Mesa’s Demonstration Garden: A Guide to Waterwise Gardening

1. Mesa’s
Demonstration
Garden
A guide to Waterwise Gardening

2. The Demonstration Garden
In 2004, Mesa Consolidated Water District created the
Demonstration Garden as a unique resource for its customers. With
over 50% of residential water use being applied to landscapes, Mesa’s
Board of Directors wanted to provide a water-wise garden to assist
customers with reducing their outdoor water usage.
The Demonstration Garden provides a convenient way to identify
a wide variety of plants that are water efficient and attractive. On
display is an array of beautiful California friendly plants that make it
easy to find the perfect look for any garden. These choices are just as
vibrant and colorful as other plants and require much less water and
maintenance.
The Demonstration Garden is an excellent resource for those who
are interested in using water wisely, saving money and protecting
precious natural resources. The garden features a drip irrigation
system and markers identifying the plant names and numbers
corresponding with this brochure.
Mesa was awarded partial funding to complete the garden from
the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through its
Community Partnering Program.
Mesa supports its mission: dedicated to satisfying our community’s
water needs, through its numerous programs and services. Mesa
demonstrates its commitment to this level of service by providing
customers with ways to effectively reduce their water usage with
minimal impact to their lifestyles.
Mesa invites you to browse and enjoy the Demonstration Garden.
Please keep this brochure as a reference and enjoy the water-wise
gardening experience.

3. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
1. Botanical Name: Leucophyllum frutescens Common Name: Texas Silverleaf 'Green Cloud'
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Slow Description: Good for low maintenance gardens
Adverse Factors: Deep Shade with low water requirements. Must have well
Design Style: Desert drained soil.
Accenting Features: Showy Flower
Seasonal Interest: Summer
Location Uses: Background
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
2. Botanical Name: Rhamnus californica Common Name: California Coffee Berry
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate The California coffee berry is an evergreen shrub
Adverse Factors: N/A that reaches 6-8 ft. high. It grows inland and has
Design Styles: Mediterranean large green to black berries in late summer. This
Accenting Features: N/A shrub tolerates sun or partial shade in all soil types.
Seasonal Interest: Summer It is a beneficial insect plant.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Butterflies
Flower Color: Green
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
3. Botanical Name: Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' Common Name: California Lilac
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast This cultivated variety, with a generous amount of
Adverse Factors: N/A medium blue tiny flowers in 3-5 in. clusters can (with
Design Styles: Mediterranean good drainage) tolerate garden moisture and heavy soils.
Accenting Features: Showy flower
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 3

4. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
4. Botanical Name: Tagetes lucida Common Name: Mexican Marigold
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate Native in Mexico and in Central America. Can be
Adverse Factors: N/A an annual in colder areas or perennial in warm.
Design Styles: Desert Rapid to 3 ft. Erect unbranched stems with narrow
Accenting Features: Fragrance lance shaped leaves. Flowers are small, yellow. Full
Seasonal Interest: Spring sun or part shade. Average water. Does have very
Location Uses: Entry aromatic foliage smelling of anise.
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
5. Botanical Name: Trichostema lanatum Common Name: Woolly Blue Curls
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate The wooly blue curl is an evergreen shrub that
Adverse Factors: N/A reaches 3-5 ft. high. It has an open branching habit
Design Styles: Mediterranean and has long stalks of brilliant purple wooly flowers
Accenting Features: Showy Flower in the spring and summer.
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Bedding
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Purple
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
6. Botanical Name: Cistus purpureus Common Name: Orchid Rockrose
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast Evergreen shrub grows 4 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide and is
Adverse Factors: N/A often shorter in stressful situations. The rosy-crimson
Design Styles: Desert flowers 3 in. wide exhibit a dark purple blotch at the base
Accenting Features: Fragrance of each petal, and bloom early to mid-summer. The
Seasonal Interest: Spring flowers also feature a contrasting yellow cluster of
Location Uses: Bank stamens in the center. The evergreen shrub is a fine
Attracts Wildlife: N/A choice for a limited environment of salt spray and cool
Flower Color: Pink winds. It is relatively long-lived, tolerant of heat and
Flower Season: Spring aridity as well as accepting many soils conditions.
Leaf Color: Green
4 Mesa Consolidated Water District

5. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
7. Botanical Name: Mahonia aquifolium Common Name: Oregon Grape
Sun: Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate Exhibiting erect growth, this evergreen shrub grows
Adverse Factors: N/A to a height of 6 ft. The leaves are 4-10 in. long, with
Design Styles: Meadow 5-9 very spiny-tooted, oval, leaflets that are 1 in. in
Accenting Features: Showy Flower length.
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Entry
Attracts Wildlife: Birds
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
8. Botanical Name: Salvia leucantha Common Name: Mexican Bush Sage
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate The Mexican sage is a bushy shrub that grows 3-4
Adverse Factors: N/A ft. tall and wide. It has hairy white stems, gray-green
Design Styles: Desert leaves and velvet like purple flower spikes that
Accenting Features: Showy Flower bloom summer through fall. This shrub tolerates
Seasonal Interest: Summer sun, light shade, little water, and is hardy to 15° F.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
9. Botanical Name: Penstemon spectabilis Common Name: Showy Penstemon
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast This shrubby perennial produces spectacular blue-purple
Adverse Factors: N/A tubular flowers on spikes, which is quite attractive to
Design Styles: Desert hummingbirds. Royal beardtongue can reach a mature
Accenting Features: Showy Flower size of about 3-4 ft. tall and wide. Best planted in the fall.
Seasonal Interest: Spring Spring to summer bloomer.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 5

6. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
10. Botanical Name: Ceanothus gloriosus Common Name: Point Reyes
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast As an evergreen groundcover, this Ceanothus form
Adverse Factors: N/A 6-10 in. mats of small, holly-like, dark green leaves,
Design Styles: Desert in addition distinct flowers of a dark blue coloring.
Accenting Features: Fragrance It attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and beneficial
Seasonal Interest: Spring insects.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
11. Botanical Name: Phlomis fruticosa Common Name: Jerusalem Sage
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate This hardy perennial is a useful, old-time garden
Adverse Factors: N/A plant with coarse, woolly gray/green, wrinkled
Design Styles: Ranch leaves and yellow, 1 in. flowers in ball-shaped
Accenting Features: Showy Flower whorls. It handles drought and poor soils but needs
Seasonal Interest: Summer full sun.
Location Uses: Perennial Border
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
12. Botanical Name: Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ Common Name: Artemisia Powis Castle
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Fast This mounding shrub reaches 3 ft. high and up to 5 ft.
Adverse Factors: N/A wide with fine silver foliage.
Design Styles: English Cottage
Accenting Features: Unusual Foliage
Seasonal Interest: Winter
Location Uses: Background
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
6 Mesa Consolidated Water District

7. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
13. Botanical Name: Epilobium californica Common Name: California Fuchsia
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Fast The Califonia fushia is a showy perennial shrub that
Adverse Factors: N/A grows 1-2 ft. high with upright stems. It has gray-
Design Styles: Meadow green foliage and bright orange-red tubular flowers
Accenting Features: Showy Flower
Seasonal Interest: Summer
Location Uses: Bedding
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbird
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
14. Botanical Name: Salvia greggii Common Name: Autumn Sage
Sun: Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate The autumn sage is a hybrid evergreen shrub that
Adverse Factors: N/A grows 3-4 ft. high. It has fragrant green leaves and
Design Styles: Mediterranean colorful flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Accenting Features: Fragrance This evergreen shrub can tolerate sun or partial
Seasonal Interest: Winter shade and is hardy to 15° F. The autumn sage is
Location Uses: Entry drought tolerant. The flower colors that can be
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds grown are: Coral, Pink, Purple, Red, and White.
Flower Color: Lavender
Flower Season: Winter
Leaf Color: Green
15. Botanical Name: Cistus salviifolius Common Name: Sageleaf Rockrose
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast This low-spreading shrub reaches a size of 2 ft. tall by 6-
Adverse Factors: N/A 8 ft. wide. It bears white flowers that are 1 in. wide with
Design Styles: Mediterranean yellow centers. This variety makes a good groundcover.
Accenting Features: Fragrace The plant requires average to good drainage and little or
Seasonal Interest: Spring no summer watering when established. It should be
Location Uses: Bank grown in sun or part shade.
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 7

8. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
16. Botanical Name: Anigozanthos flavidus ‘Big Red’ Common Name: Big Red Kangaroo Paw
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast The Big Red is an evergreen perennial with fuzzy
Adverse Factors: N/A rich red flowers that look like claws that rise high
Design Styles: Mediterranean above the iris-like foliage from spring through fall.
Accenting Features: Showy Flower (Nearly year round along the coast). Grows 4-6 ft.
Seasonal Interest: Spring tall and 2-3 ft. wide.
Location Uses: Background
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
17. Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia Common Name: English Lavender
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate A well-developed woody base is apparent with this
Adverse Factors: Deep Shade evergreen sub shrub. Its leaves assume an obtuse
Design Styles: Alpine form, and have a gray-green color above and a
Accenting Features: Fragrance white tomentose shade below. It is fragrant and
Seasonal Interest: Summer needs little water, full sun, and well-drained soils.
Location Uses: Bedding
Attracts Wildlife: Butterflies
Flower Color: Lavender
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: White
18. Botanical Name: Hesperaloe parviflora Common Name: Red Yucca
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate Spectacular accent for desert gardens. Tolerates drought,
Adverse Factors: N/A full sun, reflected heat, poor soils and cold to at least 0°F.
Design Styles: Desert Rosettes of leaves to about 3-4 ft. tall x 6 ft. wide. Red
Accenting Features: Showy Flower flower stalks emerge spring & remain on plant till end of
Seasonal Interest: Spring summer. Evergreen. Will spread to form crowded grass
Location Uses: Entry like clump. Flowers pink to nearly red. Drought resistant
Attracts Wildlife: N/A but will appear better and bloom longer with added
Flower Color: Red moisture. Very frost tolerant. Soil tolerant.
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Grey
8 Mesa Consolidated Water District

9. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
19. Botanical Name: Ribes viburnifolium Common Name: Evergreen Currant
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate The evergreen currant is a fragrant evergreen shrub
Adverse Factors: N/A that grows 3-6 ft. tall and 6-10 ft. wide. It has red
Design Styles: Mediterranean stems and small rose-colored flowers with red
Accenting Features: Fragrance berries between February and April. This shrub
Seasonal Interest: Winter tolerates moist conditions and needs partial shade
Location Uses: Bank inland.
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
20. Botanical Name: Mahonia repens Common Name: Creeping Mahonia
Sun: Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate The creeping mahonia is a small evergreen shrub
Adverse Factors: N/A that grows 1-3 ft. high. It has spiny red to green
Design Styles: Meadow foliage and yellow flowers in the spring. This plant
Accenting Features: Unusual Foliage spreads by underground stems and is resistant to
Seasonal Interest: Spring oak root fungus.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Birds
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
21. Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis Common Name: Prostrate Rosemary
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate The Prostratus grows to a height of 2-3 ft. with a spread
Adverse Factors: Deep Shade to 8 ft. Its flowers are pale, lavender-blue in color, and
Design Styles: Desert the leaves are needle-like with a dark, blue-green color.
Accenting Features: Fragrance This plant makes a good ground cover, and its leaves can
Seasonal Interest: Winter be used as seasoning in cooking.
Location Uses: Foundation
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Winter
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 9

10. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
22. Botanical Name: Erigeron karvinskianus Common Name: Santa Barbara Daisy
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate Non-woody perennial to 1 ft. tall and 3 ft. wide.
Adverse Factors: N/A White daisy–like flowers bloom mainly spring and
Design Styles: Ranch fall in the low desert, summer time for higher
Accenting Features: Showy Flower elevations. Plants are fairly short-lived, but will
Seasonal Interest: Spring reseed to keep population intact. Light shade is
Location Uses: Border preferred in low desert. This cultivated variety
Attracts Wildlife: N/A blooms heavily. Bright green, fine textured foliage.
Flower Color: White Needs moderate irrigation. Prune back in winter to
Flower Season: Spring rejuvenate. Can reseed with adequate water.
Leaf Color: Green
23. Botanical Name: Helianthemum nummularium Common Name: Sunrose
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate An evergreen shrublet that grows 6-8 in. high and
Adverse Factors: N/A 2 ft. wide, the flowers of this plant are 1” wide, and
Design Styles: Mediterranean from April to June are borne in shades of red,
Accenting Features: Showy Flower apricot, orange, yellow, pink, rose and white.
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Orange
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
24. Botanical Name: Oenothera berlandieri Common Name: Mexican Evening Primrose
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast The mexican evening primrose is a perennial. Grows 10-
Adverse Factors: Invasive 12 in. high, with profuse showing of 1.5 in. rose pink
Design Styles: Desert blooms in summer. Flowers open in daytime and stems
Accenting Features: Showy Flower die back after bloom. Can be highly invasive.
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Light Green
10 Mesa Consolidated Water District

11. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
25. Botanical Name: Baccharis pilularis Common Name: Dwarf Coyote Bush
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate Dwarf Coyote Bush is a compact low growing shrub
Adverse Factors: N/A reaching 12-18 in. high with 5-6 ft. spread. It has
Design Styles: Desert dark leaves that are deeply toothed.
Accenting Features: Fragrance
Seasonal Interest: Fall
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Wildlife
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Fall
Leaf Color: Green
26. Botanical Name: Iris Pacific Coast Hybrid Common Name: Pacific Coast Irises
Sun: Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate This iris is an evergreen perennial for partial shade
Adverse Factors: N/A or shade. It has spring flowers that are 3-4 in. wide.
Design Styles: Cottage
Accenting Features: Showy Flower
Seasonal Interest: Spring
Location Uses: Bedding
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Purple
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
27. Botanical Name: Stachys byzantina Common Name: Lamb’s Ear
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast This tiny shrub will grow less that 1 ft. tall and has
Adverse Factors: N/A medium-size; grayish/green leaves with blue and lavender
Design Styles: Meadow flowers that bloom in the spring.
Accenting Features: Unusual Foliage
Seasonal Interest: N/A
Location Uses: Border
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 11

12. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
28. Botanical Name: Heuchera sanguinea Common Name: Coral Bells
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Moderate Similar to the ‘June Bride’ with its spreading mound
Adverse Factors: N/A of scalloped and slightly mottled leaves. Panicues of
Design Styles: English Cottage red, pink, or white flowers are held well above the
Accenting Features: Showy Flower foliage. In seed propagated versions of the plant,
Seasonal Interest: Spring flower color is variable.
Location Uses: Entry
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
29. Botanical Name: Salvia spathacea Common Name: Pitcher Sage
Sun: Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate The extravagant leaves of this small clumping sage
Adverse Factors: N/A emit a perfectly sweet fragrance, which attracts
Design Styles: Mediterranean hummingbirds. In the spring, the red/pink
Accenting Features: Fragrance flowering spikes become a deep fuchsia. It is a great
Seasonal Interest: Spring plant for dry shade.
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: Hummingbirds
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
30. Botanical Name: Dracaena draco Common Name: Dragon Tree
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Slow This evergreen is similar to a palm tree and will grow
Adverse Factors: N/A 30 ft. high x 20 ft. wide. It produces clusters of
Design Styles: Ranch green/white flowers on the end of the branches and also
Accenting Features: Silhouette produces orange berries. It has a very distinct appearance
Seasonal Interest: Summer when mature.
Location Uses: Indoor
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Green
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
12 Mesa Consolidated Water District

13. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
31. Botanical Name: Phoenix dactylifera Common Name: Date Palm
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Slow This tree, the source of edible dates, will grow up to
Adverse Factors: N/A 80 ft. tall and has grayish/green leaves on a slender
Design Styles: Desert trunk. It does well in desert and ocean gardens and
Accenting Features: Silhouette those in between. This palm is often used in formal
Seasonal Interest: N/A groupings around large buildings.
Location Uses: Background
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Green
32. Botanical Name: Phoenix Reclinata Common Name: Senegal Date Palm
Sun: Full
Growth Rate: Moderate A desirable suckering fan palm that can tolerate
Adverse Factors: N/A some degree of cold weather. Can be transplanted.
Design Styles: Mediterranean The pure form from Africa has a very flat leaf.
Accenting Features: Multiple trunks “Hybridized” forms are more plumose (fluffy
Seasonal Interest: N/A appearance) in the leaf.
Location Uses: Courtyard
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: N/A
Flower Season: N/A
Leaf Color: Green
33. Botanical Name: Armeria maritima Common Name: Sea Pink, Common Thrift
Sun: Half
Growth Rate: Fast This clumping, grass-like perennial is natve to many
Adverse Factors: N/A areas, including coastal California. Its flowers range from
Design Styles: English Cottage deep rose pink through white.
Accenting Features: Showy Flower
Seasonal Interest: N/A
Location Uses: Bank
Attracts Wildlife: N/A
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Mesa Consolidated Water District 13

14. DEMONSTRATION GARDEN - Water Conserving Plants
Notes
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14 Mesa Consolidated Water District

15. Resources
To assist you in your gardening endeavors, Mesa provides the following resources:
Internet-Go to www.mesawater.org. In the conservation section you will find
helpful information for all your gardening needs. Simply click on the bewaterwise
graphic for information on plant selection, garden design, local retailers, and much
more.
Workshops-Mesa provides landscape workshops on a seasonal basis. Typically
Mesa presents two workshops in the spring and two in the fall. These workshops
are designed to provide information from how to select your plants to sprinkler
maintenance. The three-hour workshops are usually held on Saturdays. Visit
Mesa’s web site or call (949) 631-1205 to inquire about scheduled classes.
Home Survey-Looking for more? Not to worry, Mesa can help you right at your
own home! By participation in a home survey you will get personalized attention.
A trained Mesa professional will evaluate water usage both inside and outside your
home. After the survey you will receive a custom watering schedule for your own
garden. Visit Mesa’s web site or call (949) 631-1205 to schedule a survey.
For more information on these and other programs,
or for links to related web sites,
please visit us at www.mesawater.org.

16. (949) 631-1205 • www.mesawater.org