10 Eco-Friendly Beautiful Xeriscape Plants That Save Water
I have personally experienced how well xeriscape plants work to make fields and grass use less water and chemicals. You can create a beautiful, minimal maintenance yard while reducing your water use by up to 60% using drought-tolerant, water-smart xeriscape plants.
A lot of water is needed to take care of plants and gardening, so xeriscaping is a safe and eco-friendly choice. Moreover, water is saved by adding rocks, dirt, and earth to a xeriscaping design than by choosing plants that can live in dry conditions. Instead of being dry and brown, this makes the yard look green, bright, and alive.
I suggest a range of xeriscape plants, such as grasses, trees, succulents, and drought-tolerant perennials. These will give your yard color and variety while conserving water. You can feel good about putting these xeriscape garden plants in the front or back of your yard. As well as, they’re good for the earth and look great.
What Is Xeriscaping?
“Xeriscaping” means designing a garden so that it doesn’t need an excessive amount of water. How to create, choose plants, and take care of a xeriscape garden so that it uses little water is all that it’s about. This method works well in dry places as long as there is a drought. But zeroscaping doesn’t use any plants at all. Instead, it’s made up of rocks, big stones, dirt, and other things that don’t need water.
10 Best Plants for Xeriscaping
When you plan what to plant this year, think about where you live. Some of these plants won’t do well there. Before you put something in your yard, you should always ask people in the area what works best. In another place, things that do well there might get out of hand or spread too far.
1. Shore juniper (Juniperus conferta)
It is an evergreen tree that can be found on Sakhalin Island in Russia and along Japan’s beaches. In times of drought, it can handle the soil without breaking down and is deer-resistant. It works well in rock gardens and hills. Its leaves are very beautiful, and in the winter, they change from blue-green to bronze-green. It does best in full sun and soft soil that drains well. You can also use it to cover holding walls.
Growing mode: Ground mask or shrub
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 9
Full size: 6 to 12″ tall; 6-8 feet wide
Sunlight: Entire sun or half shade
Necessity of Water: Average
2. Blazing Star
Blazing star is a type of xeriscape plant that can survive in dry conditions and grow well in full sun. The Texas blazing star (Liatris mucronata) is one of more than 40 kinds of this plant that can live in places that get as little as 10 inches of rain a year.
- Growth mode: Perennial
- USDA Hardiness Zone: Varies by species
- Mature size: 1-6 feet tall
- Sunlight needs: Entire sun, tolerates faint shade
- Necessity of water: Low to medium
3. Broadleaf Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
If you want something bright that doesn’t need much water, broadleaf stonecrop is a super plant. This annual grows best in dirt that is dry and doesn’t stay soggy. Nice yellow flowers and blue-purple leaves that turn reddish-purple over time. Because it attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies, and worms, it’s great for growing on sloped ground.
- Mode of growth: Herb, ground cover
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
- Full size: 2-6 inches tall
- Sunlight needs: Full sun to partial shade
- Water requirement: Low
- Potential risk: All parts are toxic and have low harmfulness if tasted.
4. Lantana
Lantana is an annual plant that grows quickly and likes heat. It adds bright color to xeriscapes. It has groups of pink, purple, red, and yellow flowers and does best in sunny, well-drained areas. It can survive in zones 8–11 and looks great in garden beds or containers.
- Growth habit: Perennial (annual in non-hardy zones)
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-11
- Mature size: Varies, typically 1-3 feet tall
- Sunlight needs: Whole sun
- Requirement of water: Low to medium
5. Germander Sage (Salvia chamaedryoides)
The germander sage plant will give your xeriscape yard color and attract good bugs. People from Mexico grow this plant every year. It has bright blue flowers and white, shiny leaves. It’s great for hummingbirds and butterflies. It’s also not good for deer, so it’s a good choice for places that have that problem. Germander sage is simple to take care of and can live in dry places. This plant does best in dry soil, and it looks great along walls or in small potted gardens in cities.
- Growth mode: Shrub
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-11
- Mature size: 12 to 18″ tall; 3 to 4 feet wide
- Sunlight needs: Full sun, tolerates half shade
- Necessity of water: Low
- Possible dangers: usually harmless, but could hurt you if you eat a lot of it (keep kids and dogs away from it).
6. Alliums:
With xeriscape plants and alliums, you can create a dramatic and one-of-a-kind scene. Having alliums around is like having onions around. People like pink and purple the most, but they come in many shapes and sizes. Onions that swing (Allium cernuum) have small, light pink flowers that hang down from them. This plant grows in North America. They do well in xeriscapes in Zones 4–8 because they like full sun and dry soil.
- Growth mode: Perennial
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
- Full size: Varies, typically 1 to 3 feet tall
- Sunlight needs: Full sun
- Water needs: Low
7. Whale’s Tongue Agave (Agave ovatifolia)
A yard with whale’s tongue agave and other xeriscape plants will definitely be an eye-catcher. This northern Mexican cactus grows best in dry places and doesn’t need much water. After about ten years, this plant emerges with greenish-white flowers, but its blue-green leaves are what make it stand out as an ornamental feature. Don’t put it near places where people walk because its sharp leaves could hurt them. Because it stays put, this tough xeriscape plant is great for rock gardens, urban gardens, and other similar places.
- Mode of Growth: Cactus
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-11
- Full size: 3-4 feet tall; 4-6 feet wide
- Sunlight requirement: Full sun or incomplete shade
- Water requirement: Low
- Potential risks: Sap can irritate the skin, and leaves that are too sharp may harm you.
8. Yarrow
A well-known xeriscape plant called yarrow is great for making a dry area look colorful and healthy. Its flowers can be white, red, pink, orange, or yellow. The majority of them reside in the United States. If you cut yarrow after it blooms, it will grow more flowers. It does best in full sun with little water. Long-lasting, strong, and with pretty flowers that bees like. I think this makes it a great plant for xeriscaping.
- Mode of growth: Perennial
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
- Full size: 1-3 feet tall
- Sunlight needs: Entire sun
- Water needs: Low
9. Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
In the western US’s Great Basin, big sagebrush, which is also named Great Basin sagebrush, is one of the toughest plants that can flourish. A bush that stays green all year and gets as tall as 15 feet. The leaves are shiny and smooth. Furthermore, it has a sweet and strong smell. Between June and November, it has small yellow-green flowers. Large sagebrush is great for xeriscaping because it keeps hills from losing soil. Moreover, it can be used as a natural fence. Not to mention that it’s very flammable, so don’t use it in places that need plants that won’t catch fire.
- Growth mode: Shrub or little tree
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Full height: 3-15 feet
- Sunlight needs: Full sun
- Water requirement: Average, resistant to drought
- Potential risk: Highly burnable
10. Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
These blue grama grasses will give your xeriscape scene a unique horizontal texture. Growing up to two feet tall, this grass is native to North America. In late summer and fall, its seed heads are set apart from others. Due to its need for full sun and dirt that drains quickly, this plant is perfect for drought-tolerant gardening in Zones 4–9.
- Growth mode: Grass
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Full height: 2 feet
- Sunlight needs: Full sun to light shade
- Water needs: Low
11. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple coneflowers are popular as plants because they enhance xeriscape designs with color and variety. From July until frost, this flower blooms. Its petals are bright pinkish-purple, and its center is thick and shaped like a pom-pom. Because it doesn’t mind being eaten by deer and can live in dry conditions, the purple coneflower is great for wildflowers or cottage planting. Combine it with other low-water plants for a better look.
- Mode of growth: Flower
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
- Full height: 2-5 feet
- Sunlight needs: Entire sun, partial shade
- Water needs: Average
12. Daffodil
Even though they look like tiny spring flowers, daffodils are very tough and full of life. If you put daffodils somewhere that doesn’t get too wet, they will do well in dry summer weather and can be used in xeriscaping. In winter, trees lose their leaves. Putting them under those trees keeps the soil from getting too wet since tree roots take water from the soil.
- Growth habit: Flower
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
- Full height: 6-18 inches
- Sunlight requirements: Entire sun to partial shade
- Necessity of Water: Low
Conclusion:
In conclusion, xeriscape plants are a nice-looking and environmentally-friendly way to use less water without sacrificing style, in my opinion. Shore juniper, blazing star, and yarrow are all beautiful plants that don’t need much care and do well in dry areas. From what I can tell, xeriscaping saves water and cuts down on the need for dangerous chemicals. The Read Blog suggests xeriscape plants for making a lovely yard that uses little water and is also good for the earth.
FAQs
What types of plants are selected when xeriscaping?
In xeriscaping, plants that don’t need a lot of water and can live in dry places are used. Hedges, trees, shrubs, and plants like beach juniper and yarrow are some of these.
What are the purple flowers in the xeriscape?
Blazing stars and purple coneflowers are examples of xeriscape plants with purple foliage. These plants are not only lovely to look at, but they also do well in places that get dry often.
What are the disadvantages of xeriscaping?
The planning and buying of xeriscaping plants and supplies could take more time and cost more money before the job can begin. If you like being in nature, you might not be able to use as many plants as you could if you planted traditionally.
What are the most drought-tolerant plants?
Some of the plants that can handle drought the best are blue grama grass, yarrow, and whale’s tongue agave. These plants do well in dry, desert areas because they can live with little water.
