With water in short supply, it’s crucial to try to find ways to make beautiful landscapes that require less water and less upkeep. Everyone still wants a beautiful landscape customized to their needs, but you also want that landscape to be require less water and upkeep, using drought tolerant landscaping (xeriscaping) to reduce your overall dependence on water.
Since many of the traditional drought tolerant strategies (wood chips, gravel, etc.) are not very colorful, you can add color by seeking out drought tolerant plants that are also bright, colorful, and great for nearly any new landscape.
Plants that are Drought Tolerant
There are surprisingly a lot of xeriscaping plants available that have a lot of bright colors. Most of these plants require a small amount of watering once in a while, especially if there are several weeks without rain, but these plants are either native to the Greater Sacramento area or native to a climate that is similarly hot and dry, so they are able to withstand longer periods of time without rain and require less water when they do need watering. Examples include:
- Beard Tongue – Beard tongue is a species of colorful plants that have been found in desert areas. They come in many colors, including purple, blue, red and more, and they are very hardy in low water environments.
- Hydrangea – Hydrangeas are interesting, because they do require some watering the first one or two years that they are installed in a yard, but afterward they need almost upkeep at all. Though hydrangea come in many colors, the blues can be extremely vibrant and great for your landscape.
- Lantana – The yellows and reds of the lantana plant are especially bright, and also attract butterflies for those that want to create a drought tolerant butterfly garden. Check out the species Lantana Urticoides if you want to see some incredible colors.
- Portuluca – A fascinating plant that only opens during the day, Portuluca is great for the Sacramento/Roseville sun because the brightness all throughout the day will keep the flowers open.
- Verbena – Another classic, Verbena is very pretty, blooms early, and has a variety of colors available. It is great in the hot summer weather and hardy against the elements.
- Zinnia – Another butterfly attracting flower, Zinnia can handle some very hot temperatures and reseeds itself, so there is very little upkeep on your part. The pinks and oranges are by far the most intriguing colors as well.
- Hibotan – We’ve been avoiding the cactus because, let’s face it, most cacti are not very colorful. But of course cacti are the ultimate drought tolerant plant. If you’re okay with cacti, try the Hibotan. It is a cactus with bright neon flowers that are visually impressive. They still poke, but they’ll withstand pretty much any heat.
These types of colorful plants are all excellent ways to spice up a drought tolerant landscape, and they’re nowhere near the only options. Plants like the Lewisia cotyledon are even native to Northern California, and another example of low water plants that you can add in your landscape.
Drought tolerant is simply a great options for homeowners in the Roseville, Sacramento, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, etc. areas, because the more these areas struggle with drought, the more you need a landscape that is prepared for it. If you’re interested in finding out all of our plant options, don’t forget to contact us today.
