Firewise Certification

Ponderosa Hills is a Firewise Certified Community. If you would like to receive a copy of the Firewise certification please contact [email protected].

For more information on the Firewise program visit the Firewise Website here.

Ponderosa Hills – Neighborhood Mitigation Plan

Wildfire Mitigation

In a rural area like Ponderosa Hills, it is vital that our neighbors and visitors in the area understand how easily fires can begin, especially if the moisture levels are low.

Fire fighting service for Ponderosa Hills is provided by the South Metro Fire District.   www.southmetro.org

Emergency Phone: 911
Non-emergency Phone: 720-989-2000

An important fire prevention and conservation resource is The Douglas County Conservation District.  Access its website here: www.dcconservation.com

Below are recommended ground covers to plan around your residence to help it survive a wild fire.

FireWise Education Groundcover Species List

Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet

Common NameLatin NameWateringLightingBloom Month
Creeping grape hollyMahonia repensLowShadeMarch-May
KinnikinnickArctostaphylos uva-ursiMediumEitherN/A
Mat penstemonPenstemon caespitosusLowSunJune
Mouse ear chickweedCerastium strictumMediumPartly ShadedMay-June
Northern bedstrawGalium borealeMediumShadeMay-June
Pinemat manzanitaArctostaphylos nevadensisMediumPartly ShadedN/A
Rosy pussytoesAntennaria roseaMediumPartly ShadedJune
Small-leaf pussytoesAntennaria parvifoliaMediumPartly ShadedJune

FireWise Education Low Shrubs Species List

Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet

Common NameLatin NameWateringLightingBloom Month
Adam’s needleYucca filamentosaMediumPartly ShadedJune
Antelope bitterbrushPurshia tridentataLowSunJune-Aug
Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaLowSunJune-Oct
Banana/broad-leaf yuccaYucca baccataVery LowPartly ShadedJune
Bog birchBetula glanulosaHighPartly ShadedN/A
Buckbrush/Mtn. LilacCeanothus fendleriMediumSunJuly
Golden currantRibes aureumLowFilteredApril-May
Greenleaf manzanitaArctostaphylos patulaMediumPartly ShadedN/A
Little-leaf mockorangePhiladelphus microphyllusMediumSunJune
Little-leaf mtn. mahoganyCercocarpus intricatusVery LowSunN/A
Mountain ninebarkPhysocarpus monogynusLowSunJune
Native wild roseRosa woodsiiMediumPartly ShadedJune-July
Ocean spray/rock spireaHolodiscus dumosusLowPartly ShadedJune
RabbitbrushChrysothamnus spp.Very LowSunJuly-Aug
Redtwig dogwoodCornus stoloniferaHighEitherN/A
Shrubby cinquefoilPotentilla fruticosaMediumPartly ShadedMay-Sept
Spanish bayonetYucca glaucaVery LowPartly ShadedJune
True mtn. mahoganyCercocarpus montanusLowSunN/A
Wax flowerJamesia americanaMediumEitherJune
Western sand cherryPrunus besseyiLowSunMay

FireWise Education Flower Species List

Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet

Common NameLatin NameWateringLightingBlooming
Aspen sunflowerHelianthella quinquenervisMediumSun 
Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia hirtaMediumSunJuly-Sept
Blanket FlowerGaillarida aristataLowSunJuly-Sept
Blue mist penstemonPenstemon virensMedium Filtered May-June
Broom groundselSenecio spartioidesVery LowSunSept-Oct
Colorado blue columbineAquilegia caeruleaMedium Shade June-July
Columbian monkshoodAconitum columbianumMediumSunJune-July
Common harebellCampanula rotundifolia Low Filtered May-Oct
Dotted gayfeatherLiatris punctataVery LowSunAug-Oct
Fringed sageArtemisia frigida Low SunN/A
Germander penstemonPenstemon teucrioides Low SunJune-July
Geyer onionAllium geyeri Low Partly Shaded June
Leafy potentillaPotentilla fissaMedium Filtered  
Mariposa lilyCalochortus gunnisoniiMediumSunJuly-Aug
Missouri irisIris missouriensisMediumSunMay
Narrow-leaf chiming bellsMertensia lanceolataMedium Filtered May-June
Native beebalmMonarda fistulosaMedium Filtered July-Oct
Native yarrowAchillea lanulosa Low Partly Shaded July
Nodding onionAllium cernuum Low Partly Shaded June
Pasque flowerPulsatilla patensMedium Filtered March-May
Pearly everlastingAnaphalis margaritacea Low SunAugust
Porter asterAster porteri Low SunAug-Sept
Prairie coneflowerRatibada columnifera Low SunJuly-Sept
Prairie sageArtemisia ludoviciana Low SunN/A
Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpurea Low SunJuly-Aug
Sand lilyLeucocrinum montanum Low SunMay
Scarlet giliaIpomopsis aggregataMedium Filtered June-Aug
SkullcapScutellaria brittoniiMedium Filtered Aug-Sept
Small sunflowerHelianthus pumilusMediumSunJune-July
Smooth asterAster laevis Low Partly Shaded Aug-Sept
Smooth goldenrodSolidago missouriensis Low SunJuly-Aug
Spreading golden bannerThermopsis divaricarpaMedium Filtered May
Spring beautyClaytonia lanceolataMedium Shade March-April
Sulphur flowerEriogonum umbellatumMedium Filtered June-July
Western spiderwortTradescantia occidentalisMedium Filtered June-Aug
Western wallflowerErysimum asperumMedium Filtered June-July
Wh. Stemless ev. primroseOenothera caespitosa Low SunJune-Aug
Whiplash daisyErigeron flagellaris Low SunJune-July
Wild blue flaxLinum lewisii Low Filtered May-Sept
Wild geraniumGeranium caespitosumMedium Filtered May-Oct
Yellow columbineAquilegia chrysantha Low Filtered June-Aug
Yellow stonecropSedum lanceolatumMedium Filtered July-Aug

FireWise Education Large Shrubs and Tree Species List

Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet

Common NameLatin NameWateringLightingBloom Month
American wild plumPrunus americanaMediumPartly Shaded April
AspenPopulus tremuloidesMediumSunN/A
Boulder raspberry, thimbleberryRubus deliciosusMediumPartly ShadedApril-May
Filbert, beaked hazelnutCorylus cornutaHighPartly ShadedN/A
HawthornCrataegus spp.MediumSunMay
Mountain mahoganyCercocarpus ledifoliusLowSunN/A
Peachleaf willowSalix amygdaloidesHighPartly ShadedN/A
Pin/fire/wild/red cherryPrunus pensylvanicaMedium Partly Shaded May
Ponderosa pinePinus ponderosa Low Sun N/A
River birchBetula fontinalisHigh Partly Shaded N/A
Rocky Mountain mapleAcer glabrumMedium Partly Shaded N/A
Saskatoon alder-leaf serviceberryAmelanchier alnifoliaMedium Partly Shaded April-May
Silver buffaloberryShepherdia argenteaMedium Partly Shaded April
Tall ninebarkPhysocarpus opulifoliusMedium Partly Shaded May
Thinleaf alderAlnus tenuifoliaHigh Partly Shaded April
Utah serviceberryAmelanchier utahensis Low Sun May
Wasatch mapleAcer grandidentatumMedium Partly Shaded N/A
Western chokecherryPrunus virginiana melanocarpaMedium Partly Shaded April-May
Western mountain ashSorbus scopulinaMedium Partly Shaded May

This link provides a list of recommended scrubs and trees for fire prevention.

FireWise List