Meadow Lawns

A mix of low-maintenance native grasses and wildflowers can mimic a natural meadow or grassland ecosystem in your yard. Besides saving on water, the plants support pollinators and increase biodiversity.

“A meadow lawn may not have the same manicured appearance of a traditional lawn, but it can offer a more natural and diverse landscape that is more environmentally friendly,” says Starkey. “People can plant meadow lawns anywhere, just do your research to make sure you are planting native species suitable to your region.”

Dozens of plants that grow well in meadow lawns, varying widely by region. A few favorites include:

• Common blue violet, especially in parts of the country where it’s not severely hot and dry. Violets can tolerate moist and dry soil, full sun and full shade and light to medium foot traffic. In shady locations, violets can bloom more than once a year.
• Plantain-leaved pussytoes and field pussytoes, which form gray-green circular mats. They tolerate medium to heavy foot traffic, do best in dry soil or heavy clay, require full sun and can even be mowed. They’re also good pollinator plants.
• For the dry, mountainous West, like Colorado and Wyoming, Audubon Rockies recommends white prairie aster (Symphyotrichum falcatum), dotted blazingstar (Liatris punctata), prairie sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris), Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata) and upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera).

Native Gardens

In general, native plants are more drought tolerant, especially those with extensive root systems.

“They were born in your soil, they’re used to your climate,” says Heather Andrews, aka the Thoughtful Gardener. “In some cases their roots go down 14 feet, so they are equipped to deal with droughts.”

Also consider planting native trees. While they take more water to get going, they’re drought tolerant once established. Plus, their shade helps the soil retain moisture.

For optimal success in a native plant garden, pay attention to your soil’s health. Healthy soils leave more space for water and oxygen.

“This allows for plant roots to remain deeper because water is more readily available,” says Kathy Glassey, director of renewable services for Monster Tree Service.

“Compact soils are a major issue, especially when discussing dry and drought periods. Even when rain does occur, a compact soil can repel the rain, causing additional run-off from much-needed areas for plants. [Soil health] should be the No. 1 consideration in all of our landscapes.”

Xeriscaping and Zeroscaping

Common in the Southwest, xeric landscaping are yards that require little to no supplemental water. They often manifest as a mixture of yucca, cacti and hearty native bushes like Chamisa (rabbitbrush), intermingled with interesting rock and stone features.

However, in these climates less ambitious gardeners just go zeroscape, with an entirely gravel yard.

“While some people appreciate the ease of care that a front yard of crushed gravel provides,” Wise says, “most are looking for more esthetic solutions to a water-thirsty and high maintenance lawn, like rock gardens with large native shrubs that add seasonal interest.”

Native plants also help native animals far more than just a gravel expanse. A few of Wise’s suggestions for ultra-dry regions include desert willow, sages and penstemon native to your specific area.