The winter heath, Erica carnea, is by far the hardiest and best heather for Colorado. We have 39 year-old mats of this species in several color forms that have thrived at Denver Botanic Gardens all that time with no die back. It doesn't even require an acid soil (it often grows on limestone in nature). I have seen it carpeting the woodlands in Switzerland's national park--I'm sure it would grow well at your elevation and take some shade. That said, it seems to love the full sun provided it gets some irrigation. It is not a xeric plant, but I think it would take it drier in the shade. I am especially fond of this species because it blooms in late winter. Sometimes flowers open in January, but are always superb in March and early April for us in Denver. It may be later in a snowier garden. If you do live in the Ponderosa zone and have a slightly or very acid soil on granite, it is possible that you can grow quite a few other Heathers as well. They don't do well in Denver's alkaline soils and hotter conditions. If you do have acid soil, the true heather (Calluna vulgaris) willl likely thrive for you, and possibly the autumn heath, Erica vagans--both are very cold hardy. Erica tetralix, which blooms in summer, is extremely cold hardy but needs acid soil and moister conditions. These are the commonest and hardiest of heathers--if you were to design a garden with these using various foliage color selections and a variety of color forms you would have a very colorful, evergreen garden that blooms almost every day of the year (one species or another). They would do best with regular watering however--since most come from Western Europe that has regular rains. Hope this helps!
The winter heath, Erica carnea, is by far the hardiest and best heather for Colorado. We have 39 year-old mats of this species in several color forms that have thrived at Denver Botanic Gardens all that time with no die back. It doesn't even require an acid soil (it often grows on limestone in nature). I have seen it carpeting the woodlands in Switzerland's national park--I'm sure it would grow well at your elevation and take some shade. That said, it seems to love the full sun provided it gets some irrigation. It is not a xeric plant, but I think it would take it drier in the shade. I am especially fond of this species because it blooms in late winter. Sometimes flowers open in January, but are always superb in March and early April for us in Denver. It may be later in a snowier garden. If you do live in the Ponderosa zone and have a slightly or very acid soil on granite, it is possible that you can grow quite a few other Heathers as well. They don't do well in Denver's alkaline soils and hotter conditions. If you do have acid soil, the true heather (Calluna vulgaris) willl likely thrive for you, and possibly the autumn heath, Erica vagans--both are very cold hardy. Erica tetralix, which blooms in summer, is extremely cold hardy but needs acid soil and moister conditions. These are the commonest and hardiest of heathers--if you were to design a garden with these using various foliage color selections and a variety of color forms you would have a very colorful, evergreen garden that blooms almost every day of the year (one species or another). They would do best with regular watering however--since most come from Western Europe that has regular rains. Hope this helps!