Top 10 Plants for the Ultimate Easy Xeriscape Garden

Top 10 Plants for the Ultimate Easy Xeriscape Garden

As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners are
looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept of
xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western U.S.,
is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.

Santa Fe Greenhouses/High Country Gardens (PRWEB) December 15, 2004
-- As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners
are looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept
of xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western
U.S., is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.

David Salman—chief horticulturist for Santa Fe Greenhouses and its
mailorder catalog division, High Country Gardens—says the question he
is asked most frequently at his horticultural speaking engagements
is, "What are the best plants for a xeriscape?" In response to
popular demand, Salman has compiled the following list of his
favorite easy-to-grow xeric plants. These plants made the Top 10 list
because of their beauty, hardiness, adaptability to different
gardening conditions, and their ability to thrive with little or no
supplemental water. All of these plants are available from the High
Country Gardens catalog and website. To receive a free catalog, call
High Country Gardens at 1-800-925-9387, or order a catalog and/or
view the entire catalog online at www.highcountrygardens.com.

David Salman's Top 10 Xeriscape Perennial Plants
1. Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Named the Perennial Plant of the Year for 1995 by the Perennial Plant
Association, Russian Sage is one of the easiest plants to grow and
one of the longest-flowering plants in the xeric garden. Native to
the harsh high deserts of Afghanistan, Perovskia atriplicifolia has
white stems and aromatic silver-gray foliage crowned with smoky blue
flower spikes. Deep rooted, heat loving and drought tolerant, Russian
Sage thrives in almost any sunny location. It's not the least bit
picky about soils, and it thrives throughout USDA zones 4-9. This
wonderful plant grows to four feet tall by three feet wide at
maturity.

2. Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Beardtongue or Pineleaf Penstemon)
Penstemon pinifolius is an outstanding but often overlooked species
from southern New Mexico and Arizona. Pineleaf Penstemon is
long-lived and grows easily in both xeric and traditional perennial
gardens. Blooming profusely for six to eight weeks in midsummer, this
plant's tubular orange flowers are irresistible for hummingbirds. As
the plant matures, its stems become woody, forming an attractive
evergreen shrublet with bright green, needlelike foliage. Pineleaf
Penstemon grows well in full sun, and it's deer and rabbit resistant.
It will reach 15 inches tall and about 24 inches wide. Zones 4-9.

3. Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' ('Grosso' French Lavender)
Wherever you travel in the French countryside, lavender is grown for
its oil and showy flowers. 'Grosso' French Lavender is a hybrid that
offers the beauty and resilience that lavenders are known for-plus
darker-than-normal blossoms. 'Grosso' is very showy when the blooming
plants are covered with 3- to 4-inch-long deep purple flower spikes,
which are held high over the compact foliage. It blooms throughout
the summer, reaching 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. This plant
grows well in xeric conditions in zones 5-10.

4. Agastache x Desert Sunrise® (Hybrid Hummingbird Mint)
Agastache is a showy, fragrant group of perennial herbs that make
excellent companions to lavender. David Salman, chief horticulturist
for Santa Fe Greenhouses and High Country Gardens, discovered the
original Desert Sunrise plant in his garden a few years ago, when two
of the best southwestern species of this genus (Agastache rupestris
and A. cana) cross pollinated. This new perennial introduction is a
sturdy, vigorous grower that blooms nonstop from midsummer through
fall. The flower spikes are large, and the trumpet-shaped blossoms of
orange and pink draw hummingbirds by the score. When in bloom, the
flower spikes reach as tall as 48 inches and 24 inches wide in zones
5-10.

To read the full article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prwebxml188576.php