Xeriscape Gardening - Oklahoma State University

1. Xeriscape Gardening
Department of Horticulture & Landscape
Architecture
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

2. Xeriscape History
• Denver water department - 1978
• Reduce irrigation
• Based on sound horticultural principles
• Also known as water-wise , water
TM
efficient, watersaver

3. Xeriscape - What is it?
• Xeri - scape
• Pronounced “zeri-scape”
– xeri = dry
– scape = vista
• Quality landscaping that conserves
water and protects the environment.

4. Misconception #1:
• Xeriscape means rocks and yucca, or
cactus and gravel

5. Misconception #2:
• Xeriscape means no lawns.

6. Misconception #3:
• Xeriscape means dry landscaping only.

7. Seven fundamentals
1. Plan and design
2. Consider improving the soil
3. Use appropriate plants and zone the landscape
4. Create practical turf areas
5. Consider using mulches
6. Irrigate efficiently
7. Maintain the landscape appropriately

8. Plan & Design
• Begin with a well-
thought-out design

9. Plan & Design
• Start with a site
analysis . . .
– Assess factors that
influence water as
well as good or bad
views

10. Plan & Design
• . . . and inventory
– Existing structures,
trees, shrubs, and
turf areas, etc.

11. Plan & Design
• Consider-
– Budget,
– Appearance,
– Function,
– Maintenance,
– Water needs

12. Plan & Design
• Refer to local
resources

13. Plan & Design

14. Plan & Design

15. Plan & Design
• Hard surfaces and
the use of heat
barriers
– Shade
– Organic materials
– Fences or hedges
– Control air
movement

16. Improve Soil
• Add organic matter to soil of shrub and
flower beds
– Improves plant health & conserves water
• By absorbing and storing water in a form
available to plants
• Till in 4 inches of organic material
• Not practical for trees and grass areas

17. Use Appropriate Plants and Zone Landscape
• Use native plants
when possible
• Well-adapted
exotic plants may
also be used
• Drought tolerant
does not mean
“plant and forget”

18. Use Appropriate Plants and Zone Landscape
• Low water use
zones
• Moderate water
use zones
• High water use
zones

19. Create Practical Turf Areas
• Turf areas should be
based on life style,
site conditions, and
water needs
• Traditional turf
areas require more
water

20. Create Practical Turf Areas
• Turfgrasses vary in their need for
irrigation
– Fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass (use the most
water)
– Hybrid bermudas like Tifway
– Zoysiagrass
– Common bermudagrass, U-3
– Buffalograss (uses the least water)

21. Create Practical Turf Areas
• Consider:
– Reducing the size of water-sensitive
lawns through the use of patios, decks,
shrub beds and groundcovers
– The ease or difficulty of watering the
proposed area
• Long narrow and small odd-shaped areas are
difficult to irrigate efficiently

22. Use Mulches
Mulch
• Conserves soil moisture
• Reduces weeds
• Prevents soil compaction
• Moderates soil temperatures

23. Use Mulches

24. Use Mulches
• Organic
– Straw, pine needles, bark nuggets, wood
chips, sawdust and other wood products
• Inorganic
– Lava rock, rock, plastic, landscape fabric

25. Irrigate Efficiently
• Efficient irrigation systems can
save a lot of water
• Efficient systems include
– Soaker hoses, trickle, drip
• Overhead irrigation is
inefficient
• Zone irrigation systems

26. Irrigate Efficiently
• Determine how much
water is needed and how
often each watering zone
needs watering.
• Determine how long to
water.
• Determine how fast to
water.

27. Maintain Landscape Properly
• Healthy plants are
more drought
tolerant than weak
or damaged plants

28. Maintain Landscape Properly
• Proper mowing
• Proper fertilizing
• Proper pruning
• Properly timed pest control
• Avoid mechanical damage
• Periodic checks of irrigation system

29. Low Water Use Plants
• Large trees
– Caddo sugar maple
– Hackberry
– Ginkgo
– Kentucky coffeetree
– Oaks
– Bald cypress
– Lacebark elm
– Japanese zelkova

30. Low Water Use Plants
• Medium trees
– Arizona cypress
– Eastern red cedar
– Chinese pistache
– Western soapberry
– Cedar elm

31. Low Water Use Plants
• Small trees
– Shantung maple
– Oklahoma redbud
– Desert willow
– Winterberry euonymus
– Pinyon pine

32. Low Water Use Plants
• Shrubs - small • Shrubs - medium
– Glossy abelia – Rose of Sharon
– Deciduous holly – Crape myrtle
– Winter jasmine – Shrub roses
– Junipers – Sumac
– Nandina
– Spirea

33. Low Water Use Plants
• Shrubs - large
– Smoke tree
– Crape myrtle
– Silverberry elaeagnus
– Yaupon holly
– Arborvitae
– Vitex

34. Low Water Use Plants
• Vines
– Crossvine
– Trumpet vine
– Silver lace vine
– English ivy
– Virginia creeper
– Boston ivy
– Climbing rose

35. Low Water Use Plants
• Groundcovers • Ornamental grasses
– Hardy ice plant – Pampas grass
– Junipers – Plume grass
– Liriope – Maiden grass
– Creeping phlox – Japanese silver grass
– Stonecrop sedum – Zebra grass
– santolina – Giant reed grass
– Switch grass
– Fountain grass

36. Low Water Use Plants
• Perennials
– Yarrow – Gaillardia
– Wormwood – Gaura
– Blue mist spirea – Daylily
– Plumbago – Bearded iris
– Shasta daisy – Russian sage
– Coreopsis – Black-eyed Susan
– Coneflower – Autumn sage
– Verbena

37. Low Water Use Plants
• Annuals
– Joseph’s coat
– Summer snapdragon
– Melampodium
– Cockscomb
– Cosmos
– Mexican heather
– Gazania
– Gomphrena

38. – Firebush
– Madagascar periwinkle
– Sunflower
– Ornamental sweet
potato
– Lantana
– Pentas
– Portulaca/purslane

39. Low Water Use Plants
• Annuals
– Mexican bush sage
– Dusty miller
– Purple heart
– Marigolds
– Mexican sunflower
– Zinnia
– Mexican zinnia