We are water conscious in the Visalia area and as responsible caretakers of our portion of the Earth we want to create beautiful spaces that deliver outstanding landscape color without guzzling water. We’ve compiled a list of a few beauties that you can add to your landscape.
Emu Bush
This Australian native would be a beautiful addition to your pollinator garden. The Emu, also known as fuchsia bush, is irresistible to them. It has brilliant blooms that blanket the plant in spring and summer. The plant also sports gray leaves that further show how great it is for your drought tolerant garden. These leaves are a dead giveaway that this plant doesn’t require extra water and would make a great groundcover.
Star of Madeira
Star of Madeira…even the name sounds elegant. This water-wise plant is native to the Madeira islands off the coast of Morocco. If you’re looking to add some pizzazz to your garden this lovely plant can do the trick. Starting in spring and into early summer, vibrant purple flower spikes appear above the eye-catching leaves and stems. Once established, this plant prefers no irrigation in the summer, which is awesome for us here in the Visalia area.
Rose Cone Flower
This deer-proof and drought-tolerant Australian shrub has beautiful blooms that appear in late winter and spring.
Glaucous Echeveria
If you’re looking for some drought tolerant good looks, it’s tough to beat the Echeveria. This rugged succulent sports silvery-gray rosettes of leaves. The Echeveria would love to be artfully paired with the bead-like leaves of pork and beans sedum to provide a beautiful contrast. These two water-wise plants need to be planted somewhere that is well-drained.
Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise is native to tropical America and prefers frost-free zones. This plant is thorny, and you would want to avoid placing it to close to your patio or walkway. It will steal the spotlight with its bright red or orange blossoms. You can plant this as part of a wildlife garden, or plant several together to create a loose, informal hedge.
Neon Showy Stonecrop
This beautiful and reliable drought-tolerant favorite will even stick around into winter to add some visual interest with its faded mahogany brown flower heads, and gold leaves. The Neon stonecrop has vibrant magenta infused blooms on sturdy stems that with add a flash of color to any landscape.
Hot Lips Salvia
This heat-loving, drought-tolerant sage grows to roughly 3 feet tall and wide and would be made for your water-wise garden. The vibrant red and white bicolor blooms hang out all summer long and provide irresistible charm for those pollinators.
If you’re looking to create your water-wise garden, we welcome you to come on down to Luis’ Nursery! We’ve got a great selection of agaves, aloes, yuccas, succulents and xeriscape plants for your low water garden. We are happy to answer any questions that you might have.
