About Plant Select
Gardening in the West can be a challenge. You may be dealing with low rainfall, erratic precipitation, low humidity, alkaline soils, extreme heat, large temperature swings, higher altitudes and howling winds.
And that’s just on a Monday.
Plant Select® was created to find, test, and distribute superior plants for our region.
Plant Select is the country’s leading brand of plants designed to thrive in high plains and intermountain regions. We’re passionate about plants that provide more beauty with less work, so gardeners of all levels can achieve successful gardens using fewer resources and with a positive environmental impact.
Why Plant Select was created
For years, western gardeners and landscape professionals have been offered plant choices that grow well in other parts of the country: Plants that use a lot of water, need a lot of attention (not to mention, fertilizers and pesticides), and aren’t a great fit for our climate and soils.
In 1997, Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and professional horticulturists teamed up to create Plant Select—a 501c(3) nonprofit collaboration. Plant Select is passionate about creating smart plant choices for a new American landscape inspired by the Rocky Mountain region.
Our mission is to seek out and distribute the best plants for landscapes from the intermountain region to the high plains and beyond.
How we test and select plants
New plants come to the program from plant explorations, plant breeders, partners and passionate gardeners. Perennials, vines and grasses are tested for 3+ years at official trial sites and public gardens. Shrubs and trees are tested for 3-5+ years at sites across Colorado and the region.
Plants for the program are considered for attributes like:
- Flourishing with less water
- Thriving in a broad range of conditions
- Proving to be tough and resilient in challenging climates
- Long-lasting beauty
- One of a kind/unusual
- Resisting disease & insects
- Habitat-friendly
- Non-invasive
Native and well-adapted plants
Many of the plants in the Plant Select program are native to the western United States, including Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. Some are native to North America. And some are well-adapted plants that are native to parts of the world with similar climates and environments.
Explore our plant solutions for different needs.
If you’re interested in becoming a licensed Plant Select® commercial grower or retail source, please contact us at director@plantselect.org .
