Common name:Sugar Bush
Botanical name:Rhus ovata

This dense, rounded evergreen shrub grows 8'-15' tall and wide, with creamy flowers between March and May. The shrub bears small red fruit. It grows well in inland areas and is drought tolerant. The foliage is leathery and rich looking and dark green in color. It needs additional water in low desert areas every 2 weeks or plant in area with afternoon shade. It needs a well drained site. It is susceptible to verticillium wilt in wet areas.

Common name:Rosemary
Botanical name:Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is hardy in full sun areas where winter temperatures do not drop below 10 degrees F. They can be grown in a clay pot with well-drained, porous soil in bright indoor light, and will also flourish on the backporch in spring, summer and fall. Its beautiful, slowly trailing stems and shiny slender leaves are perfect for showing off the small, light blue flowers that blossom in the summer.

Common name:Blue Wildrye
Botanical name:Leymus arenarius 'Glauca'

The Blue Wildrye is a cool season, upright perennial bunchgrass that grows 2'-3' tall. It has bluish blades and flowers that bloom in the summer. This grass can tolerate drought, clay soils, and establishes rapidly. The Blue Wildrye is native to CA and is a beneficial insect plant.

Common name:Silver Mound Artemisia
Botanical name:Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound'

This mounding perennial will grow 1'-3' high and has medium-sized silvery white leaves with yellow and white flowers.

Common name:Yarrow Moonshine
Botanical name:Achillea 'Moonshine'

Pale yellow flowers appear to float on long, slender stems. Leaves are green to gray-green leaves, which are flatter and less divided than those of the Achillea millefolium. Yarrows propagate easily from rooted cuttings or division, which should be performed in the early spring or fall. Following bloom, one should dead head the plant and divide the clumps when it appears crowded.

Common name:Garnet Penstemon
Botanical name:Penstemon 'Purple'

The Border Penstemon is a showy perennial that reaches 2'-4' in height. It has purple, tubular blossoms with red-striped throats on long flower spikes that bloom from spring through the fall. It is hardy to 15 degrees F. It is also drought tolerant, and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Common name:California Wild Grape
Botanical name:Vitis californica

The California Wild Grape is a woody deciduous vine that with round large leaves. The flowers are in small fragrant blooms and berry clusters appear in the summer. This vine has a sprawling, climbing growth habit. The California wild Grape is native to California and is drought tolerant.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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