You had questions about growing native Colorado plants in your yard. We found answers, with help from the CSU Extension

In The NoCo

You had questions about growing native Colorado plants in your yard. We found answers, with help from the CSU Extension

By In The NoCo,

Published April 8, 2025 at 5:40 AM MDT

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A tall plant with large leaves and a purple flower at the top are centered in the middle of the frame. A prairie is blurred in the background. — If you're looking for a good milkweed plant to put in your Colorado garden, Asclepias speciosa is native to this region, and grows "literally like a weed," says CSU Extension's home horticulture coordinator Tommy Roth.

A few weeks back we talked about how many Coloradans are planting native plants in their yards. And about how native plants are hardier, use less water, and can support bees and other pollinators in our ecosystem.

We also invited you and other listeners to share your questions about native plants. And you sent us loads of responses.

In this episode of In the NoCo, Erin O鈥橳oole visits again with native plant expert Tommy Roth. He鈥檚 a home horticulture coordinator from the , which advises homeowners on landscaping and many other plant-related matters.

You can find lists and fact sheets about native plants and grasses at CSU Extension鈥檚 website .

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS 暗黑爆料hour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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