Shade AND drought tolerant turf options? - Ask Extension
Hello,
I live in Denver and have a back yard that is shaded for most of the day. I am looking to plant a lawn or lawn-alternative that is tolerant ...
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Shade AND drought tolerant turf options? #927032
Asked March 29, 2026, 10:15 PM EDT
Hello,
I live in Denver and have a back yard that is shaded for most of the day. I am looking to plant a lawn or lawn-alternative that is tolerant of both shade and drought (given the recent water restrictions in place from Denver Water). Do you have any suggestions of what to try, and where to source the seeds/plugs?
Thank you very much in advance!
Grace
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Finding plants that grow and thrive in part shade/shade can be challenging but there are some plants that do well in shade that require less water. CSU has a fact sheet on Xeriscape Ground Cover Plants with the shade tolerant plants at the bottom of the list. Here is a link to the fact sheet: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/xeriscaping-ground-cover-plants/
Utah State University also had a fact sheet on plants that do well in dry shade. Here is a link to their fact sheet: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/landscaping-in-dry-shade
Bear in mind that none of these plants stand up to foot traffic. Grass is the best ground cover for foot traffic but it needs at least 4 hours of sun daily to grow.
We cannot recommend where to source the plants but you should be able to find plants at one of the local nurseries.
Utah State University also had a fact sheet on plants that do well in dry shade. Here is a link to their fact sheet: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/landscaping-in-dry-shade
Bear in mind that none of these plants stand up to foot traffic. Grass is the best ground cover for foot traffic but it needs at least 4 hours of sun daily to grow.
We cannot recommend where to source the plants but you should be able to find plants at one of the local nurseries.
