WATER-EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING
and your water budget
IRWD's outdoor water budgets are based on
40% drought friendly landscape and 60% turf.
Drought friendly landscaping saves water and money by
keeping you within your water budget.
Key water-saving components:
• Low water use plants
• Drip irrigation
• Permeable hardscape
• Use of mulch, rock swales, bioswales, and
other non-turf ground cover to help retain moisture.
20% OF TURF REPLACED
with drought friendly landscaping
Beard Tongue
California Lilac
Kangaroo Paw
Fortnight Lily
California Poppy
Dymondia
Western Redbud
Great start! You've taken the first step in
transforming your landscape from water-thirsty
to drought friendly. At this point, you're still
likely to be over your monthly water budget, so
take the next step and remove even more turf.
Replacing spray head irrigation used by grass strip parkways
with water-efficient drip irrigation also helps prevent runoff.
Replace curbside and driveway strip areas
Click on plant names for details
with drought friendly landscaping
40% OF TURF REPLACED
Sedge
Permeable Path
Your beautiful new front yard may even inspire your
neighbors to do the same.
Congratulations! With 40% of your landscape
now drought friendly you should be able
to stay within your monthly water budget.
Replace remainder of front yard
Click on plant names for details
Rock Rose
with drought friendly landscaping
60% OF TURF REPLACED
Don't overlook your side yard. Why not let
the benefits and beauty of your front yard's
transformation extend here as well?
With 60% total turf replacement you should be able to
remain comfortably within your water budget, while
maintaining a backyard turf area.
Replace side yard
Click on plant names for details
Coral Bells
Butterfly Bush
Douglas Iris
Strawberry Tree
with drought friendly landscaping
80% OF TURF REPLACED
When replacing turf in your backyard start
along the outer perimeter. This is a great way
to beautify the walls and fences that enclose
this area with colorful drought friendly plants,
while maintaining a central turf area for
active use.
Once this transformation is complete, don't forget to watch
the savings on your water bill add up.
Replace backyard perimeter area
Click on plant names for details
with drought friendly landscaping
100% OF TURF REPLACED
You've done it! You've now created a
beautiful outdoor living space with inviting
features such as:
• Garden sitting /viewing areas
• Gazebos or Hammocks
• Permeable pathways
• Colorful drought friendly trees, shrubs and flowering
plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds
Enjoy your water savings!
Replace remaining backyard turf
with a fully functional outdoor
living space
Here is a description
Plant Type: Height Range:
Flower Color:
Flower Season:
Leaf Color:
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun:
Water:
Growth Rate:
Soil Type:
Soil Condition:
Soil pH:
Adverse Factors: n/a
Dymondia margaretae
Plant Type: Ground cover, PerennialHeight Range: Under 1'
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Grey Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Eschscholzia californica
Plant Type: Perennial, AnnualHeight Range: Under 1'
Flower Color: Gold, Orange
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Leaf Color: Blue Green, Grey Green, Light Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Medium
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Dietes iridioides
Plant Type: Shrub, PerennialHeight Range: 1-3', 3-6'
Flower Color: Yellow, White, Multi-Colored
Flower Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Intermittent
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Very Low, Low, Medium
Growth Rate: Fast, Moderate
Soil Type: Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Anigozanthos hybrids
Plant Type: PerennialHeight Range: 3-6'
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Leaf Color: Green, Dark Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Very Low, Low, Medium, Extra in Summer
Growth Rate: Fast, Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground coverHeight Range: 3-6', 6-12'
Flower Color: Blue, Purple
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Dark Green
Bark Color: Brown
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Fast, Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Penstemon 'Apple Blossom'
Plant Type: PerennialHeight Range: 1-3'
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Low, Medium, Extra in Summer
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Carex testacea
Plant Type: Perennial, GrassHeight Range: 1-3'
Flower Color: n/a
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Leaf Color: Bronze, Brown, Green, Orange
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Medium
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Well-drained
Soil pH: Acid, Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Cercis occidentalis
Plant Type: ShrubHeight Range: 12-25'
Flower Color: Violet
Flower Season: Winter, Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Pavonia lasiopetala
Plant Type: ShrubHeight Range: 1.5'-4'
Flower Color: Pink, Rose, Yellow
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Part Shade
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Type: Any
Soil Condition: Well-drained
Soil pH: n/a
Adverse Factors: n/a
Heuchera cultivars
Plant Type: PerennialHeight Range: 1-3'
Flower Color: Coral Pink
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Half, Shade
Water: Low, Medium, Extra in Summer
Growth Rate: Moderate, Slow
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam
Soil Condition: Average, Rich, Well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Cercis occidentalis
Plant Type: ShrubHeight Range: 12-25'
Flower Color: Violet
Flower Season: Winter, Spring
Leaf Color: Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Arbutus unedo
Plant Type: Tree, ShrubHeight Range: 6-12', 12-25'
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Winter, Fall
Leaf Color: Green, Dark Green
Bark Color: Red
Fruit Color: Red
Fruit Season: Winter, Fall
Sun: Full, Half
Water: Low
Growth Rate: Moderate, Slow
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH: Acid, Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Buddleja davidii
Plant Type: ShrubHeight Range: 6-12'
Flower Color: Blue, Pink, Purple
Flower Season: Summer
Leaf Color: Dark Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Full, Half, Shade
Water: Very Low, Low
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition: Well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Iris douglasiana
Plant Type: PerennialHeight Range: 1-3'
Flower Color: Lavender, Purple, Violet
Flower Season: Spring
Leaf Color: Green, Dark Green
Bark Color: n/a
Fruit Color: n/a
Fruit Season: n/a
Sun: Half, Shade
Water: Very Low, Low, Medium, Extra in Summer
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Type: Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky
Soil Condition: Average, Well-drained
Soil pH: Neutral
Adverse Factors: n/a
Drought friendly ground covering
Permeable pathways use materials like stepping stones surrounded by plant material, bark, mulch or gravel fillers.
These materials allow water to soak into the soil and reduce runoff. They also retain less heat than large paved surfaces.
Click to see incremental transformation from turf to drought friendly landscape
