Drought Tolerant Landscaping

What you Should Know Dry Garden and Native Plants in California

California native plants are different than any other in the world. From the extension richly colored wild flowers in the spring in the desert to the groves of the Monterey cypress on the coast, the wild gardens of California are immensely diverse and stunning in their beauty. They define the landscape and offer them to Californians a sense of belonging, pride and stability and these provide habitat for endemic species of wildlife that do not exist in any other place on earth.

What does it mean drought tolerance in relation with the landscape and the environment? We are going to break it down. The word drought means: “… a period of dryness, especially when prolonged, specifically: one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents its successful growth.” The word tolerant means, in a broader sense: “capacity to endure the pain or difficulties” and, more specifically, “the relative ability of an organism to grow or thrive when it is subjected to an environmental factor unfavorable”.

While the California native plants have adorned the gardens all over the world for a little more than a century, few designed landscapes for the gardens of our state reflect the natural splendor for which California has been famous all along. The Native Plant Society (CNPS) teaches us that, by planting native plants, you can bring the beauty of California to your own garden and backyard, creating a sense of belonging that is unique to California and it helps to save water as a consequence.

Understanding this, we know that, because of the lack of rain and water, the drought makes plants, crops and wildlife from drying out, and eventually die. If a plant is tolerant to drought, it can grow or thrive during or in spite of a drought.

Native plants are in perfect sync and harmony with our soil, climate and wild life, turning them into a sustainable option holistically. Native plants and the crucial resources that we are working so hard to keep are essentially “made for each other” and can flourish naturally.

The Connection of the Native Plant

Most of the drought-tolerant plants are those that are considered native plants in a particular region. Plants, shrubs and trees have adorned the landscape long before the settlers appeared with other plants and a garden hose. Check with local universities, master gardeners and the organizations of native plants for more information about the native to your area.

The Native Plants Save Water!

Replace the traditional gardens and landscapes of high water consumption and high maintenance with California native plants as these can reduce the average water consumption of a house up to 60% according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. The California U.S. studies of native plants combined with smart landscapes in regard to the use of the water that include rain gardens, and other techniques of Senegalese drainage control found even greater savings in irrigation. Once set up, native plants may bear little or no irrigation even in extreme drought conditions.

Plants Resistant to Drought

The terms drought tolerant and drought resistant, are often used interchangeably, and incorrectly. While the landscaping and drought-tolerant plants can grow or thrive with a minimum of water or rain, drought-resistant plants can survive for extended periods of time without water.

The Benefits Don’t End There…

Pollinator Conservation

The native pollinators are the most effective and flourish best in habitats where native plants live. Native plants provide urban corridors between natural and agricultural areas.

Less Maintenance

In an environment of garden, native plants survive better with a bit of attention and care, but require less water, fertilizer and pruning much less of their time for maintenance. Spend your time enjoying your garden and not cutting it, blowing or covering.

Reduce Pesticides

Native plants have developed their own defenses against many pests and diseases. Like most of the pesticides kill indiscriminately, beneficial insects are converted to secondary targets in the fight against pests. Reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides allows the natural pest control to dominate and keep toxins out of the gardens and out of our streams and watersheds.

Succulents

For example, Jatropha, a succulent very veined with large green leaves and delicate flowers. Stored water at the base of its trunk and, once established, can survive for extended periods without water. Plants that have relatively low water requirements or plants that are well adapted to an arid climate are often described as drought-resistant or tolerant to drought.

Other Terms for Drought Tolerance

Xeriscape and xeriscaping are terms used to describe a style of landscaping that uses drought-tolerant plants to help conserve water. Water-wise refers to landscaping with plants that grow well in a garden that manages water wisely. The additional terms for drought tolerance include smart water, water conservation, dry garden, landscaping, dry and desert landscaping.

Why Having a Garden Drought Tolerant is a Smart Choice?

In many areas of Southern California, drought is a prevalent living condition, for example, the question would be, why not have a garden to the height of the water? The droughts that broke records in Georgia, Texas, California, Australia and other regions have given rise to a mandatory water rationing and incentives for the aquatic landscaping that uses minimum water. This can be done by reducing or eliminating the lawn thirsty, introducing drought-tolerant plants that are native to the area and incorporating living spaces and outdoor patios, gravel paths and covers.

Native Plants Invite Wildlife – Native plants create a habitat not only for pollinators, but also for other wildlife such as birds and other beneficial insects. The variety of native insects and birds of California will help to keep your garden free of mosquitoes and insects that eat plants. Native plants bring nature to your home and restore our environment.

Support the Local Ecology – While creating native landscapes can never replace natural habitats lost to development, plant gardens and parks with California native plants can help provide an important bridge to the remaining wild areas nearby.

Rethinking Your Lawn

What best uses can you give your lawn? Why is it there? If the best answers that you think are, “in case someone wants to play in the grass” or “is there because everyone in my neighborhood have a lawn of green grass,” then ask yourself this simple question. Is this a way of rational and educated thinking, conservative, and correct for the planet?

If you absolutely have to shoot something green once or twice a year, consider alternatives, such as synthetic lawn grass, covered with soil, drought-tolerant or rubber mulch. Who knows, in the process, you will discover that there are many things that you would like to replace that patch of grass that consumes a lot of water.

Drought-Tolerant Plants

While the cactus and succulents are obvious examples of drought-tolerant plants, there are many other varieties that make use of the water.

Following we can refer to a list of exhaustive drought-resistant plants:

Perennials, Shrubs, and Ornamental Grasses

  • Agave species (Agave)
  • Alyogyne huegelii (Blue Hibiscus)
  • Arctostaphylos species (Manzanita)
  • Artemisia species (Sagebrush)
  • Ceanothus species (California Lilac)
  • Chamelaucium uncinatum (Geraldton Waxflower)
  • Cistus species (Rockrose)
  • Dudleya species (Live Forever)
  • Echeveria species (Hens-and-Chickens)
  • Encelia californica (California Encelia)
  • Galvezia speciosa (Island Bush Snapdragon)
  • Grevillea species (Grevillea)
  • Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)
  • Lavandula species (Lavender)
  • Leucophyllum species (Texas Ranger)
  • Lobelia laxiflora (Mexican Bush Lobelia)
  • Mahonia nevinii (Nevin’s Barberry)
  • Melalueca nesophila (Pink Melaleuca)
  • Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle)
  • Nassella species (Needlegrass)
  • Penstemon species (Penstemon)
  • Rhus species (Sumac)
  • Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
  • Salvia, selected species (Sage)
  • Sisyrinchium bellum (Blue-Eyed Grass)
  • Tapetes lemmonii (Copper Canyon Daisy)
  • Verbena, selected species (Verbena)

Trees

  • Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree)
  • Chitalpa tashkentensis (Chitalpa)
  • Geijera parviflora (Australian Willow)
  • Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay)
  • Olea europaea ‘Swan Hill’ (Swan Hill Olive)
  • Pinus eldarica (Afghan Pine)
  • Prosopsis chilensis (Chilean Mesquite)
  • Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak)

Vines

  • Bougainvillea species (Bougainvillea)
  • Macfadyena unguis-cati (Cat’s Claw)
  • Vitis californica (California Wild Grape)

Turf

  • Buchloe dactyloides (Buffalograss)
  • Cynodon dactylon (Hybrid Bermudagrass)
  • Zoysia ‘Victoria’ (Victoria Zoysiagrass)

Ground Cover

  • Acacia redolens ‘Desert Carpet’
  • (Dwarf Prostrate Acacia)
  • Achillea species (Yarrow)
  • Baccharis species (Coyote Brush)
  • Cotoneaster dammeri (Bearberry Cotoneaster)
  • Lampranthus species (Ice Plant)
  • Lantana montevidensis (Trailing Lantana)
  • Myoporum parvifolium (Myoporum)
  • Sedum species (Stonecrop)

Source: California Water Service

Visit the website of the California Native Plant Society – CNPS – to learn more about the benefits of planting a garden with native plants or to choose between the excellent gardening resources available in the online library at CNPS.

Desert landscaping is mainly characterized by the habitation of Xerophyte plants. These are plants that are easily adapted to a dry life physiologically dry habitat to prevent water loss or to store available water. Succulents plants like cacti and agaves have thick, fleshy leaves and stems.