Low Irrigation
While native and non-native species in this category are very drought-tolerant, their quality will be enhanced by the addition of 0.4 gallons of water per square foot of canopy area per week, during dry periods of mid-summer.
Taxonomic Section
Asteraceae
Aster Family
Name: Black sagebrush, Artemisia nova
Type: Evergreen shrub
Seasonal color: Inconspicuous yellow bloom
Bloom period: Spring to summer
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2ft
Zones: 4-9
Feature: Fixes nitrogen
Light: Full sun
Name: Curry plant, Helichrysum angustifolium
Type: Woody perennial
Seasonal color: Yellow bloom
Bloom period: Mid-summer to autumn
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Fragrance of curry powder
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Name: Desert Zinnia, Zinnia grandiflora
Type: Perennial ground cover or subshrub
Seasonal color: Bright yellow bloom
Bloom period: Mid-summer to early autumn
Mature height x spread: 6-8in x 10in
Zones: 4-7
Feature: Short life span of 2 to 3 years
Light: Full sun
Name: Dotted gayfeather, Liatris punctata
Type: Forb/herb
Seasonal color: Purple bloom
Bloom period: Mid-summer
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2ft
Zones: 3-9
Feature: Attracts bees and butterflies
Light: Full sun
Name: Fringed sagewort, Artemisia frigida
Type: Evergreen subshrub
Seasonal color: Small yellow bloom
Bloom period: Summer to autumn
Mature height x spread: 1-2ft x 1-2ft
Zones: 4-8
Feature: Fine silvery foliage
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Crassulaceae
Stone Crop Family
Name: Autumn Joy, Hylotelephium telephium
Type: Succulent perennial
Seasonal color: Pink bloom early summer, rust red autumn
Bloom period: Spring to autumn
Mature height x spread: 18-24" x 10-15"
Zones: 3-8
Feature: Attracts bees and butterflies
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Cupressaceae
Cypress Family
Name: Rocky Mountain juniper, Juniperus scopulorum
Type: Evergreen tree or large shrub
Seasonal color: Inconspicuous
Bloom period: Spring
Mature height x spread: 15-30ft x 8-15ft
Zones: 3-7
Feature: 1/4-1/3 inch berrylike cones
Light: Full sun
Fabaceae
Pea Family
Name: New Mexico Locust, Robinia neomexicana
Type: Large shrub or small tree
Seasonal color: Pink or lavender bloom
Bloom period: Early summer
Mature height x spread: Shrub 6ft x 6ft or tree 30ft
Zones: 4-8
Feature: Branches with paired thorns
Light: Full sun
Name: Screwbean mesquite, Prosopis pubescens
Type: Deciduous tree
Seasonal color: Yellow bloom
Bloom period: Summer
Mature height x spread: 15ft
Zones: 6-8
Feature: Spirally-twisted seed pods
Light: Full sun
Lamiaceae
Mint Family
Name: Cherry sage, Salvia greggii
Type: Evergreen or deciduous shrub zone dependent
Seasonal color: Red bloom
Bloom period: Spring and autumn
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2-3ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Good as low hedge
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Name: Greek germander, Teucrium aroanium
Type: Herb/ground cover
Seasonal color: Lavender bloom
Bloom period: Summer
Mature height x spread: 1ft x 2-2.5ft
Zones: 5-10
Feature: Deer and rabbit resistant
Light: Full sun
Name: Rock sage, Salvia pinguifolia
Type: Deciduous small shrub
Seasonal color: lavender bloom
Bloom period: Summer to autumn
Mature height x spread: 3-5ft x 2-3ft
Zones: 6-8
Feature: Aromatic leaves
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Liliaceae
Lily Family
Name: Beargrass, Nolina microcarpa
Type: Perennial shrub
Seasonal color: Inconspicuous greenish white to yellow bloom
Bloom period: Mid-spring
Mature height x spread: 5ft x 5ft
Zones: 5-9
Feature: Leaves used for making baskets
Light: Full sun
Linaceae
Flax Family
Name: Perennial flax, Linum perenne
Type: Perennial
Seasonal color: Blue bloom
Bloom period: Spring
Mature height x spread: 1-1.5ft x 1ft
Zones: 2-8
Feature: Short-lived bloom, cut back after initial bloom
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Malvaceae
Mallow Family
Name: Desert globe mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Seasonal color: Orange bloom
Bloom period: Early spring
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 3ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Attractive downy leaves
Light: Full sun
Nyctaginaceae
Four O'clock Family
Name: Giant four o'clock, Mirabilis multiflora
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Seasonal color: Magneta bloom
Bloom period: Summer
Mature height x spread: 1-2ft x 5-6ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Blue-gray broadly pointed leaves
Light: Full sun to half-day sun
Poaceae
Grass Family
Name: Giant sacaton, Sporobolus wrightii
Type: Perennial
Seasonal color: Pinkish bloom
Bloom period: Summer to autumn
Mature height x spread: 3ft foliage x 5ft plume
Zones: 4-8
Feature: Not as alkali tolerant as Alkali Sacaton
Light: Full sun
Polemoniaceae
Phlox Family
Name: Scarlet gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata
Type: Perennial forb/herb
Seasonal color: Red bloom
Bloom period: Late spring through summer
Mature height x spread: 1ft x 2-3ft
Zones: 1-7
Feature: Landscape red accent plant
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Polygonaceae
Smartweed Family
Name: James' Buckwheat, Eriogonum jamesii
Type: Forb/herb
Seasonal color: Small pale yellow bloom
Bloom period: Mid-summer to late summer
Mature height x spread: 1ft x 1.5ft
Zones: 4-9
Feature: Tolerates strong winds
Light: Full sun
Rosaceae
Rose Family
Name: Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany, Cerocarpus ledifolius
Type: Evergreen shrub or tree
Seasonal color: Small yellow bloom
Bloom period: Early spring
Mature height x spread: 4-15ft x 4-8ft
Zones: 3-8
Feature: Light gray bark
Light: Full sun or half-day shade
Type: Deciduous tree
Seasonal color: White bloom
Bloom period: Spring
Mature height x spread: 5ft x 5ft
Zones: 3-6
Feature: Edible fruit; food for wildlife
Light: Full sun
Name: Western Sandcherry, Prunus besseyi
Type: Deciduous shrub
Seasonal color: White bloom
Bloom period: Spring
Mature height x spread: 4ft x 6ft
Zones: 4-7
Feature: Summer black berries, autumn red foliage
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Sapindaceae
Soapberry Family
Name: Goldenrain tree, Koelreuteria paniculata
Type: Deciduous tree
Seasonal color: Yellow bloom/ autumn orange-red leaves
Bloom period: Summer/autumn
Mature height x spread: 25ft x 20ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Red and black Boxelder bugs attracted to seeds
Light: Full sun
Scrophulariaceae
Figwort Family
Name: Firecracker penstemon, Penstemon eatonii
Type: Perennial
Seasonal color: Red bloom
Bloom period: Early summer
Mature height x spread: 1ft with 3ft flowering stalks
Zones: 4-8
Feature: Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Name: Penstemon Sunset Crater, Penstemon clutei
Type: Perennial herb
Seasonal color: Pink bloom
Bloom period: Summer to mid-autumn
Mature height x spread: 2-2.5ft x 2-3ft
Zones: 4-9
Feature: Native range Sunset Crater, Arizona
Light: Full sun
Name: Pineleaf penstemon, Penstemon pinifolius
Type: Woody perennial
Seasonal color: Red bloom
Bloom period: Late Spring to summer
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2ft
Zones: 4-8
Feature: Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Light: Full sun to light shade
Verbenaceae
Vervain Family
Name: Blue mist, Caryopteris clandonensis
Type: Deciduous shrub
Seasonal color: Blue bloom
Bloom period: Summer
Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2ft
Zones: 5-8
Feature: Aromatic leaves
Light: Full sun to partial shade