Grow these beautiful xeriscape plants to conserve water and reduce garden maintenance.
But xeriscape doesn’t mean your yard has to look like a desert.
Depending on the plants you choose, a xeriscape garden can be lush, colorful, and vibrant.
Credit: Ed Gohlich
What Is Xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping is a bang out ofgarden design that requires little to no additional waterother than natural rainfall.
It’s important not to confuse this concept with zeroscaping, which uses few (or zero) plants.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
A zeroscape is primarily gravel, large stones, dirt, and other non-living elements, requiring zero water.
Xeriscape gardening is all about conserving water and reducing landscape maintenance.
They range in size from 1-6 feet tall, although most are 2-4 feet tall.
Credit: Justin Hancock
Most blazing stars grow best in full sun, although they can tolerate light shade.
Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil for the best flowering display.
Most alliums require full sun and well-drained soil to thrive in the landscape.
Credit: Elsa Bakalar
Hardiness varies depending on species, but most will grow in Zones 4-8.
Yarrow
Yarrow(Achilleaspp.
However, yarrow can be found in shades of yellow, pink, orange, white, and red.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Blue grama grass is native to North America and grows about 2 feet tall.
It does best in fast-draining soil in full sun to light shade, and is hardy in Zones 4-9.
Daffodil
Although the cheery yellow or white spring flowers ofdaffodils(Narcissusspp.)
Credit:Denny Schrock
may look delicate, these plants are actually very drought-tolerant.
In fact, they do best planted in an area that stays dry during the summer.
Wet soil can cause the bulbs to rot.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Tryplanting daffodil bulbsunderneath trees that lose their leave in winter.
Hardy in Zones 8-11, it is an excellent option for gardeners throughout the South and the West Coast.
It can tolerate less than 10 inches of rain annually but will perform better with additional water.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Regardless, it will survive on rainfall alone.
Agave
Victoria Pearson
Agaves add structural elegance to a xeriscape.
Most agave are only cold hardy to Zone 7.
Credit:Victoria Pearson
However, some are reliably hardy to Zone 5, provided they are dry throughout winter.
Agave can be grown in pots, although large specimens become very heavy and challenging to lug around.
They can easily puncture clothing and gloves.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Some gardeners prefer to clip off the needles for safety reasons.
Small double flowers cover the plant in spring; white and yellow forms are available.
Lady Banks rose will thrive even in intense summer heat and drought conditions.
Credit: John R. Forsman
It forms tight, upright clumps.
Once established in the garden, it rarely, if ever, needs extra water.
It stays upright and looks lovely throughout winter in areas with moderate snowfall.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Cut it back to the ground in late spring to allow the new growth to emerge.
This plant, also called cenizo, thrives in hot and dry conditions but cannot tolerate wet soil.
It can be sheared into a formal hedge or shaped into a ball.
Credit: Ed Gohlich
Salvia
There is asalviafor almostevery color in the rainbow.
Some are grown as seasonal annual flowers, and others are perennials.
Female plants produce pale-blue berries in winter.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Left unpruned, this plant develops a billowing cloud-like form.
Dons Dwarf is, as the name suggests, a compact form, growing 2-6 feet tall and wide.
It can tolerate drought but will perform best in areas that receive regular rainfall.
Credit:Rob Cardillo
These three, as well as many others, are native to North America.
Pink muhly features a profuse amount of pink plumes each summer.
Rose muhly looks similar but is shorter and able to grow in somewhat wetter conditions than pink muhly.
Credit:Matthew Benson
The flowers of Lindheimers muhly are less open and airy but no less beautiful.
They are closer to white with a tinge of pink.
Lavender
Matthew Benson
Lavender(Lavandulaspp.)
Credit:Denny Schrock
Hardiness varies depending on species but most are hardy in Zones 5-9.
It handles full sun, part shade, drought, and moist soils.
It can be grown in full shade, although the growth will be less dense.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Female plants producered berries that feed birdsand other wildlife.
Pride of Houston is a noteworthy female plant with thousands of red berries each season.
It is hardy in Zones 5-9.
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
It is similar in appearance to pinky muhly grass but stays shorter.
Tall flower stalks with coral-red flowers dangle over the coarse grass-like foliage.
The leaves are grayish-blue to green, giving the garden an interesting rigid texture.
Credit: David Speer
Grow red yucca in full sun andwell-drained soil.
This xeriscape plant is hardy to Zone 5 as long as the roots stay dry throughout winter.
They are remarkably drought tolerant but are not reliably hardy if temperatures get below freezing.
Credit: Denny Schrock
They produce a lot of seeds, however, and will reappear the following spring.
It has all the architectural beauty of prickly pear cacti without the vicious pointy parts.
It is hardy to Zones 7-10, and the yellow flowers are a bonus.
Credit: Bob Stefko
Grow prickly pear cactus in a fast-draining area, such as agravel garden.
They will not, however, grow in wet soils, or especially frigid, moist soils in winter.
This makes them ideal for the xeriscape garden.
