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Image Credits

Credits and licenses for the photos on Xeriscaping.com, organized by article.

Most photos on Xeriscaping.com are our own. They come from real Xeris Landscaping installs on Colorado's Front Range. (Xeris Landscaping is owned by Xeriscaping.com's founder.) We also use licensed Adobe Stock images and openly licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, and Openverse. Thank you to the photographers who share their work under Creative Commons licenses.

Credits are listed by article below. Photos marked CC BY or CC BY-SA also carry their credit in the caption on the page. Photos of plants in the Plant Finder are credited on the Plant Finder photo credits page.

Think we've credited something incorrectly, or see your photo used without the right attribution? Contact us with the page link and we'll fix it or take it down promptly.

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  • About: Feature image: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Homepage: Photos: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Articles

10 Steps to Xeriscaping Your Yard

  • Sheet mulching: cardboard over lawn: Photo: Iowa NRCS (CC0)
  • Planting container tree in arid soil: Photo: BLM Nevada, CC BY 2.0
  • Spreading wood-chip mulch on new bed: Photo: Iowa NRCS (CC0)

12 Drought-Tolerant Groundcovers That Replace Lawn

  • Feature image: Panchito manzanita, an evergreen drought-tolerant groundcover, spreading over mulch in a xeriscape bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox): Photo: jkiscycling, CC BY
  • Ice plant (Delosperma cooperi): Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh, CC BY
  • Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata): Photo: James St. John, CC BY
  • Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum): Photo: Drew Avery, CC BY
  • Pussytoes (Antennaria parvifolia): Photo: Andrey Zharkikh, CC BY
  • Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata): Photo: patrick_standish, CC BY

15 Best Drought-Tolerant Perennials That Bloom All Summer

  • Feature image: Drought-tolerant perennial border in full summer bloom: Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Catmint: Photo: Abraham, CC BY · source
  • Yarrow: Photo: llysmlv, CC BY · source
  • Salvia 'May Night': Photo: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY · source
  • Penstemon: Photo: Dan Vickers, CC BY · source
  • Agastache: Photo: Karelj, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Blanket Flower: Photo: NPS Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Coneflower: Photo: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Russian Sage: Photo: James St. John, CC BY
  • Lavender: Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Ice Plant: Photo: Andrew Massyn, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Chocolate Flower: Photo: Kaldari, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Evening Primrose: Photo: Wouter Hagens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Red Hot Poker: Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY · source
  • Gaura: Photo: Wouter Hagens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Sedum 'Autumn Joy': Photo: Iohann, CC BY · source

20 Pollinator Plants for a Low-Water Garden

  • Feature image: Rocky Mountain penstemon flowers attracting pollinators in a xeriscape garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain penstemon): Photo: Anders Hastings, CC BY
  • Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed): Photo: Cbaile19, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot): Photo: Jasper Shide, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Agastache rupestris with hummingbird: Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Ericameria nauseosa (rabbitbrush) with honey bee: Photo: Zion National Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

25 Front Yard Xeriscape Ideas for Serious Curb Appeal

  • Feature image: Front yard xeriscape with agaves, pine, and colorful flowering perennials in gravel mulch: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard xeriscape flagstone terraces steps: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard xeriscape dry creek new install: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard xeriscape boulder mound asters: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard xeriscape parkway grasses boulders: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard xeriscape russian sage orange blooms: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Hell strip yucca winter front yard: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard boulder retaining bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Lawn-free front yard, stone wall + sages: Photo: CA Native Plant Society, CC BY
  • Dry creek bed with boulders in front yard: Photo: CA Native Plant Society, CC BY
  • Gravel path through poppy/yarrow/penstemon drifts: Photo: CA Native Plant Society, CC BY
  • Flagstone steps on slope with poppies: Photo: CA Native Plant Society, CC BY

Backyard Xeriscaping: Ideas for Living, Not Just Looking

  • Feature image: Desert backyard patio with seating surrounded by cacti and native plants at dusk: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Backyard flagstone path install: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard gravel patio pergola xeriscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard xeriscape boulder fire pit: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard boulders flagstone hot tub: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard artificial turf putting green: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard raised vegetable beds fence: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard pond boulders native planting: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Overhead backyard xeriscape, flagstone path rooms: Photo: Jay@MorphoLA, CC BY
  • Crushed gravel patio with pergola: Photo: Field Outdoor Spaces, CC BY
  • Wild corner with chair and columbines: Photo: Jay@MorphoLA, CC BY
  • Modern pavers over pebbles with agave: Photo: Jeremy Levine Design, CC BY

Buffalograss & Blue Grama: Lawn Alternatives That Stay Green

  • Feature image: Buffalograss with curly seed heads forming a low native lawn alternative: CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis): Photo: ikewinski, CC BY

California Turf Replacement Rebates by District

  • Feature image: California bungalow front yard converted from lawn to native sages and drought-tolerant plants: Photo: Jeff Silva / California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0
  • California bungalow front yard converted from lawn to native sages and drought-tolerant plants: Photo: Jeff Silva / California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0
  • Southern California front yard planted with dudleya and succulents instead of lawn: Photo: Vince Scheidt / California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0
  • Rock-lined swale capturing rainwater in a converted California landscape: Photo: Doreen Jones / California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0

Cheap Xeriscaping: 12 Budget Ideas That Still Look Great

  • Feature image: DIY backyard xeriscape on a budget with decomposed granite, rock groupings, and simple furniture: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cheap xeriscape wood chip path block steps: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cheap xeriscape small plants mulch cobble: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cheap xeriscape catmint river rock bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cheap xeriscape wood mulch cobble edge: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cheap xeriscape boulder gravel young plants: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Front yard with clean mulched planting beds that look intentional while plants grow in: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0

Cold-Hardy Agave and Yucca for Northern Gardens

  • Feature image: Cold hardy agave gravel garden: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Havard agave (Agave havardiana): Photo: Geoff Gallice, CC BY
  • Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa): Photo: blumenbiene, CC BY
  • Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora): Photo: cultivar413, CC BY

Cold-Hardy Cactus You Can Grow Almost Anywhere

  • Feature image: Cold hardy cactus claret cup echinocereus bloom: Photo: Jon Hurd, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Plains prickly pear (Opuntia polyacantha): Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY
  • Eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa): Photo: blumenbiene, CC BY
  • Claret cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus): Photo: Zion National Park, CC BY

Cold-Hardy Succulents & Sedums (Yes, Even Zone 4)

  • Feature image: Cold-hardy sempervivum hens and chicks rosettes growing beside red sandstone: CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Hens and chicks (Sempervivum): Photo: Gilles Gonthier, CC BY
  • Tall border sedum 'Autumn Joy' (Hylotelephium): Photo: Jim, the Photographer, CC BY
  • Hardy yellow ice plant (Delosperma nubigenum): Photo: davidshort, CC BY

Colorado Lawn Replacement Rebates (Complete Guide)

  • Feature image: Colorado Front Range open space with native shrubs and fall color along a path: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Xeriscape Demonstration Garden sign at Denver Water headquarters in Denver, Colorado: Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
  • Established waterwise plantings and flagstone path at Greeley Colorado's xeriscape garden: Photo: City of Greeley (public domain)

Converting Sprinklers to Drip: Step by Step

  • Feature image: Convert sprinkler head to drip closeup: Photo: Longhair (English Wikipedia), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Pop-up sprinkler heads spraying a lawn with overspray landing on rock mulch and pavement: Photo: aqua.mech, CC BY 2.0
  • Drip irrigation lines running off a supply header along the soil: Photo: USDA NRCS, public domain

Desert Landscaping Ideas That Aren't Boring

  • Feature image: Blooming pink beavertail cactus and red claret cup in a colorful desert rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Desert landscaping prickly pear bloom driftwood: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Desert landscaping red hedgehog cactus red rock: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Desert landscaping agave red sandstone: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Desert landscaping yucca bloom pine: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cold desert landscaping cholla agave snow: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Ocotillo in bloom, desert silhouette: Photo: Ciar, public domain
  • Claret cup cactus scarlet bloom: Photo: Joshua Tree National Park, public domain
  • Golden barrels + boulders + saguaro, Desert Botanical Garden: Photo: MARELBU, CC BY

Does Xeriscaping Increase Home Value?

  • Feature image: Xeriscaped front yard home curb appeal: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Corner-lot xeriscaped front yard with layered plantings and stone wall showing strong curb appeal: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0
  • Lush green low-water front yard landscape that doesn't read as desert: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0

Drought-Tolerant Shrubs for Structure and Privacy

  • Feature image: Rabbitbrush shrub covered in golden fall flowers in a dry western landscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Ericameria nauseosa (rabbitbrush) shrub in bloom: Photo: Stephen Baker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume): Photo: James St. John, CC BY
  • Caryopteris × clandonensis (blue mist spirea): Photo: Wouter Hagens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush): Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany): Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY

First-Year Xeriscape Care: The Make-or-Break Season

  • Feature image: A thriving established waterwise garden bed with grasses and flowering perennials along a path: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Hand-watering a newly planted seedling during its first growing season: Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (public domain)
  • Gardener spreading mulch around young plants in a new garden bed: Photo: USDA (public domain)

Full-Sun, No-Mercy: Plants for Your Hottest, Driest Exposure

  • Feature image: Texas red yucca thriving in full sun in a drought-tolerant landscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Hesperaloe parviflora (Texas red yucca): Photo: gnyquist, CC0, via iNaturalist
  • Echinocereus triglochidiatus (claret cup cactus): Photo: CanyonlandsNPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Epilobium canum / Zauschneria (hummingbird trumpet): Photo: Alan Schmierer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Delosperma cooperi (ice plant): Photo: Tangopaso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Eriogonum umbellatum (sulphur buckwheat): Photo: Stickpen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gravel vs. Wood Mulch: Which Belongs Where in a Xeriscape

  • Feature image: Gravel rock mulch garden bed boulder: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Garden with wood chip mulched planting beds and a pea gravel area beyond: Photo: Bryn Pinzgauer, CC BY 2.0
  • Cactus bed mulched with light-colored gravel and boulders: Photo: Between a Rock/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Hell Strip Landscaping: Fix the Hardest Part of Your Yard

  • Feature image: Hell strip between sidewalk and street landscaped with river rock, boulders, and flowering xeriscape plants: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Patchy grass hell strip between a concrete sidewalk and the street with a utility pole: Photo: Seduisant, CC BY 3.0
  • Curbside corner planting converted to xeriscape with rock mulch band and low drought tolerant plants: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0

How Much Does Xeriscaping Cost? (Real Numbers, DIY vs. Pro)

  • Feature image: Professionally installed front yard xeriscape with stone and low-water plants: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Flagstone patio with boulder retaining wall and planted beds, the most expensive xeriscape line item: Photo: Field Outdoor Spaces, CC BY 2.0
  • Finished front-yard xeriscape conversion with mulched planting beds replacing lawn: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0

How to Build a Dry Creek Bed That Actually Handles Runoff

  • Feature image: Natural dry desert stream bed lined with river rock — the model for a landscaped dry creek bed: CC0 · source
  • Dry creek bed with large buried boulders on the curves and mixed river cobble in the channel: Photo: Payton Chung, CC BY 2.0
  • Residential front yard dry creek bed of river cobble winding through drought tolerant plantings: Photo: California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0

How to Install Drip Irrigation: A Beginner's Guide

  • Feature image: Install drip irrigation line emitter plants: Photo: USDA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Close-up of a drip irrigation emitter releasing water one drop at a time: Photo: Alan Levine, public domain
  • Drip irrigation head assembly with valves, Y-filter and pressure regulator mounted on a board: Photo: michael/Flickr, CC BY 2.0
  • Drip irrigation line with inline emitter delivering water at the base of a young plant: Photo: USDA, public domain

How to Remove Your Lawn: 3 Methods Compared (Cost, Effort, Speed)

  • Feature image: Front yard lawn converted to xeriscape with stone walls and low-water planting: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Gardener shoveling wood chip mulch over overlapping cardboard sheets to smother a lawn: Photo: Iowa NRCS, CC0
  • Manual sod lifter tool slicing lawn turf into liftable squares: Photo: kadams54, CC BY 2.0

How to Stop Weeds in Gravel (For Good)

  • Feature image: Dandelions and weeds sprouting at the edge of a gravel area: CC0 · source
  • Woven landscape fabric pinned down across a new garden installation: Photo: USDA People's Garden / Region 5 Photography, CC BY 2.0
  • Weeds wilted and collapsed the day after flame weeding between stones: Photo: Lamiot, CC BY 3.0

Lawn Removal Rebates: The National Directory

  • Feature image: Lawn removal rebates turf sprinkler conversion: Photo: Pixel.la, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Homeowner running a sod cutter to remove lawn for a turf replacement rebate: Photo: Comcast Washington State, CC BY 2.0
  • Water-wise demonstration garden bed with blooming drought-tolerant perennials: Photo: City of Greeley (public domain)

Low-Maintenance Landscaping: Yard Types Ranked by Real Effort

  • Feature image: Low maintenance waterwise garden agave path: Photo: Renee Grayson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Gravel path with pavers, dense grasses: Photo: Jeremy Levine Design, CC BY 2.0
  • Dense drought-tolerant front-yard planting: Photo: Lights and freedom (CC0)
  • Fountain grass seed heads backlit: Photo: John Morgan, CC BY 2.0

Overwatering: The #1 Killer of Xeriscape Plants

  • Feature image: Overwatering hand watering garden plants: Photo: U.S. Capitol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Rock Garden Design: How to Do Stone Right

  • Feature image: Natural boulder steps integrated into a designed rock garden landscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rock garden boulder steps slope: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rock garden hens and chicks crevice: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Steppe rock garden slope flat stones: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rock garden cactus planted in lava rock: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rock garden trough planter alpines: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rock garden front yard boulders stone wall: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Crevice garden after planting (JC Raulston style): Photo: nc.hort, CC BY 2.0
  • Sempervivum + sedum in rock crevice: Photo: Patrick Standish, CC BY 2.0
  • Mature crevice garden, late summer: Photo: nc.hort, CC BY 2.0

Salt Lake City Xeriscaping & Utah’s “Flip Your Strip”

  • Feature image: Purple flowering sage in a dry mountain landscape suited to Utah xeriscaping: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany): Photo: USFS Pacific Southwest Region (public domain)
  • Acer grandidentatum (bigtooth maple) fall color: Photo: smallcurio, CC BY 2.0
  • Wasatch foothills above Red Butte Garden: Photo: Michael McConville, CC BY 4.0

Soil Prep for Xeriscaping: What to Amend (and What Not To)

  • Feature image: Drought-tolerant plants growing in lean, gravel-mulched xeriscape soil: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Dark compost worked into the surface of a garden bed: Photo: suavehouse113, CC BY 2.0
  • Backyard compost bin full of yard waste with a turning tool: Photo: mjmonty, CC BY 2.0

The 7 Principles of Xeriscaping, Explained

  • Feature image: 7 principles of xeriscaping designed rock garden: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Xeriscape Demonstration Garden sign, Colorado: Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY
  • Drip irrigation lines in mulched bed: Photo: Alabama Extension, CC0, via Flickr
  • Hydrozoned mulched xeriscape beds: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY

The Best Low-Water Trees for Every Region

  • Feature image: Low water trees juniper dry climate landscape: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak): Photo: Heath Cajandig, CC BY
  • Celtis occidentalis (common hackberry): Photo: Chhe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Pinus edulis (pinyon pine): Photo: Grand Canyon NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Chilopsis linearis (desert willow): Photo: Robb Hannawacker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Parkinsonia (palo verde) flowers: Photo: Wendy Cutler, CC BY

The Best Ornamental Grasses for Low-Water Yards

  • Feature image: Ornamental grasses calamagrostis mass planting: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama): Photo: SonoranDesertNPS, CC BY
  • Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem): Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Panicum virgatum (switchgrass): Photo: Jebulon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Pennisetum alopecuroides (fountain grass): Photo: harum.koh, CC BY
  • Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass): Photo: Drew Avery, CC BY

The Best Xeriscape Plants for Zone 5

  • Feature image: Zone 5 xeriscape mountain wildflower meadow: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Aquilegia coerulea (Colorado blue columbine): Photo: naturelibrarian, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Ericameria nauseosa (rabbitbrush) with honeybee: Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain, via Flickr
  • Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume): Photo: Mike Tungate, CC BY
  • Echinocereus triglochidiatus (claret cup cactus): Photo: Coconino National Forest, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Best Xeriscape Plants for Zone 6

  • Feature image: Zone 6 salvia perennial garden border: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Agastache rupestris (sunset hyssop): Photo: Atilin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Lavandula × intermedia (lavandin): CC0, via rawpixel
  • Delosperma cooperi (hardy ice plant): Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh, CC BY
  • Agave parryi (Parry's agave): Photo: Ruthven, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Pros and Cons of Xeriscaping: Costs, Upkeep and Trade-Offs

  • Feature image: Modern home with gravel and boulder xeriscape front yard in bright sun: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Xeriscape demonstration garden, Colorado: Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY
  • Mature terraced succulent xeriscape: Photo: Lights and freedom, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • First-year establishment planting in mulch: Photo: Jay@MorphoLA, CC BY

The Xeriscape Maintenance Calendar (Season by Season)

  • Feature image: Established gravel-mulched xeriscape garden with neatly maintained shrubs and herbs: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Bulk gravel delivered by truck for topping up garden mulch: Photo: Syced, CC0
  • Ornamental grass left standing through winter with snow on mulched bed: Photo: K-State Research and Extension, CC BY 2.0

Understanding USDA Plant Hardiness Zones

  • 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map of the United States: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons File:2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
  • Average annual precipitation map of the lower 48 United States showing the dry West and wet East: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons File:Average precipitation in the lower 48 states of the USA.png · source

What Is Xeriscaping? A Beginner's Guide

  • Waterwise theme gardens path (Wildflower Center): Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY
  • Drip emitter over mulch: Photo: JobyOne, CC BY
  • Finished home xeriscape conversion: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY

Why Xeriscaping? The Case for a Landscape That Works With Your Climate

  • Drift-planted waterwise perennial garden (Greeley, CO): Photo: City of Greeley, Public domain, via Flickr
  • Bumblebee on lavender: Photo: D Coetzee, CC0, via Flickr

Xeriscape vs. Lawn: The Real Cost of Grass

  • Feature image: Front yard mid-conversion from lawn to xeriscape with mulch, stone, and new low-water plantings: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Lawn sprinkler soaking turf: Photo: mpardo.photo, CC0, via Flickr
  • Front-yard lawn conversion to waterwise border: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY

Xeriscaping a Slope: Erosion-Proof Design

  • Feature image: Rock garden hillside with stones and flowering drought-tolerant plants stabilizing a slope: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Low block retaining wall terracing a front yard slope planted with drought tolerant plants: Photo: DWRowan, CC BY 2.0
  • Boulders buried partway into a slope with river rock channel and young drought tolerant plants: Photo: California Native Plant Society, CC BY 2.0

Xeriscaping Cost Per Square Foot: DIY vs. Pro

  • Feature image: Professional xeriscape installation with placed boulders, shrubs, and fresh mulch: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Decomposed granite path between drought-tolerant buckwheat and grasses, low-cost xeriscape hardscape: Photo: CountryMouse13, CC BY 2.0
  • Corner-lot xeriscape conversion with rock mulch, stone retaining wall and drought-tolerant plants: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0

Xeriscaping Ideas & Inspiration for a Beautiful Low-Water Yard

  • Feature image: Xeriscape ideas colorful desert garden: Photo: Renee Grayson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Xeriscape ideas agave silver foliage contrast: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Xeriscape ideas foxtail lily gravel path: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Xeriscape ideas red spikes sunflowers walkway: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Xeriscape ideas demonstration garden mounds: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Xeriscape ideas yellow blooms spiky rosette: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Xeriscape ideas orange mound public planting: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Russian sage silver drifts at dusk: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY
  • Lavender-blue catmint drift along path: Photo: Leimenide, CC BY
  • Pollinator ribbon along sidewalk: Photo: CA Native Plant Society, CC BY

Xeriscaping in Albuquerque (High Desert Guide)

  • Feature image: Cholla cactus and native grasses in New Mexico high desert near Albuquerque: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Sandia foothills view over Albuquerque: Photo: Kevin Stroup, CC BY 3.0
  • Cylindropuntia imbricata (tree cholla) magenta bloom: Photo: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
  • Sphaeralcea (globe mallow): Photo: Joshua Tree National Park (public domain)

Xeriscaping in Austin: Native Texas Style

  • Feature image: Flagstone path through a flowering waterwise Texas garden with native grasses: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, public domain
  • Cenizo (Texas sage) in purple bloom: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Gulf muhly grass pink plumes: Photo: Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Xeriscaping in Boise & the Treasure Valley

  • Feature image: Golden rabbitbrush blooming in Idaho high desert below basalt cliffs: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Boise foothills sagebrush steppe (Hulls Gulch): Photo: BLM Idaho (public domain)
  • Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) foliage: Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (public domain)
  • Linum lewisii (blue flax): Photo: Grand Canyon NPS, CC BY 2.0

Xeriscaping in Colorado Springs

  • Feature image: Rock garden with pines, gravel mulch and stacked stone suited to Colorado Springs xeriscaping: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Garden of the Gods landscape at dawn: Photo: mark byzewski, CC BY 2.0
  • Penstemon eatonii (firecracker penstemon): Photo: Larry Lamsa, CC BY 2.0
  • Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume): Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0

Xeriscaping in Dallas–Fort Worth: Beating Clay and Heat

  • Feature image: Texas red yucca blooming with coral flowers in a drought-tolerant landscape: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Blackland prairie wildflower meadow: Photo: Billy Bob Bain, CC BY
  • Winecup wildflowers under live oaks: Photo: En el nido, CC BY
  • Little bluestem grass clump: Photo: Dan Keck, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Xeriscaping in Denver: Plants, Rebates & Design for the Front Range

  • Feature image: Denver hell strip converted to xeriscape with drought-tolerant plants: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain penstemon): Photo: Craig Martin (CC0)
  • Ericameria nauseosa (rabbitbrush) fall bloom, Walsenburg CO: Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
  • Steppe garden, Denver Botanic Gardens: Photo: Denver Botanic Gardens (CC0)

Xeriscaping in Las Vegas: Plants, Design & the SNWA Turf Rebate

  • Feature image: Desert xeriscape landscape design suited to Las Vegas and the Mojave: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Red Rock Canyon NCA with Mojave yuccas: Photo: Bureau of Land Management (public domain)
  • Chilopsis linearis (desert willow) flowers: Photo: Robb Hannawacker (public domain)
  • Yucca schidigera (Mojave yucca), Red Rock Canyon: Photo: Hermann Luyken (CC0)

Xeriscaping in Los Angeles & Southern California

  • Feature image: Southern California chaparral hills and mountains under a clear sky: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Ceanothus (California lilac) in blue bloom: Photo: John Rusk, CC BY
  • Cleveland sage flower whorl: Photo: John Rusk, CC BY
  • California native garden path, California Botanic Garden (Claremont): Photo: Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Xeriscaping in Phoenix: Desert-Adapted Done Right

  • Feature image: Xeriscaping phoenix saguaro desert garden: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Palo verde trees in yellow bloom, Arizona: Photo: Alan Levine (cogdogblog), CC BY 2.0
  • Saguaro at Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix: Photo: CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0
  • Encelia farinosa (brittlebush) flowers: Photo: Joshua Tree National Park (public domain)

Xeriscaping in San Antonio: The Complete Local Guide

  • Feature image: Orange prickly pear cactus blooming in a xeriscape garden bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) bloom spike: Photo: smallcurio, CC BY
  • Texas mountain laurel purple bloom: Photo: Kretyen, CC BY
  • Prickly pear in Texas brush country: Photo: Jon Sullivan, public domain

Xeriscaping in San Diego

  • Feature image: Xeriscaping san diego coastal succulent garden: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source
  • Aloe arborescens in winter bloom: Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY
  • Agave 'Blue Glow' rosette: Photo: Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Massed succulent border, Fallbrook, San Diego County: Photo: cultivar413, CC BY

Xeriscaping in St. George & Southern Utah

  • Feature image: Red rock desert near St. George Utah with junipers and snow-capped peaks behind: Adobe Stock (licensed)
  • Snow Canyon State Park red rock Mojave: Photo: Wilson44691 (CC0)
  • Yucca baccata (banana yucca): Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
  • Penstemon palmeri (Palmer's penstemon): Photo: P. Holroyd, CC BY 4.0

Xeriscaping vs. Zeroscaping: They're Not the Same Thing

  • Feature image: Planted rock garden xeriscape with conifers showing the difference from bare zeroscaping: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Lushly planted xeriscape (Greeley, CO demonstration garden): Photo: City of Greeley, Public domain, via Flickr
  • Gravel-only zeroscaped Arizona front yard: Photo: desertdutchman, CC BY

New articles

Credits for articles added in the fall 2026 update. Each title becomes a link once the article is published.

22 Rock Landscaping Ideas That Look Designed, Not Dumped

  • Feature image: Rock landscaping ideas boulder fire pit steps: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Natural boulder steps landscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Boulders screening hot tub flagstone patio: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Boulder bed under deck wood mulch: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Boulder accent silver plants river cobble: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • River cobble border boulder mound corner lot: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Gravel side strip block retaining wall: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Agave pebble mulch rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Dry stack stone walls gravel front yard: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Crevice garden hens and chicks vertical stone: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Claret cup cactus red rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cactus growing on lava rock boulder: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Hypertufa trough gardens gravel: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Boulder rock garden conifers curb: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

9 Xeriscaping Myths That Need to Die

  • Feature image: Xeriscaping myths colorful waterwise garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Lush xeric bed yellow blooms catmint gravel: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Yellow flowers trough catmint gravel garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

A Colorful Xeriscape: Bloom Sequences That Run From Spring to Frost

  • Feature image: Colorful xeriscape cactus blooms magenta red: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Orange prickly pear bloom xeric bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Red blooms silver lambs ear river rock bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Yellow bloom spikes grasses pebble path early summer: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Yucca bloom spike yellow groundcover: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Artificial Turf Pros and Cons: Heat, PFAS, Rebates and Real Lifespan

  • Feature image: Artificial turf weed growing through synthetic grass: Photo: Frank Paemeleire, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Artificial turf close up infill fibers: Photo: Roy Tanck, CC0 · source
  • Lawn free front yard russian sage grasses alternative to turf: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Catmint (Nepeta): The Low-Water Plant That Never Quits

  • Feature image: Catmint nepeta border bloom: Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Catmint nepeta faassenii mass planting: Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Catmint flower close up: Photo: Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Catmint spring new growth: Photo: Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Catnip nepeta cataria riverbank: Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source

Deer-Resistant Xeriscape Plants: 16 Low-Water Picks Deer Usually Skip

  • Feature image: Russian sage deer resistant xeriscape: Photo: Dguendel, CC BY 3.0 · source
  • Catmint nepeta faassenii deer resistant: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Blue mist spirea caryopteris: Photo: NasserHalaweh, CC BY 4.0 · source
  • Blue oat grass helictotrichon: Photo: Daderot, Public domain · source
  • Lavender lavandula angustifolia flowers: Photo: Igorchunk, CC0 · source

DIY Xeriscaping: What to Do Yourself and What to Hire Out

  • Feature image: Diy xeriscaping when to hire retaining wall equipment: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Backyard xeriscape mid install wood chip paths: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Excavated soil pile skid steer lawn removal: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Drought-Tolerant Plants for Arizona: The Best Picks by Region

  • Feature image: Ocotillo in bloom arizona desert: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Globe mallow sphaeralcea ambigua: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0 · source
  • Desert spoon dasylirion wheeleri: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Brittlebush encelia farinosa: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Blue palo verde arizona: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Drought-Tolerant Plants for California: The Best Picks by Region

  • Feature image: Ceanothus blueblossom california lilac: Photo: Aethonatic, CC0 · source
  • California buckwheat eriogonum fasciculatum: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source
  • Coffeeberry frangula californica: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source
  • Western redbud cercis occidentalis bloom: Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • California fuchsia gravel garden: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source

Drought-Tolerant Plants for Colorado: The Best Picks by Region

  • Feature image: Colorado drought tolerant plants rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Claret cup cactus colorado rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Pinyon pine colorado plateau: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Gambel oak foothills: Photo: Public Domain, Public domain · source
  • Apache plume colorado native shrub: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0 · source

Drought-Tolerant Plants for Texas: The Best Picks by Region

  • Feature image: Texas sage cenizo flowers: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0 · source
  • Red yucca texas parkway strip: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Cedar elm fall color texas: Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · source
  • Blackfoot daisy gravel bed: Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Turks cap malvaviscus drummondii: Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Drought-Tolerant Plants for Utah: The Best Picks by Region

  • Feature image: Firecracker penstemon utah native: Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Big sagebrush artemisia tridentata: Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Bigtooth maple acer grandidentatum: Photo: Don McCulley, CC0 · source
  • Gambel oak leaves utah: Photo: r. nial bradshaw, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Desert marigold southern utah slope: Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source

Drought-Tolerant Salvia: 10 Sages That Carry a Xeriscape

  • Feature image: Salvia nemorosa violet spikes xeriscape: Photo: DoF CC-BY-X, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Autumn sage salvia greggii shrub: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Mojave sage salvia pachyphylla: Photo: The Friends of Manito, Public domain · source
  • Mealy cup sage chihuahuan desert garden el paso: Photo: Megalibrarygirl, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Cleveland sage salvia clevelandii: Photo: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Public domain · source
  • Russian sage salvia yangii gravel garden: Photo: Edwardx, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Dry Shade Plants: 14 Drought-Tolerant Picks for Under Trees

  • Feature image: Kinnikinnick groundcover dry shade under pines: Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Creeping oregon grape mahonia repens pine needles: Photo: Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Epimedium barrenwort dry shade: Photo: Svencapoeira, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Coral bells heuchera sanguinea: Photo: Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Lenten rose helleborus leaf litter: Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Pennsylvania sedge carex pensylvanica: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Fall Planting for Xeriscapes: What to Plant, When to Stop, and How to Water

  • Feature image: Fall planting xeriscape new bed cobble mulch: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Newly planted xeriscape strip wood mulch: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rabbitbrush fall bloom native bunchgrass: Photo: Stephen Baker; Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain · source

Fire-Resistant Landscaping: Defensible Space Zones, Plants and Mulch

  • Feature image: Fire resistant landscaping fuel treatment homes survived: Photo: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region 5, Public domain · source
  • Defensible space zones diagram usfs: Photo: U.S. Forest Service, Region 5 Photography, Public domain · source
  • Low flammability groundcovers gravel bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Growing Lavender in a Xeriscape: Types, Hardiness, Drainage and Pruning

  • Feature image: English lavender lavandula angustifolia bloom: Photo: Luke Barnard lukeyslife, CC0 · source
  • Lavender mounds sheared lavandula angustifolia: Photo: Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
  • Lavandin provence gravel garden: Photo: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Lavandin field lavandula x intermedia: Photo: michimaya, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Spanish lavender lavandula stoechas: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source

Growing Yarrow: The Workhorse of the Low-Water Garden

  • Feature image: Western yarrow achillea millefolium white flowers: Photo: NPS photo, Public domain · source
  • Common yarrow rocky native habitat: Photo: NPS, Public domain · source
  • Fernleaf yarrow achillea filipendulina: Photo: Thérèse Gaigé, CC0 · source
  • Woolly yarrow achillea tomentosa: Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Moonshine yarrow silver foliage: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Red yarrow paprika cultivar: Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

HOA Xeriscaping Rules: Your Rights by State and How to Get Approved

  • Feature image: Xeriscaping hoa approval lawn free front yard: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • New xeriscape front yard gravel mulch beds: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • River rock swale planted gravel front yard: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

How Much Water Does Xeriscaping Save? The Measured Numbers by Region

  • Feature image: Xeriscape front yard water savings gravel beds: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Lawn sprinklers irrigating turf grass: Photo: Angelo DeSantis, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Partial lawn conversion gravel planting bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

How Often to Water New Plants in a Xeriscape: The First-Year Schedule

  • Feature image: Watering new xeriscape plants young bed river rock: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • New perennials wood mulch first summer: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Catmint perennials filling in river rock bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

How to Build a Decomposed Granite Path That Stays Firm

  • Feature image: Decomposed granite path timber edging dry garden: Photo: Caroline Léna Becker, CC BY 3.0 · source
  • Decomposed granite path puddles after rain drainage: Photo: Btburke, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
  • Plate compactor compacting path base: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

How to Winterize a Xeriscape: Winter Watering, Cleanup & Drip Shutdown

  • Feature image: Winterize xeriscape yucca hell strip snow: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Coneflower seed head snow winter interest: Photo: Cbaile19, CC0 · source
  • Cactus rock garden snow winter xeriscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Lawn Alternatives: 9 Low-Water Options Compared (Water, Traffic, Mowing, Cost)

  • Feature image: Lawn alternatives white clover lawn: Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Buffalograss lawn alternative cody: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Blue grama grass lawn alternative seedheads: Photo: SonoranDesertNPS, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Carex praegracilis clustered field sedge lawn: Photo: Katie Hetrick, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Xeric planting beds flagstone path lawn replacement: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Modern Xeriscape Design: Clean Lines, Low Water, No Bare Rock

  • Feature image: Modern xeriscape design massed cactus agave getty: Photo: Alexis Doine, CC0 · source
  • Repeated cactus agave massing modern planting: Photo: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Agave red rock gravel modern xeriscape: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Nonfunctional Turf Bans: What Nevada, California, Colorado and Utah Require

  • Feature image: Nonfunctional turf ban desert garden las vegas: Photo: Renee Grayson, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Sprinkler overspray streetside lawn nevada: Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Institutional xeriscape replacing nonfunctional turf california: Photo: U.S. Air Force (AF_SMC), Public domain · source

Penstemon Varieties: 10 Low-Water Picks for Hummingbirds and Color

  • Feature image: Penstemon strictus rocky mountain penstemon: Photo: JerryFriedman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
  • Firecracker penstemon eatonii: Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Scarlet bugler penstemon barbatus hummingbird: Photo: Bettina Arrigoni, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Palmers penstemon parkway planting: Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Parrys penstemon sonoran desert: Photo: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Desert beardtongue penstemon pseudospectabilis: Photo: Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0 · source

Rainwater Harvesting for Your Xeriscape: State Laws, Sizing and Setup

  • Feature image: Rainwater harvesting rain garden after storm: Photo: Jengod, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Digging water harvesting basin arizona: Photo: David Crummey, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Rain barrel downspout residential: Photo: Arlington County, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Sheet Mulching: How to Kill Your Lawn Without Chemicals

  • Feature image: Sheet mulching lawn cardboard before after wood chips: Photo: Killamator, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Arborist wood chip pile sheet mulch: Photo: Geo Lightspeed7, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Steel edging wood chip mulch lawn conversion: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

Small Yard Xeriscape Ideas for Townhomes, Patios and Side Yards

  • Feature image: Small yard xeriscape trough garden gravel: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Compact agave cactus pebble mulch small bed: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Curved planting bed gravel edge side yard: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)

The 80 Best Xeriscape Plants, Ranked

  • Feature image: Best xeriscape plants mixed rock garden: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Rubber rabbitbrush fall bloom: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Red yucca hesperaloe bloom: Photo: Xeris Landscaping (owned)
  • Apache plume feathery seed heads: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0 · source
  • Desert willow flowers: Photo: La salonniere, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Bur oak leaves: Photo: Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Hummingbird agastache rupestris: Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain · source

The Best Xeriscape Plants for Zone 4

  • Feature image: Little bluestem zone 4 prairie: Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Potentilla shrubby cinquefoil flowers: Photo: Jacob W. Frank, Public domain · source
  • Sulphur buckwheat eriogonum umbellatum: Photo: Neal Herbert, Public domain · source
  • Purple prairie clover dalea purpurea: Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Plains prickly pear opuntia polyacantha: Photo: mark byzewski, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Blue grama seed heads prairie: Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

The Best Xeriscape Plants for Zone 7

  • Feature image: Desert willow tree bloom zone: Photo: Almapayokels, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Apache plume flower seed plume: Photo: Almapayokels, CC0 · source
  • Damianita chrysactinia mexicana mound: Photo: Stickpen, CC0 · source
  • Red yucca hesperaloe parviflora gravel: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • California fuchsia epilobium canum: Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · source

The Best Xeriscape Plants for Zones 8–10

  • Feature image: Blue palo verde bloom zone: Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Texas sage leucophyllum gravel yard: Photo: 0pen$0urce, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
  • Manzanita mahogany bark: Photo: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Toyon red winter berries: Photo: SnowyZeko, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Desert marigold baileya multiradiata: Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
  • Deer grass muhlenbergia rigens: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source

Xeriscaping in Bend: Plants, Rebates & Design for Central Oregon

  • Feature image: Bend oregon from pilot butte high desert: Photo: Roc0ast3r, CC0 · source
  • Western juniper native shrubs oregon badlands bend: Photo: BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain · source
  • Wildflowers crooked river national grassland central oregon: Photo: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain · source

Xeriscaping in El Paso: Plants, Rebates & Design for the Chihuahuan Desert

  • Feature image: Chihuahuan desert gardens utep el paso: Photo: Susan Barnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Chocolate flower chihuahuan desert gardens utep: Photo: Susan Barnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Mexican gold poppies franklin mountains el paso: Photo: Megalibrarygirl, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Xeriscaping in Fort Collins, Boulder & Loveland: Plants, Rebates & Design for Northern Colorado

  • Rabbitbrush riverbend natural area fort collins: Photo: Suellen0829, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Prickly poppy storm fort collins foothills: Photo: Greg Younger, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Rocky mountain penstemon colorado native: Photo: Dan Vickers (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0 · source

Xeriscaping in Houston: Water-Wise Plants, Rebates & Design for the Gulf Coast

  • Feature image: American beautyberry texas native houston: Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · source
  • Turks cap native shrub southeast texas: Photo: William Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Buffalo bayou park houston planted slopes: Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Xeriscaping in Portland: Drought-Tolerant Plants, Rebates & Design for Wet Winters and Dry Summers

  • Feature image: Oregon grape yellow bloom pacific northwest native: Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Red flowering currant pacific northwest native: Photo: Jennifer McNew, BLM, Public domain · source
  • Oregon convention center rain garden portland: Photo: Jeremy Jeziorski / Oregon Convention Center, CC BY 2.0 · source

Xeriscaping in Reno: Plants, Rules & Design for the High Desert

  • Feature image: Sagebrush balsamroot trail near reno nevada: Photo: Joanna Gilkeson / USFWS Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain · source
  • Firecracker penstemon great basin native: Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Rabbitbrush bloom northern nevada: Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Xeriscaping in Sacramento: Plants, Rebates & Design for the Central Valley

  • Feature image: Sacramento area front yard xeriscape roseville: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0 · source
  • Roseville low water front yard shrubs: Photo: SpiritedMichelle, CC BY 4.0 · source
  • St catherines lace buckwheat uc davis arboretum: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source

Xeriscaping in Santa Fe: Plants, Rebates & Design for the High Desert

  • Feature image: Santa fe adobe wall rock garden xeriscape: Photo: Peter D. Tillman, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Pinyon pine woodland above santa fe: Photo: Bryan Ungard, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  • Apache plume feathery seed heads new mexico: Photo: Patrick Alexander, CC0 · source

Xeriscaping in the Bay Area: Plants, Rebates & Design for San Francisco, Oakland & San Jose

  • Feature image: Ruth bancroft garden dry garden walnut creek: Photo: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  • Point reyes ceanothus groundcover berkeley: Photo: Daderot, CC0 · source
  • Manzanita uc botanical garden berkeley: Photo: Daderot, Public domain · source

Xeriscaping in Tucson: Plants, Rebates & Design for the Sonoran Desert

  • Feature image: Tucson botanical gardens desert landscape: Photo: Stickpen, CC0 · source
  • Blue palo verde tucson mountains: Photo: Katja Schulz, CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Tohono chul desert garden ramada tucson: Photo: DesertCorner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source