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The Yampa River Botanic Park is home to a large collection of exquisite gardens, plants, trees and sculptures.

Gardens

The Botanic Park is home to 66 individual gardens.

Members Rock Garden

Close up of purple wildflowers surrounded by yellow ground cover flowers on a bright sunny day

Planted in 1997 with help from the Denver Botanic Garden, this is the largest garden in the Park. It gets full sun, but large rocks and gravel trap moisture to permit many interesting rock plants to grow.

Penstemon Garden

Flowers and tall grasses dispersed throughout rocky terrain

The Penstemon Garden features the largest genus of flowering plants native to North America, organized in zones. There are 273 species, of which 60 are native to Colorado. This may be the world’s only garden devoted exclusively to penstemons.

Fairy Garden

A small decorative garden with tiny fairy themed structures

Home to individual fairy houses created by local children in the annual Fairy Garden House Contest, this garden located in the Children’s Garden. Ram’s Masonry, Inc. donated all the intricate stonework and materials that feature raised rock islands for the fairy houses, putting them at children’s height to ensure a close-up look from all sides.

Children’s Garden

A small white and red structure with child sized benches near then entrance and large trees providing shade

The Children’s Garden features a Steamboat play structure. The Botanic Park’s young guests christened the boat: “The Lilac Queen,” due in part to its location to a nearby Lilac bush. The “Lilac Queen” houses a fabulous new Children’s Library that features books from Growing Good Kids Book Awards collection, National Awards for Children’s Literature About Gardens and Nature. Also featured is a namesake paddlewheel which pays homage to Steamboat Springs, and two smoke stacks! As part of the redesign the Botanic Park’s original Fairy Garden has been relocated to the Children’s Garden in a specially designed display area. Storytime in the Park with storytellers from the Bud Werner Library happens every Friday during the summer months.

Dorothy’s Garden

A wide variety of colorful wildflowers bloom our of a rocky terrain with large evergreen trees in the background

Dorothy’s Garden was built to honor Carol and Rick Dowden’s Aunt Dorothy who was an avid gardener. Dorothy’s Garden covers the entire peninsula of the northwest corner of the Park near the Core Trail. The garden consists largely of native plants and trees including Ipomopsis aggregata, Scarlet Gilia, Quercus gambelii, Gambel Oak, and Anthriscus sylvestris, Cow Parsley. Machaeranthera bigloveii, Santa Fe Aster, aggressive Showy goldeneyeand Rosa woodsii, Western Wild Rose have naturalized on the peninsula and take over in the summer. Quercus gambelii, Scrub Oak and Picea pungens, Colorado Blue Spruce shelter the entire peninsula. This garden is currently under a phased renovation. A new pergola has replaced the former shade structure over the bench at the top of the garden.

The Arbor Garden

A thin rustic looking arch surrounded by bright pink and yellow and white flowers

The Arbor Garden, formerly Doris’ Arbor Garden, is named in memory of Doris Swift, a former Botanic Park Board Member. The garden’s main feature is the arbor where Clematis and grape vines climb providing shade. In front of the arbor is an Eremurus, or Foxtail Lily. The Cushion Spurge, Euphorbia polychroma is an early blooming plant and is incredibly showy when in bloom. The Hopflower Oregano, Origanum libanoticum is a Plant Select plant and is a favorite with the bees! The Orange Avens, Geum coccineum is a prolific bloomer. Other plantings in this garden are: Parry Gentian, Gentiana parryi, Allium schubertii and Ozark Sundrops, Oenothera macrocarpa.

Windigo Garden

A path of stepping stones surrounded by a small aspen grove and lush green bushes

The Windigo Garden was established in 2000 in memory of Nathan Robert Hertzog by his family and friends. The garden was designed by Nathan’s aunt and includes native perennials, shrubs and Aspen trees. Originally the garden was in full sun, but now with the growth of the Aspens, it has become more of a shade garden. Lupinus perennis, Wild Lupine, Perideridia gairdneri, Yampa, and Eryngium amethystinum, Amethyst Sea Holly are just a few of the plants in this garden.

Jeff’s Garden

Dozens of different flower varieties on a steep hillside. Three women take photos as they walk along a stepping stone path

Jeff’s Garden was built by Jeff Morehead next to his home, adjacent to the Park. Jeff hardscaped the area with lichen covered volcanic rock brought in from his family’s ranch in western Colorado. Many of the plants in Jeff’s Garden were given to him by the Denver Botanic Gardens, friends, and visitors to the Park. Jeff’s Garden, a visitor favorite, has grown over the years with two new crevice gardens, tufa rock, and vegetable beds. Some highlights include a Taraxacum kok-saghyz, Russian pink dandelion, Eremurus, Foxtail Lilies, and Paeonia mlokosewitschil, Molly the Witch Peony.

Sascha’s Rock Garden

Purple flowers bloom in a garden space surrounded by trees. A large tree with purple leaves provides shade.

Sascha’s Rock Garden was the first garden established in the Park. It was designed and built by Bob Enever and Kerry Kaster. This garden features plants from Siberia to Patagonia, Mongolia to Japan and all the way to the Himalayas, and two benches. The upper bench offers views of the Yampa River River. Nearby is a Plant Select Daphne x burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’ shrub which blooms in the spring and again in the fall with very fragrant, pale pink flowers. The lower bench overlooks Peter’s Pond, the Rose Garden and the Green. Because of their location, these benches have been the site of many marriage proposals.

Crevice Garden

Yellow and purple flowers along with green bushes grow between an arrangement of dozens of thin rusty orange rocks sticking out of the ground.

Crevice gardening formally began in the Czech Republic before the fall of the Iron Curtain. This garden was created in 2014 using field rock from Wyoming. It simulates an exposed rock formation where plants have nestled into the spaces between the rock layers. Rocks provide a welcoming habitat for plants since they reduce water loss and provide nighttime warmth. Most of these are alpine plants, provided by Denver Botanic Garden, which provide support for the public gardens around the state. Alpine plants grow at high elevations, above the tree line, and bloom as soon as the temperature warm.

Maddy’s Garden of Light

A curved rock path winds around a garden full of white flowers

One of the first gardens that delights you as you enter the main gate of the Botanic Park is a beautiful garden planted with all white flowering plants including white Delphinium, Tulips, Peonies, Balloon Flowers, and Iris. Plantings spread out around a celestial-themed garden with stones depicting the phases of the moon. This garden is called “Maddy’s Garden of Light” and was designed by local landscape designer Kathy Olsen. Maddy’s Garden was planted in memory of Madeline Globe, the daughter of Susan and Alden Globe who sponsor and maintain the garden.

Hummingbird & Butterfly Gardens

Close up view of pink cone shaped flowers and purple spherical flower

The Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardens, which were recently renovated and replanted, have sprung up with much-anticipated vigor and color. The pop of the orange Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) and the full purple globes of the Allium form a vibrant river through the gardens. The colorful river flows past the Gardens’ new solar-powered water feature placed in the middle of the two Gardens. The harmonized flow of these two Gardens happily greet guests as they enter the Park. It’s hard to resist stopping and taking photos as you pass by. The gardens were designed by local landscape designer Kathy Olsen.

High Country Natives

A dense grove of aspens and leafy bushes dotted with pink flowers

The High Country Natives Garden is thickets of native shrubs and plants from the surrounding mountains and is left to grow fairly wild. Look for Acer glabrum, Rocky Mountain Maple, Polemonium reptans, Jacob’s Ladder, and Rosa woodsii, Wood’s Rose.

Pioneer Garden

White and purple flowers speckled throughout a thicket of green shrubs

The Pioneer Garden features plants that the early settlers brought across the prairies. Look for Hollyhocks, Foxgloves, Lilies, Lupine and three types of Paeonia including, ‘Bowl of Beauty,’ ‘Karl Rosenfield’ & ‘Nymph.’

Medicinal Garden

A raised garden bed containing large green herb bushes and wildflowers with a metal obelisk-like sculpture set in the middle.

One of the Park’s original gardens, this garden was established by Mary O’Brien, one of the Park’s first gardeners. The Medicinal Garden emphasizes the use of native plants – such as Chamerion angustifolium subsp. Circumvagum, Fireweed which is an edible and earth-regenerating plant and one of the first plants to reappear after a fire.

Plants

The Park gets an average of only 60 days a year without a killing frost. These low temperatures, together with very dry summers and high levels of ultra-violet make this a challenging environment for plants. Only a few non-native trees survive these conditions, but many cultivated varieties of lower-altitude plants thrive here. Most plants in the Park are labeled with common and scientific names.

Native Plants

Steamboat has the Park Range to the north and the Flat Tops to the south. Both have a wide array of natives we have only begun to cultivate. Plants native to Northwest Colorado are identified on their plant signs. Of those, a few plants originating only in Northwest Colorado (endemics) are to be found. Here is a selection of some of the Park’s most notable native species.

Cut-Leaved Anemone

Anemone multifida v. multifida

Small pink flowers with five petals each and a light yellow interior

The pink part of this native anemone are the sepals, not actual petals. The deeply divided, fuzzy leaves give this plant its name. Any hike high up in the Flat Tops and you should find these lovely, delicate flowers. Look in the little bed by the Core Trail Gate for a nice clump of these.

Pasque Flower

Anemone patens v. multifda

Tightly clustered groups of light blue tear drop shaped flowers with yellow interior

This is one of the earliest flowers of the spring. The gray to light blue flowers bloom in meadows and grasses in sandy soil. Equally as lovely are the feathery seed heads which come after bloom. The Park’s only patch of natives is in the lower Crevice Garden.

Sugarbowls

Clematis hirsutissima

Wrinkly purple flowers with yellow interior

Another spring flower found in the lower mountains. Drooping, dark purple, urn shaped flowers hang among soft foliage making the blossoms hard to see. Large clumps grow on Howelson Hill by the ski jumps. Find them in the Park at the top meadow of Dorothy’s Garden.

Seep Monkeyflower

Erythranthe guttatus

“Seep” because it likes to have wet feet. This gem grows along mountain streams in the Zirkels and Flat Tops. The patch we have in the bog was grown from seed collected in the wild. They are successful and re-seeding now.

Mountain Ball Cactus

Pediocactus simpsonii v. minor

A short spherical cactus with pink and yellow flowers sprouting from the top

This cactus is fairly common in the sagebrush steppe but can be found up to 10,00 feet elevation. These hardy cacti survive under all our snow and bloom early for the first bees. If you are lucky to find one blooming be sure to get down and smell one of the best fragrances anywhere.

Rock Spirea

Petrophyton caespitosum

long thin tan clusters of spiky flowers grow vertically from a short green shrub

Found clinging to rocks in many precarious spots, these plants grow slowly and a long time. Dense spikes of white flowers with long stamens bloom mid-summer. The small patch in the Park is located along the stairs in the Crevice Garden

Plant Select® Plants

Plant Select® is a nonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and professional horticulturists. Plant Select plants exhibit these eight attributes:

Flourish with less water
Thrive in a broad range of conditions
Habitat-friendly
Tough and resilient in challenging climates
One of a kind/unique
Resist disease & insects
Long-lasting beauty
Non-invasive

Typically, these plants provide more beauty with less work so gardeners of all levels can achieve smart, stunning, and successful gardens using fewer resources with a more positive environmental impact.

Mock Bearberry Manzanita

Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis

Waxy, urn-shaped, white flowers produce small red berries on established plants.

A xeric, native broadleaf evergreen shrub from the Uncompaghre Plateau. Waxy, urn-shaped, white flowers produce small red berries on established plants. Look for it in the Spring the Waterwise Garden.

COLORADO GOLD® Gazania

Gazania linearis

bright yellow flowers with tall, thin, grass-like greenery surrounding

A xeric perennial, this variety is more cold hard than other Gazanias. Shiny yellow flowers can be spotted throughout the season in the Yellow Garden.

Avalanche White Sun Daisy

Osteospermum ‘Avalanche’

Dazzling white flowers with metallic backing from April through summer with nearly succulent, evergreen foliage. It has greater disease resistance and heavier summer bloom than the other hardy sun daisies. They can be seen in the White Garden.

SILVERTON® Bluemat Penstemon

Penstemon lin. var. coloradoensis

Lavender-blue flowers shine on top of evergreen leaves in the spring and early summer. This plant thrives in poor soil and does not like much water. Look for them in the Penstemon Garden.

Partridge Feather

Tanacetum densum ssp. amani

Introduced from southeastern Turkey, this silver mat of foliage adorns yellow button flowers in the summer. As this plant loves dry soil, look for it in the Member’s Rock Garden.

ORANGE CARPET® Hummingbird Trumpet

Zauschneria garrettii

Rapidly spreading groundcover with masses of orange-scarlet flowers in summer. A selection made from seed collected in Idaho, this is the best form of California fuchsia for high altitude or cool climate gardens. The largest collection can be seen in the Orange Garden.

Plants from South America

Many plants from the Andes mountains and south American Steppe do well in the Yampa Valley. The climate is similar to Patagonia, but the adaptations are very different. In partnership with the Denver Botanic Garden, the Park receives plants from them to trial here in our gardens.

Peruvian Lily

Alstromeria aurea

A very hardy lily from the mountains of Peru, it grows almost two feet tall and blooms for a very long time. Striking orange flowers are great attracters for butterflies, yet are deer resistant. Find this beauty on the lower north west corner of the Water Wise Garden.

Slipper Flower

Calceolaria corymbosa

Wavy, fuzzy leaves in tight rosettes topped with round yellow flowers

A Chilean native, delicate pouches of yellow perch on top of 12” stalks. Wavy, fuzzy leaves in tight rosettes anchor this gem of a flower. Look for it to flower in mid-spring on the flat part of the Painter’s Garden.

Patagonian Verbena

Junellia micrantha

small green leaves packed closely together and low to the ground dotted with purple and white flowers forming a dense ground cover

A small, prostrate mat forming plant from Argentina. It is in the Verbena family and even though the flowers are tiny, they are very fragrant. The best specimen of these is located at the top of the stairs in the Crevice Garden. Get down low and get a whiff!

Yellow Monkeyflower

Erythanthe luteus

A yellow flower with a bright red spot on its lip. These are native in Chile but are doing great in the bog section of the Sundial Garden.

“Hiebra Negro” in its native Chile

Mulinum spinosum

Thorny perennial shrub with small pointy green leaves

An endemic in the western Chilean mountains, it is a thorny perennial shrub with many medicinal uses for the native people. Not a very showy plant but important because it has survived several years in the Water Wise Garden.

Silver Shamrock

Oxalis adenopylla

Small bulbs grow a mass of silvery, dissected leaves. The spring flowers are mostly white tinged with pink and have purple veins.

From Chile & Argentina this Alpine plant does well in northern climates and is best grown under the snow for the winter. Small bulbs grow a mass of silvery, dissected leaves. The spring flowers are mostly white tinged with pink and have purple veins. There are several planted in the Crevice Garden and the Sundial Garden.

Unusual Ornamentals

Tumbleweed Onion

Allium schubertii

This unusual onion puts out a flower head that is somewhat like fireworks, round with many flower stalks and tiny pink star flowers.

Named so because the seed heads break off when dry and roll around the Libyan desert. This unusual onion puts out a flower head that is somewhat like fireworks, round with many flower stalks and tiny pink star flowers. Find them in the spring in Doris’ Arbor Garden.

Bellflower

Campanula sp.

Pale purple flowers that have reflexed petals and make the flowers look inside out.

Different looking than most bellflowers, the flowers have reflexed petals and make the flowers look inside out. Find this at the very top of the Crevice Garden.

Miss Willmott’s Ghost

Eryngium giganteum

large, spiny, silver leaves which surround an egg-shaped flower head of tiny green flowers.

This biennial has large, spiny, silver bracts which surround an egg-shaped flower head of tiny green flowers. The bees LOVE this plant. Miss Wilmott blooms mid to late summer. This plant puts on a show in the Water Wise Garden.

Molly the Witch Peony

Paeonia mlokosewitschii

blue green leaves with purple veins and a single, yellow blossom.

Originally from the Caucus mountains of Azerbaijan where it grows in forests, this peony has beautiful blue green leaves with purple veins and a single, yellow blossom. This plant was only discovered in 2002. Look for it in Jeff’s Garden, the Garden for All Seasons, and the Sundial Garden.

Chinese Pagoda Primrose

Primula vialii

Bright red buds with vivid purple flowers at the base

This species comes from moist mountain areas of China. The spike arrangement of the orchid colored flowers contrasting with the bright red of the buds making a striking display. It blooms in mid-summer. Find it on the edge of the bog in the Sundial Garden.

Windflower

Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’

Asymmetric flowers of purple, pink and yellow at the top of long thin stems

This Japanese hybrid windflower needs some partial shade and ample water to do well. It is one of the latest flowers at the Park. Some years the frost takes them, but when they bloom it is the unusual, asymmetric flowers that catch your eye as they sway like windflowers should. Sascha’s Garden has a large clump; also found growing in the Painter’s Garden.

Plants of Historical Significance to Steamboat Springs

The Harison Rose

Rosa ‘Harison’s Yellow’

Massive yellow rose in full bloom surrounded by similar budding roses

When Margaret Crawford stepped into the family covered wagon in St. Louis for the long trek to Colorado, she carried not only her new baby, but the roots of a yellow rose. ON the hard journey she used her own rationed drinking water to keep the roots alive. The flower bloomed so profusely in Colorado that the miners called it Women’s Gold. Just as the Harison Yellow rose took root, multiplied, and benefited the beauty of the state, so did the women who settled here.

Yampah

Perideridia gairdneri

Multiple tiny white flower clusters sprout from a single stem

The Yampa River Valley, hence the Yampa River Botanic Park, was named after this plant which was an important food source for indigenous peoples and pioneers. The small, white taproot tastes like a sweet, nutty carrot. Be careful identifying these in the wild as some look-a-likes are poisonous. Find Yampa in the Sensory Garden.

Trees

The Botanic Park is home to almost 200 evergreen coniferous trees (cone-bearing) of 16 different species and 300 deciduous trees (lose their leaves in winter) of 20 different species.

The Park is in an environment that is challenging for trees because:

Temperatures occasionally get down to minus 40° F.
Heavy snows bury young trees and bend older ones.
Steamboat gets 27 inches of precipitation in an average year but much of this is lost to evaporation because of low humidity at high altitude.
There is less protective atmosphere than at sea level and therefore much more ultra-violet light.

Native trees that have adapted to this harsh environment are the predominant trees in the Park.

Evergreens

Engleman Spruce

Picea engelmannii

A tall, slender evergreen with dense, blue-green needles and gracefully drooping lower branches.

Native to higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Mountains, this tree can grow to 100’ tall. It is well adapted to harsh winds, extreme cold, and deep snow.

Colorado Blue Spruce

Picea pungens

Known for its striking silvery-blue needles and pyramidal shape, this spruce stands out in any landscape.

This iconic Colorado tree is native to the central Rocky Mountains from southern Montana and eastern Idaho south to New Mexico. Pungens means sharp-pointed in reference to the needles.

Lodgepole Pine

Pinus contorta

A straight-trunked pine with narrow, yellow-green needles and a rustic, open-branched silhouette.

A thin and narrow-crowned tree that grows up to 160’ tall with a trunk measuring up to 6.5’ in diameter. The needles are yellow-green to dark green in color, growing in bundles of two per fascicle, spreading or ascending on the stem.

Ponderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa

Towering and majestic, this pine features cinnamon-colored bark and long, tufted needles in bundles of three.

The dominant pine tree of the western U.S., the Ponderosa Pine is native to mountain areas from British Columbia to Mexico east to North Dakota, Nebraska and Texas. Dark yellow-green needles (5-10” long) in bundles of three are concentrated in tufts at the branch ends. Oval cones (4-6” long) grow upright but turn upside down at maturity to release seed.

Douglas Fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Elegant and stately, with soft, dark green needles and a conical form that broadens with age.

This variety is hardier than the species found throughout the Pacific Northwest, hardy to zone 4. It has a narrow pyramidal shape with branching to the ground when young. Genus name comes from the Greek words pseudo meaning false and Tsuga meaning hemlock.

Subalpine Fir

Abies lasiocarpa

A slender spire of deep green needles, often tapering to a narrow point like a steeple in the alpine landscape.

This fir is native to western North America and is commonly found at and immediately below the tree line. It is a medium sized tree with a very narrow conic crown and glaucous green needles.

Deciduous trees and shrubs

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Graceful and luminous tree, with fluttering round leaves that shimmer in the breeze atop smooth white bark.

The Quaking Aspen has the widest geographical distribution of any North American tree. It is known for its beautiful white bark, its deep green foliage that quakes in the slightest breeze, and its golden yellow fall foliage color.

Narrowleaf Cottonwood

Populus angustifolia

A fast-growing tree with slim, pointed leaves and a loose, upright form that casts dappled shade.

Native to western North America, this is a medium sized tree found naturally by streams and creeks. Angustifolia, meaning narrow leaved, the leaves resemble willow leaves. The buds are sticky and gummy and were enjoyed as a sort of chewing gum by local Native American peoples.

Water Birch

Betula occidentalis

Clusters of multi-stemmed trunks with reddish-brown bark and small, rounded leaves that flicker in the light.

Another western North American native, this is commonly found growing in clumps or thickets along rivers, streams, springs or other water courses. Male and female flowers bloom in separate catkins on same plant in spring.

Thinleaf Alder

Alnus tenuifolia

A shrubby tree with smooth gray bark, finely serrated leaves, and woody cone-like catkins.

small to medium sized multi-stemmed tree with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes used for afforestation on non-fertile soils which it enriches by means of nitrogen fixing bacteria in its root nodules.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

A small, hardy tree with clusters of fragrant white spring blossoms and deep green foliage turning crimson in fall.

A small tree or large bush, it is native throughout parts of North America. Fruits are technically edible but are astringent (hence the common name). However, they can be harvested for processing into jams, jellies, pies and sauces.

Crabapple

Malus spp.

Bursting with colorful blooms in spring and decorative fruit in fall, its twisted branches add charm year-round.

The Botanic Park is home to multiple cultivars of crabapples. They are small trees in a genus of about 35 species from Europe, Asia and North America. Flowers put on a prolific show in the spring followed by masses of small, purplish-red crabapples which mature in the fall.

Sculptures

Nineteen pieces of sculpture are placed in the gardens throughout the Park. All the pieces were donated to the Association. Some were donated in memory of loved ones.

The Joy of Life

An abstract metal sculpture resembling a stick figure with its arms raised high above the head

The Park was dedicated, in part, to the Enever’s son Peter. His image has overlooked the pond in the Park since it opened, and is a perfect backdrop to any setting. The piece was created and donated to the Park by Hill Blackett, Jr in 1998.

The Turtle

The turtle is one of the main pieces of art in the Park. It was created by Mary Zimmerman and donated to the Park by Ann Murtha. It is located at the edge of the pond near the Green.

The Swan

A thin flat metal sculpture of a swan in flight hovers over the waters of a pond, casting a wavy reflection

The Trumpeter Swan flies low over the water in the pond and is sometimes missed because you have to look through the grass. It was created by John Simms and donated by the Steamboat Springs Arts Council.

Wings

A gleaming statue that appears to be made of gold of a young boy in overalls playing with a toy plane

Wings, also known as the little boy with an airplane, stands on the edge of The Green and is a favorite of children. He was created by Jim Price and donated by Denny and Joy Swanson.

Totem

A tall metal obelisk-like stature with a mountain shaped cone at the top and engraved glass up the side

“Totem” stands tall in the Medicinal Herb Garden and is positioned to catch the morning and evening light through the glass. It is dedicated to Michael Robert Gebhardt by his parents, Rosemary and Peter Gebhardt. “Totem” was created by Harriet Lea.

Nammu

A bronze sculpture of a round bear standing on a stone pedestal

Nammu, or the bear, is in the hidden garden. It was created by Sharon Spencer and donated by the George and Louise Thornton Charitable Trust.