Native Plant Master Program

2026 Boulder County Registration opens in early 2026 – Stay tuned!

Colorado has a wealth of native plants, colorful wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees. Therefore, they are naturally adapted to our variable climate, soils, temperatures and elevations. The Native Plant Master Program connects people with the environment around them by instilling comprehensive knowledge of our native flora.

Courses are taught consecutively over a three week period, and are held on-trail in a variety of beautiful locations around the county. Sign up today!

The best place to find information for the program in Boulder County and across the state is on the statewide CSU Extension NPM website.

Please review the following NPM cancellation guidelines:

• Cancellation at least four weeks prior – Full refund.
• Cancellation at least two weeks prior – 50% refund.
• Cancellation less than two weeks prior (0-13 days) – No refund. 

Please note: We often have waitlists of excited learners. Please give us as much notice as possible so that we can offer other learners the opportunity to join the course if you can not.

Native Plant Master Certification

The Native Plant Master Program is an award winning, non-credit, educational program offered by various County Extension offices through the State’s land-grant institution, Colorado State University.   

Certification as a Native Plant Master is earned by: 

• Completing and passing three, 3-day Native Plant Master classes hosted by CSU Extension (36 hours of teaching time). 
• Each course must be taken in a different life zone. 
• Note that you do not have to complete all courses in a single year.
• Participants seeking certification must pass each course exam with a grade of “C” or higher.  
• Native Plant Master Program Coordinators will track your class data across counties, so if you live in Larimer County and take a class in Boulder County, your 3-day class will still count towards the certificate. Please retain class registration and completion information for your records as you will need this to apply for your Native Plant Master Certificate.  
• Certification is awarded in December each year by your local county extension office. An email will be sent to all class attendees for the year, and then people will have the option to apply for their Native Plant Master certificate by showing they have completed 3 NPM courses in different life zones and passed all of the associated exams.

Life Zones offered by CSU include: 

• Alpine 
• Foothills + Montane  
• Montane Meadow 
• Plains + Grasslands 
• Semi Desert Shrub  
• Wetland + Riparian 

Note: The Colorado Flora Certificate is no longer available. Class attendees may apply to become a Native Plant Master after completing three 3-day courses and passing associated exams. 

Join our newsletter to get notified when Boulder County in-person Native Plant Master courses open. You can also start learning online and on your schedule with the online Native Plants Training program from CSU Extension.