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 Name | Latin Name | Watering | Lighting | Bloom Month |
| Creeping grape holly | Mahonia repens | Low | Shade | March-May |
| Kinnikinnick | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Medium | Either | N/A |
| Mat penstemon | Penstemon caespitosus | Low | Sun | June |
| Mouse ear chickweed | Cerastium strictum | Medium | Partly Shaded | May-June |
| Northern bedstraw | Galium boreale | Medium | Shade | May-June |
| Pinemat manzanita | Arctostaphylos nevadensis | Medium | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Rosy pussytoes | Antennaria rosea | Medium | Partly Shaded | June |
| Small-leaf pussytoes | Antennaria parvifolia | Medium | Partly Shaded | June |
FireWise Education Low Shrubs Species List
Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet
| Common Name | Latin Name | Watering | Lighting | Bloom Month |
| Adam’s needle | Yucca filamentosa | Medium | Partly Shaded | June |
| Antelope bitterbrush | Purshia tridentata | Low | Sun | June-Aug |
| Apache Plume | Fallugia paradoxa | Low | Sun | June-Oct |
| Banana/broad-leaf yucca | Yucca baccata | Very Low | Partly Shaded | June |
| Bog birch | Betula glanulosa | High | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Buckbrush/Mtn. Lilac | Ceanothus fendleri | Medium | Sun | July |
| Golden currant | Ribes aureum | Low | Filtered | April-May |
| Greenleaf manzanita | Arctostaphylos patula | Medium | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Little-leaf mockorange | Philadelphus microphyllus | Medium | Sun | June |
| Little-leaf mtn. mahogany | Cercocarpus intricatus | Very Low | Sun | N/A |
| Mountain ninebark | Physocarpus monogynus | Low | Sun | June |
| Native wild rose | Rosa woodsii | Medium | Partly Shaded | June-July |
| Ocean spray/rock spirea | Holodiscus dumosus | Low | Partly Shaded | June |
| Rabbitbrush | Chrysothamnus spp. | Very Low | Sun | July-Aug |
| Redtwig dogwood | Cornus stolonifera | High | Either | N/A |
| Shrubby cinquefoil | Potentilla fruticosa | Medium | Partly Shaded | May-Sept |
| Spanish bayonet | Yucca glauca | Very Low | Partly Shaded | June |
| True mtn. mahogany | Cercocarpus montanus | Low | Sun | N/A |
| Wax flower | Jamesia americana | Medium | Either | June |
| Western sand cherry | Prunus besseyi | Low | Sun | May |
FireWise Education Flower Species List
Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet
| Common Name | Latin Name | Watering | Lighting | Blooming |
| Aspen sunflower | Helianthella quinquenervis | Medium | Sun | |
| Black-Eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta | Medium | Sun | July-Sept |
| Blanket Flower | Gaillarida aristata | Low | Sun | July-Sept |
| Blue mist penstemon | Penstemon virens | Medium | Filtered | May-June |
| Broom groundsel | Senecio spartioides | Very Low | Sun | Sept-Oct |
| Colorado blue columbine | Aquilegia caerulea | Medium | Shade | June-July |
| Columbian monkshood | Aconitum columbianum | Medium | Sun | June-July |
| Common harebell | Campanula rotundifolia | Low | Filtered | May-Oct |
| Dotted gayfeather | Liatris punctata | Very Low | Sun | Aug-Oct |
| Fringed sage | Artemisia frigida | Low | Sun | N/A |
| Germander penstemon | Penstemon teucrioides | Low | Sun | June-July |
| Geyer onion | Allium geyeri | Low | Partly Shaded | June |
| Leafy potentilla | Potentilla fissa | Medium | Filtered | |
| Mariposa lily | Calochortus gunnisonii | Medium | Sun | July-Aug |
| Missouri iris | Iris missouriensis | Medium | Sun | May |
| Narrow-leaf chiming bells | Mertensia lanceolata | Medium | Filtered | May-June |
| Native beebalm | Monarda fistulosa | Medium | Filtered | July-Oct |
| Native yarrow | Achillea lanulosa | Low | Partly Shaded | July |
| Nodding onion | Allium cernuum | Low | Partly Shaded | June |
| Pasque flower | Pulsatilla patens | Medium | Filtered | March-May |
| Pearly everlasting | Anaphalis margaritacea | Low | Sun | August |
| Porter aster | Aster porteri | Low | Sun | Aug-Sept |
| Prairie coneflower | Ratibada columnifera | Low | Sun | July-Sept |
| Prairie sage | Artemisia ludoviciana | Low | Sun | N/A |
| Purple Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | Low | Sun | July-Aug |
| Sand lily | Leucocrinum montanum | Low | Sun | May |
| Scarlet gilia | Ipomopsis aggregata | Medium | Filtered | June-Aug |
| Skullcap | Scutellaria brittonii | Medium | Filtered | Aug-Sept |
| Small sunflower | Helianthus pumilus | Medium | Sun | June-July |
| Smooth aster | Aster laevis | Low | Partly Shaded | Aug-Sept |
| Smooth goldenrod | Solidago missouriensis | Low | Sun | July-Aug |
| Spreading golden banner | Thermopsis divaricarpa | Medium | Filtered | May |
| Spring beauty | Claytonia lanceolata | Medium | Shade | March-April |
| Sulphur flower | Eriogonum umbellatum | Medium | Filtered | June-July |
| Western spiderwort | Tradescantia occidentalis | Medium | Filtered | June-Aug |
| Western wallflower | Erysimum asperum | Medium | Filtered | June-July |
| Wh. Stemless ev. primrose | Oenothera caespitosa | Low | Sun | June-Aug |
| Whiplash daisy | Erigeron flagellaris | Low | Sun | June-July |
| Wild blue flax | Linum lewisii | Low | Filtered | May-Sept |
| Wild geranium | Geranium caespitosum | Medium | Filtered | May-Oct |
| Yellow columbine | Aquilegia chrysantha | Low | Filtered | June-Aug |
| Yellow stonecrop | Sedum lanceolatum | Medium | Filtered | July-Aug |
FireWise Education Large Shrubs and Tree Species List
Elevations between 5,300 and 7,000 feet
| Common Name | Latin Name | Watering | Lighting | Bloom Month |
| American wild plum | Prunus americana | Medium | Partly Shaded | April |
| Aspen | Populus tremuloides | Medium | Sun | N/A |
| Boulder raspberry, thimbleberry | Rubus deliciosus | Medium | Partly Shaded | April-May |
| Filbert, beaked hazelnut | Corylus cornuta | High | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus spp. | Medium | Sun | May |
| Mountain mahogany | Cercocarpus ledifolius | Low | Sun | N/A |
| Peachleaf willow | Salix amygdaloides | High | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Pin/fire/wild/red cherry | Prunus pensylvanica | Medium | Partly Shaded | May |
| Ponderosa pine | Pinus ponderosa | Low | Sun | N/A |
| River birch | Betula fontinalis | High | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Rocky Mountain maple | Acer glabrum | Medium | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Saskatoon alder-leaf serviceberry | Amelanchier alnifolia | Medium | Partly Shaded | April-May |
| Silver buffaloberry | Shepherdia argentea | Medium | Partly Shaded | April |
| Tall ninebark | Physocarpus opulifolius | Medium | Partly Shaded | May |
| Thinleaf alder | Alnus tenuifolia | High | Partly Shaded | April |
| Utah serviceberry | Amelanchier utahensis | Low | Sun | May |
| Wasatch maple | Acer grandidentatum | Medium | Partly Shaded | N/A |
| Western chokecherry | Prunus virginiana melanocarpa | Medium | Partly Shaded | April-May |
| Western mountain ash | Sorbus scopulina | Medium | Partly Shaded | May |
This link provides a list of recommended scrubs and trees for fire prevention.