Welcome to the Colorado Native Plant Society!

We are dedicated to the preservation of native plants in Colorado, and are so glad you found us! Browse our site to see what’s new, discover a wealth of information about our plants and habitats, events and chapters in your area, methods for native plant gardening, and ways to volunteer ‘in the field’.

Become a Member

Discover the benefits of membership in the Colorado Native Plant Society.

Field trip at Todd Gulch Fen
CoNPS booth at Boulder's Farmers Market

Join a Local Chapter

Connect with fellow nature lovers in your immediate area, and find out how you can help preserve our native plants.

CONPS Chapters for Local Connection

Find an Event

See our Calendar of Events to find a gathering or field trip near you!

Events Per Year

native plant summit speakers
a photo of a subalpine delphinium plant with a whitelined sphinx Moth

Learn About our Plants & Habitats

Find out more about the diversity of our plant life zones and the native (and non-native) plants that thrive in each one.

Colorado Native Species to Discover

Aquilegia – The CONPS Magazine

CoNPS’ Aquilegia Magazine was first published in January 1977 after the first CoNPS board meeting. The magazine has been published quarterly from that date to the present.

In 2013 the magazine’s editor Jan Turner moved from the previous printed black and white format to a full-color on-line edition through our CoNPS website. Limited copies were still printed with a color cover only for members who preferred a printed copy.

Members have FREE access to digital subscriptions after logging in.

Print copies are available to everyone for $20.

CONPS Blog

The First Annual Native Plant Summit

The First Annual Native Plant Summit

The first Annual Native Plant Summit, led by the Colorado Native Plant Society and the Colorado Springs Horticulture Department, took place in Colorado Springs on Saturday, August 20 at the the city’s Horticulture Headquarters. It was a both a sold-out event and a day...

Know Your Thistles!

Know Your Thistles!

Let’s touch on a prickly kind of subject. Know your thistles before you kill them! When I was a young kid, I clearly remember my beloved Welsh pony eating thistle heads while I was riding him. From my vantage point I could see his soft lips stretch away from his teeth...

The “Currant” Situation

The “Currant” Situation

Some of the first early blooming native flowers in Colorado include shrubs in the Currant family. It is middle April as I write this, and strong wind whips with intensity across the San Luis Valley. As the soil continues to warm, the roots of perennial native plants...