Rise | We've Done the Research
What Is Xeriscaping?
What exactly is xeriscaping? As defined by The Plantium, a xeriscape “is a system of principles to create gardens and landscapes that reduce, or even eliminate, the need for additional irrigation.” In other words, xeriscaping is a style of landscape design that integrates drought-tolerant plants, land contouring, and water capture to nearly or totally eliminate irrigation and other maintenance. The word xeriscape comes from the Latin xero, meaning dry, and scape, meaning landscape—and is not to be confused with zeroscape, which is a yard filled predominantly with gravel and dirt and containing few or no plants.
Increasingly popular in the Southwest and dryer areas of western states like Colorado, a xeriscape can include plants, hardscapes, and, yes, sometimes turf.
“A xeriscaped yard planted with many species of beautiful drought-tolerant plants can be lush and beautiful while enhancing the beauty and function of an urban or suburban landscape,” according to Water Use It Wisely. “Xeriscapes also beautify the neighborhood, reduce cooling costs, create a sense of place, [and] attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other desired wildlife. Xeriscaped yards make sense because they are one of the best water-efficient landscaping options.”
What Is The Purpose of Xeriscaping?
According to EPA estimates, landscape irrigation (and other outdoor water use) accounts for 30 percent of water consumption in the U.S. In the country's arid western areas, household outdoor water use rises to 60 percent, with most of that water going to lawns. Whether you live in an arid or wetter climate, droughts can happen nearly anywhere. When drought occurs and a city puts limits on water use, formerly lush and highly watered landscapes can turn brown, dry, and brittle—taking a toll on plant diversity, as well.
By creating yards and gardens with native plants that have adapted to the natural rainfall of your region and that are also drought tolerant (meaning they can stay alive during periods of less than normal rainfall), homeowners can enjoy yards with plant diversity—and that attract native pollinators—that thrive even during water shortages.
A five-year Yardx study of 357 residential landscapes (conducted by Metro Water Conservation, the Bureau of Reclamation, and seven Colorado front range municipalities) found that homes using xeriscape principles cut their total amount of lawn by half by filling a quarter of their landscape with low-water-use plants and another quarter with medium-water use plants. This reduced their outdoor water usage by 30 to and 50 percent, which also saved the homeowners money on their water bill, year after year.
What are the Seven Principles of Xeriscaping?
There are seven xeriscaping principles described by the nonprofit Arizona Municipal Water Users Association's Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert. They include:
- Good landscape planning and design
- Low-water native plants
- Turf
- Efficient, effective irrigation
- Soil improvements/amendments
- Mulch, and
- Maintenance
Let's look at each one in detail now.
1. Good landscape planning and design
Take your time and create a plan to maximize your site's possibilities while considering such issues as cost/budget, function (screening, directing water to existing plants, etc.), aesthetic preferences, maintenance requirements, water efficiency, and energy efficiency. Use your plan as a guide throughout the process. Think long-term. Consider whether, for cost reasons, you want to complete your landscape all at once or in stages.
2. Low-water native plants
Hundreds of low-water, low-maintenance native and desert-adapted plant species are available at local nurseries. Be sure to choose open-pollinated, “straight-species” natives whenever possible, not cultivars, which may be showy but may also require more maintenance and water. Desert homeowners didn’t only focus on the prickly or spiny plants; the desert is full of beautiful flowering native plants. Cacti come in a wide variety of dramatic shapes with gorgeous blooms in vibrant colors. Native plants like cacti help create low-maintenance yards without taxing limited water resources.
3. Turf?
Turf or lawn generally requires lots of water and maintenance, even when managed sustainably. But if a homeowner has pets or young children, small turf areas may be necessary and can be incorporated successfully into a xeriscape if properly planned, installed, and maintained.
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
