Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Strategy now available

Colorado’s Imperiled Plants – By The Numbers

Colorado has –

  • 2,596 native plants
  • 520 of which are tracked by CNHP

Of the plant species that CNHP tracks,
Oenothera harringtonii

  • 119 are imperiled (G1-G2) [what do the G-Ranks mean?]
  • 140 are vulnerable (G3)
  • 68 imperiled plants are endemic to Colorado
  • 13 are federally listed

Oenothera harringtonii (Arkansas Valley evening primrose)
a G2G3, S2S3 species endemic to Colorado


The Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative (RPCI) is a partnership between federal and state agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations, including The Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The goal of the RPCI is to conserve Colorado’s most imperiled native plants & their habitats through collaborative partnerships for the preservation of our natural heritage and the benefit of future generations.

The RPCI, with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has developed the Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Strategy, now available online. The Strategy is the first of its kind and represents a collective vision for plant conservation in Colorado, emphasizing a proactive approach to ensure the long-term stewardship and viability of Colorado’s rarest plants. In addition to our staff’s direct efforts on this project, CNHP’s Biodiversity Scorecard analysis for Colorado rare plants was also used in developing the strategy.

Rare Plant Conservation Initiative