“Sometimes people think xeriscape design is removing all the green stuff in your yard and putting in rocks or cactuses,” Harris County Horticulture Agent Stephanie Gray said. “That’s not going to do very well in Houston because you’ll increase the potential for flooding by removing all the plants.”
What residents should know
Plants can help mitigate flooding by intercepting rainfall, facilitating soil absorption and preventing erosion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, especially native plants that do not require fertilizer and require less water than lawns.
Gray recommends residents start xeriscaping in a smaller, more manageable section of their yard.
Horticulture Unlimited, a landscaping company in Arizona, also provides these seven tips for xeriscaping:
- Good Design
- Soil analysis
- Practical turf areas
- Appropriate plant selection
- Efficient irrigation
- Use of organic mulch
- Sustainable maintenance
Gardening experts say choosing native plants helps homeowners create a more sustainable and resilient landscape that benefits both their property and the local ecosystem. Examples of native plants include:
- Bluebonnet: A plant that completes its life cycle within one growing season and then dies
- Fleabane: A drought-tolerant plant that grows low over an area of ground to protect the topsoil
- Texas sage: A plant that lives more than two years and can be grown in the shade
- Yellow Bells: A shrub that can grow three to six feet tall
