.
Due to the high cost of obtaining a sales tax license for the City of Aspen, we are unable to fill orders if you live in Aspen.
Become a CoNPS Member
Did you know? The Colorado Native Plant Society is a membership based organization. Our membership dollars support our mission-driven work to further the knowledge, appreciation and conservation of native plants and habitats of Colorado through education, stewardship and advocacy.
Check out our calendar where you will see so many wonderful botanical events organized by our member volunteers all over the state. We hope to see you soon, on a trail, in a garden, at a lecture, or at a social event.
Join Today!
Free Link! Rocky Mountain Native Plant Materials Program Species Guide
We are building a climate resilient seed bank for our restoration future through our engagement with the USDA R2 USFS Rocky Mountain Native Plant Materials Program. This is our species guide. Please reach out if you are interested in participating in this program.
You can join our iNaturalist project to help us find these species. Training video here. We also have a survey if you have sites to recommend for collections.
We will also have seed collections throughout the field season. Currently, two seed collections are scheduled.
Hosted by the CoNPS Restoration Committee
September 5-6, botany hike & seed collection, Medicine-Bow Routt National Forest, north of Steamboat Springs - w/ group camping
Register here
Hosted by the CoNPS Restoration Committee
September 22, botany hike & seed collection, Pike National Forest, north of Deckers, 8:00am - 1:00pm
Register here
Contact ColoradoNativePlantSociety@gmail.com for more information on how you can participate.
Download your species guide here!
Free Link! The Prairie Garden a step-by-step guide to creating a shortgrass prairie garden
The Prairie Garden: A step-by-step guide to creating a shortgrass prairie garden
Viewing the lawns of exotic grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, perennial rye, etc.) surrounding us, it is easy to forget that our cities, suburbs, and lawns east of the foothills were once attractive prairies. Today, the prairie remains an appropriate landscape element. Using our imagination, and depending on
circumstances, a little or a lot of work (really a labor of love), we can create a landscape resembling that lost prairie. Once established, our homegrown prairie will result in a great reduction in mowing, fertilizing, and watering, while providing many enjoyable hours of investigation and observation
About the Author
Rick Brune has been experimenting with prairie gardens since 1982. He has used the techniques described here in his home prairie in suburban Lakewood, as well as in creating prairie gardens at the Denver Botanic Gardens, Chatfield Arboretum, and other locations. He has also conducted prairie gardening workshops and led many field trips to Colorado prairies.
Bulk Order or Free Download: Low-Water Native Plants for Colorado Gardens
Low Water Native Plants by Region: Brochures to Download
Choose plants native your region. Free brochures featuring natives with low water-high success rates and information about sun/shade preference, size, bloom time, plus common and scientific names.
Click here to download Low-Water Natives Plant for Colorado Gardens appropriate for your landscape
If you would like to place a bulk order of low-water guides, please contact orders@CoNPS.org. We sell printed copies of the low-water guides in bulk quantity only.
Free Link! Recognizing Plant Families of the West
Recognizing Plant Families of the West
Did you ever wonder what characteristics make up different plant families? Recognizing families is a shortcut to plant identification. BLM State Botanists Carol Dawson and Phil Krening's book is a great reference for understanding plant families.
No purchase necessary! Click here to access the digital book.
Watch the Plant Families Workshop with Carol Dawson, recorded January 20, 2024 and follow along in the book. We didn't get all the way through, so check the CoNPS calendar for a future plant families workshop with Carol in the winter of 2024-2025 and many other wonderful programs across the state!
Free Link! Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App
Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App
Is it true that sedges have edges and rushes are round? Need help figuring out one willow from another? Or ever wondered about the names of all those beautiful wildflowers growing along mountain streams? CNHP has developed a series of digital and printed field guides to wetland plants that will answer these questions and more. The field guides have been made possible through Wetlands Program Development Grants from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, and in-kind match from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Wetland Program, Colorado Department of Transportation, The Nature Conservancy, and Colorado State University.
Colorado Wetlands Mobile App
The Colorado Natural Heritage Program is pleased to offer the Colorado Wetlands Mobile App! The App is available for FREE at Google Play (for Android devices) or the App Store (for iPhones/iPads).
The Colorado Wetland Mobile App contains three main sections:
- Wetland Plants: Detailed descriptions and photos of 711 plant species found in Colorado's wetland and riparian areas. The plants are searchable through many different search criteria and filters.
- Wetland Maps: Access to digital National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps. The App shows NWI maps for the entire state of Colorado and can use location information from the device to show mapped wetland where the user is located. The Maps screen can also be used to search for wetland plants potentially found at the user's location.
- Wetland Types: Brief description of the most common wetland and riparian types found in Colorado. Wetland types can also be used as a filter for searching plant species.
Access your Free Resources Here
High Country Apps - CO Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
A guide to 520 wildflowers, ferns, shrubs, and trees of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Author: Al Schneider. In support of the Colorado Native Plant Society. ($9.99)
Click here to access the High Country Apps - CO Rocky Mountain Wildflowers app.
Willows (Salix) of Colorado
Willows (Salix) of Colorado
This work covers all aspects of Colorado willows and how to identify them in any season. This includes discussion of willow ecology and where to find them in the landscape, and 4 different keys to help you identify any willow. Keys are vegetative, male, female, and winter material.
- Field guide to all Colorado Salix taxa
- Follows Dr. Robert Dorn's taxonomy (2010)
- Provides synonyms to FNA, USDA, Ackerfield, Kew, Weber
- Ecology
- Where to find willows
- Keys (vegetative, in-flower, and winter)
- Detailed Color Photos
- Detailed desctriptions
- Maps of Colorado County and US distributions
About the Author: Gwen Kittel, MS Botany, has 30 years of field experience in vegetation assessments. She has worked in all types of vegetation throughout western US. Her focus is on wetland and riparian vegetation classification, mapping, and restoration. She has worked for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, NatureServe, and The Nature Conservancy. Currently she is a Museum Associate with University of Colorado Boulder Herbarium (COLO), and runs her own consulting firm Green Willow Consulting.
Visit Gwen Kittel's website and order your book here.
Common Southwestern Native Plants
Common Southwestern Native Plants: An Identification Guide, 3rd Edition Revised and Expanded
Carter, J; Carter, M; Stevens, D; Bousselot, J
Published 2018 by Colorado Native Plant Society; paperback; 278 pages, color photos throughout
Combining scientific information and lyrical expression, the authors bring together 128 woody plants and 64 herbaceous flowering plants common to the Southwest. As a pictorial guide for those wishing to learn more about the flora, this book provides a starting point for learning to identify common native plants along trails and byways, as well as plants suitable for landscaping.
Using color photographs, written descriptions and stunning botanical illustrations, this book offers valuable insight into the world of native plants. Included are medicinal uses, plants to attract wildlife, and Spanish common names. Detailed technical and nontechnical descriptions, distribution and habitat information, and conservation considerations provide important tools for those wishing to go further with plant identification. Also included are biographical sketches of influential early botanists as well as big-tree records of many of the species.
Learn more about Jack Carter's legacy and his gift of this book to the Colorado Native Plant Society in this video. CoNPS publishes this title. Bulk order is available. Please reach out to Orders@CoNPS.org.
Keys to Some Colorado Grasses in Vegetative Condition
In 1944 H.D. Harrington and L.W. Durrell published a manuscript on the identification of common Colorado grasses in vegetative condition. This was a technical bulletin for the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, Colorado State College, Fort Collins. At the time of publication H.D. Harrington was an associate professor of botany at Colorado State College in Fort Collins and L.W. Durrell was a botanist and plant pathologist at Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station in Fort Collins. The original publication contained keys, descriptions, and illustrations of 119 species of grasses. The publication covered most of the common grasses found in Colorado at that time plus several cultivated grasses used for food or forage.
Harrington and Durrell pointed out that there are various manuals available for identifying Colorado grasses. However, it sometimes becomes necessary to identify grasses without flowering or fruiting structures. This is true for students of range management, for ecologists making quadrat studies, and for botanist making species lists. They are often asked to make at least a tentative determination. This work requires special keys.
In this publication the original manuscript has been updated, revised and expanded. More common species have been added bringing the total number of species to 150. The key has been reorganized into 9 groups based on ligule type, vernation, and general aspect. A vegetative description with illustrations and distribution map is given for each species. A glossary has been added. The book has 94 pages and is spirally bound.
Identifying grasses in flower can be challenging. Identifying grasses when only the vegetative parts are present can be extra difficult. With this revision of “Keys to Some Colorado Grasses in Vegetative Condition,” the task becomes much easier.
Sedges of Colorado
by Janet Wingate
Out of Stock - New Edition Coming - Colorado Grasses with Illustrated Keys
UPDATE - This book is going through an edition update! We will have it in stock by early summer.
Colorado Grasses with Illustrated Keys
by Janet L. Wingate
2021, Paperback, spiral-bound; 158 pages
Illustrated throughout
Colorado Grasses with Illustrated Keys is a guide to over 360 taxa of grasses growing in Colorado. Most of the species are also found in Wyoming and the southern Rocky Mountains.
Identification of grasses can be difficult with many determinations dependent on detailed characteristics. This book is designed with numerous illustrations to aid in this process. It features illustrated keys to species, detailed descriptions, numerous illustrations, distribution maps, and an illustrated glossary. Grass morphology is explained and illustrated.
This Guide will aid anyone interested in identifying and studying this important and fascinating plant family.
The first version of this book was published in 1986 and titled Keys to the Grasses of the Colorado Front Range and Adjacent Plains. In 1995, it was expanded to include the entire state and titled Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado, but did not include several infrequent species. In this publication, all CO grass taxa (species, subspecies, varieties) are included, keys have been improved, species descriptions have been expanded including distribution maps, and additional illustrations, plus an illustrated glossary have been added.
New! Wildflowers of Durango Trails
This wildflower guide will hone you in on the specific species of the Durango trails.
The author has walked and biked each of the 20 trails numerous times to document accurately 402 species, 22 never before recorded in La Plata County for science. This is a superb work by a devoted amateur botanist who wants to share with you the beauty she had found. -- Al Schneider, author of www.swcoloradowildflowers.com
Wildflowers of Colorado’s Western Slope
For anyone who explores the diverse geography of Colorado’s Western Slope, such as:
• Uncompahgre Plateau
• Colorado National Monument
• Curecanti National Recreation Area
• Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area
• Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument
• San Juan Mountains
• And all places in between!
This colorful pictorial guide provides identification of more than 350 wildflowers from semi-desert shrublands to the high alpine Rockies and points
between.
Included are details about habitat, bloom times, elevation, and interesting facts. Personal checklists at the back of the book provide readers with space
to document date and location wildflowers are found.
About the Authors
Mary Menz is a Colorado Native Plant Master and career writer who lives in Ridgway. Jim Pisarowicz lives in Montrose and is a locally-recognized
photographer of Colorado’s flora. Menz and Pisarowicz lead wildflower walks throughout the Western Slope, primarily through Weehawken Creative Arts and Colorado Native Plant Society. Menz shares interesting information such as historical & modern uses, and background on specific plants. Pisarowicz shares tips for getting
the best photos, whether using a phone camera or traditional photography equipment.
Flora of Colorado, 2nd Edition 2nd printing
2025; paperback
Synopsis: Colorado has a rich diversity of ecosystems and vegetation communities, ranges from 3,500 ft to over 14,000 ft in elevation, and ultimately supports over 3,300 vascular plant species. This book is a comprehensive guide to the vascular plants in Colorado, and contains descriptions, distribution maps, habitat information, flowering times, and elevation ranges for all species. Color photographs for nearly 1/3 of the species are also included. The aim of this guide is to enable students, researchers, amateur and professional botanists, or anyone interested in the flora of Colorado to successfully identify plants with confidence and satisfaction. --BRIT Press About the Author: Jennifer Ackerfield has been studying the flora of Colorado for nearly 20 years. During this time, she has traveled extensively across the state of Colorado documenting its rich floristic diversity. She is currently the curator at Colorado State University Herbarium and teaches Plant Identification at CSU. She has served on the board for the Colorado Native Plant Society, and written several articles on the flora of Colorado. She enjoys hiking, photographing wildflowers, botanical illustration, and educating students on the wonderful world of botany.
This is the second printing of the second edition, hot off the press!
Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range
by Janet R. Chu and Stephen R. Jones
paperback, 140 pages; color photos throughout
published 2020, 2nd edition
This book focuses on 100 frequently seen species in the Colorado Front Range. Easily identify butterflies using over 120 striking color photos of individuals in their natural setting, and clear descriptions of both males and females. Each entry also includes that species’ habitat and life cycle, the caterpillar’s host plants, and look-alike butterflies. The introduction includes tips on where to find butterflies, how to get close to them, and what we can do to attract them to our gardens and preserve their sensitive habitats.
This second edition features an attractive new cover, the newest scientific and common names, new photographs that better portray the diagnostic characteristics of certain butterflies, and all new coverage of twenty additional species. Several of these new species occur primarily in the oak woodlands of the southern Front Range. Other habitats covered include grasslands, wetlands, conifer forests, aspen groves, mountain meadows, and the alpine tundra. The month-by-month occurrence chart--which reveals when and where to look for your favorite butterflies--has been improved using observations made in the years since the first edition. The fully indexed publication includes an updated foreword by nationally recognized butterfly expert Robert Michael Pyle.
This field guide makes an excellent resource for nature enthusiasts learning about these eye-catching insects.
This title and lots of great information are available at:
https://coloradofrontrangebutterflies.com/
Dragonflies of the Colorado Front Range
by Ann Cooper
Paperback; 112 Pages; 2014
Synopsis: Dragonflies -- they are dainty but deadly as they dart over ponds and clearings on the hunt for prey. How can they fail to catch the eye with such shimmering rainbow colors?
Use this friendly photographic guide to identify and learn more about your striking and impressive insect neighbors.
Showcasing 45 dragonflies and 28 damselflies, the guide covers the most common species found in the region, from the northern Colorado border south to Walsenburg. Accompanying more than 90 brilliant photographs are descriptions of habitat, appearance, length, behavior, similar species, flight time and interesting facts for each species. Introductory material includes tips on watching, identifying and photographing these tiny jewels.
This field guide is excellent for beginners and naturalists who would like to identify and enjoy dragonflies.
Please visit Boulder Nature Association for more titles and information:
https://bcna.org/publications/
Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Southern Rockies: Foothills to Alpine in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho
by Mary O'Brien and Karen Vail
272 pages; paperback; 5.5" x 8"
Full color field guide to edible and medicinal plants from foothills to alpine in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. It features over 116 plant narratives with full color photographs, identification and habitat descriptions. It also includes pictorial thumbnails, tips for harvesting and preparation of foods and medicines, important poisonous plants to be aware of, historical indigenous uses and practices, cautions and potential reactions, gardening tips, recipes, stories, poems, natural history and scientific facts.
Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West
by Michael Moore
Revised and Expanded 2003; paperback; 392 pages
Synopsis: In the first update since the original printing in 1979, renowned herbalist Michael Moore adds another twenty years of research and expertise working with medicinal plants to his classic Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. In this greatly expanded revised and enlarged edition, the book covers the entire range of medicinal herbs found in New Mexico, Arizona, west Texas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and California.
Grasses of Colorado
Grasses of Colorado
by Robert B. Shaw
2012; paperback; 662 pages
Synopsis: Colorado's elevation range of more than 11,000 feet creates a wide variety of habitats that supports a spectacular diversity of grasses. With 335 known species, Colorado has one of the most diverse and extensive grass floras in the United States. Comprehensive coverage, useful keys, and detailed species descriptions in Grasses of Colorado will make this volume the standard reference for years to come. Robert B. Shaw provides overviews of Colorado's physiography and ecoregions and introduces the grass plant in plain, enjoyable text. He includes a checklist of Colorado grasses, a bibliography, and a glossary of terms that may be unfamiliar to non-specialists. Line drawings, state distribution maps, and habitat notes for each species enable accurate plant identification, familiarity with regional ecogeography, and increased understanding of plant ecology of the Rocky Mountains. A monumental accomplishment certain to become the standard work on the subject, Grasses of Colorado synthesises existing literature and incorporates recent scientific findings to offer a complete, current reference
Order this book from University Press of Colorado
Plant Identification Terminology
Plant Identification Terminology
An Illustrated Glossary
by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris
2nd edition 2001; paperback; 216 pages
Synopsis: Plant identification employs an extensive and complex terminology. Professional botanists often need several years in the field to master this terminology, and it presents a daunting obstacle to the student of botany.
The meaning of most botanical terms, however, is immediately apparent when an illustration is available. That is the purpose of this volume. Plant Identification Terminology provides over nineteen hundred clear illustrations of terms used in plant identification keys and descriptions. It also includes definitions for more than twenty-seven hundred taxonomic terms.
Order this title from Spring Lake Publishing
Botanical Latin
Botanical Latin
William T. Stearn
4th Edition, 2004; paperback; 560 pages
Botanical Latin is the accepted standard for naming plants, and botanical research is almost impossible without reference to the vast number of first descriptions in Latin. For gardeners, a working knowledge of botanical Latin is also essential for accurately identifying plant. This internationally renowned handbook summarizes the grammar and syntax of botanical Latin, and covers the origins of Latin and latinized geographical names, color terms, symbols and abbreviations, diagnoses and descriptions and the formation of names and epithets.
This title is available through the Internet Archive.
Botany in a Day
Botany in a Day
by Thomas J. Elpel
6th edition, 2013; paperback;
Looking for a faster, easier, and engaging way to identify plants? Rather than learning new plants one-at-a-time, learn them by the hundreds, based on plant family patterns. Learn to recognize these patterns, and discover them again and again in the plants you encounter. Learn to instantly recognize a plant never before seen and, in many cases, know its edible or medicinal properties even before you have identified it down to the species.