If you’ve researched ideas to maintain an attractive yard in our hot, dry summer conditions in North Texas, you may come across the terms “xeriscape” and “native-plant landscaping.” What exactly do these two techniques involve? Below, we’ll explore the pros and cons of xeriscaping and native-plant landscaping so you can choose the technique that best fits your aesthetic sense and pocketbook. Read on to learn more.
Understanding Xeriscaping
Xeriscape is a landscaping technique incorporating plants that require little or no water or maintenance. The word comes from a combination of the Greek word “xeros,” meaning dry, and “landscape.” The Denver Water Department coined the term in 1981.
What is the goal of xeriscaping? This approach aims to create a sustainable landscape that has very little need for supplemental irrigation. It is mainly used in arid regions that receive little rain and where water conservation is a priority. Xeriscaping plants are typically drought-tolerant. Xeriscaping design uses little or no turf grass, replacing it with hardscapes made of materials like gravel or crushed granite. We’ll explore the pros and cons of xeriscaping in more depth below.
Key Principles of Xeriscaping Design
The practice of Xeriscaping Design has seven guiding principles:
- Planning and design: Xeriscape design begins with evaluating your spaces’ sun exposure, soil type, drainage, and water sources. Plan zones for various plants, with those needing some supplemental irrigation grouped together near the water source.
- Soil improvement: Even though the plants are drought-tolerant, the soil needs to be enhanced and, most importantly, it must drain properly.
- Efficient irrigation: A drip irrigation system is helpful until plants are established. After this, it may not be needed much or at all.
- Plant selection: Ideal choices for xeriscaping are plants that need little water once established. Many gardeners choose cacti, succulents, and drought-tolerant herbs, and grasses.
- Mulching: Mulch keeps the weeds at bay, helps regulate temperature, and keeps any naturally occurring moisture around the roots of the plants.
- Turf reduction: Traditional lawns require lots of water. Xeriscaping principles replace turn grass with ornamental grasses, hardscapes, and ground covers.
- Maintenance: Xeriscapes may require less water, but they still need maintenance. This includes weeding, pruning, pest management, and drainage/irrigation checks.
Typical Look and Maintenance
A xeriscape contains gravel, river rocks, larger stones, and plants typically found in an arid landscape. In the hands of a skilled designer, they can be attractive, but they are very different from the typical suburban landscapes common to much of the United States. They feature meandering paths, different colors and textures of gravel, and plants of varying colors and heights can result in a landscape that is pleasing to the eye.
Any landscape will need some maintenance, but a xeriscape requires comparatively little. It does not require the weekly watering, mowing, and edging that turf-based landscapes require.
Disadvantages of Xeriscapes
Every landscape has its positives and negatives, and xeriscaping is no exception. Here are a few disadvantages of xeriscaping:
- Aesthetic preference: Some homeowners dislike the starker landscape xeriscaping creates, especially if you are a fan of lush green lawns. Dominated by rocks, cactus, and woody, thorny shrubs, it may feel uninviting.
- Reduced Usability: A xeriscaped yard will have paths and might include a bench or two, but the removal of turn grass removes a lot of usable space. It will not be a place to play tag, touch football, or to romp with the family pet.
- Installation Costs: Removing a lawn and replacing it with a xeriscape can be costly and labor intensive. It may pay for itself over time in reduced water bills and yard maintenance time, but the tradeoff may not be worth it to many.
- Environmental concerns: If not properly designed, xeriscaping can actually be detrimental to the environment.
- Inhospitable to the local ecosystem: Some plants common to xeriscaping are not native to Texas. Placing these plants in your yard may save water but they will not support native insects, birds, and small mammals.
- Erosion & poorer soil: Removing vegetation and covering enriched soil with rocks increases erosion and runoff, potentially polluting waterways.
- Increased Reflected Heat: Increasing hardscapes contributes to the heat island effect, which can increase temperatures and energy costs.
What Is Native-Plant Landscaping?
Texas native plants, including flowering perennials, ferns, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees, were growing here in our state before European settlement. Native plant yard design focuses on plants that naturally thrive in the local climate and soil conditions.
Benefits of Native-Plant Landscaping
Here are some of the many benefits of using Texas native plants for landscaping:
- Supports local insects and wildlife: Using native plants in the landscape benefits local insects and wildlife. Native birds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects have co-evolved with Texas plants that have provided their habitat and food sources. This helps maintain biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.
- Attracts Pollinators: Many native Texas plants are specifically adapted to attract native pollinators which are crucial for the reproduction of many plants, including food crops.
- Restores Natural Habitats: By choosing native species, you’re helping to recreate the natural environment of our area, which has been significantly altered by the introduction of non-native plants.
- Reduces the Risk of Invasive Species: Native plants are naturally kept in check by local environmental conditions and wildlife, unlike some non-native species that can become invasive and destructive, outcompeting native vegetation.
- Adapts well to the climate: Once established, native Texas plants are well-adapted to the local climate and rainfall patterns, often requiring little to no supplemental irrigation. This is especially important in our hot Texas summers and helps conserve precious water resources.
- Lower maintenance: These hardy yet beautiful plants thrive on their own and often look lovely, even on the hottest Texas days.
- Improved Soil Health: Native plants have root systems that are adapted to local soil conditions, which can help improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and increase water infiltration. Some native plant root systems can be remarkably deep.
- Design flexibility and natural appearance: Using native plants in the landscape creates a natural look. And a skilled landscape designer can mix and match the plants to enhance their natural attractiveness.
- Cost Savings: Native plant yard design lowers water bills, reduces need for fertilizers and pesticides, and requires less maintenance. All these can lead to significant cost savings over time.
- Increased Property Value: Environmentally friendly landscaping, including the use of Texas native plants, is increasingly valued by homebuyers.
Common Native Plants in Texas
Here are a few outstanding Texas native plants for landscaping. This list is just a sample; there are plenty more!
- Perennials: Autumn Sage, Black-Eyed Susan, Fall Aster, Gregg’s Blue Mistflower, Powis Castle Artemesia
- Ornamental grasses: Inland Sea Oats, Cherokee Sedge, Webberville Sedge
- Shrubs: Silverado Dwarf Texas Sage, Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince, Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Xeriscaping vs. Native-Plant Landscaping: Key Similarities & Differences
Both Xeriscaping and native landscaping focus on using plants that need little water and lessen the environmental impact of a landscape. They are more sustainable than turf-based landscapes that require more water and maintenance.
The main differences are that xeriscaping, while using some native plants, calls for drought-resistant plants that may not be native to the area, and the more arid look and hardscape surfaces may not be pleasing to some homeowners. Xeriscaping focuses primarily on reducing water use rather than creating a welcoming home for insects, birds, and small mammals who inhabit the area.
Native-plant Landscaping uses only native plants, and while it may use more water than a xeriscape, it supports the creatures that naturally live in the region.
Because of its stark look (and other disadvantages), many planned communities do not allow xeriscaping in the front or side yards of homes. However some communities, including Harvest, provide extensive guidance on care and maintenance of landscapes, including recommendations of hardy, native and well-adapted plants that are drought tolerant and very well suited to our climate and soil conditions.
FAQs about Xeriscaping and Native Plant Landscaping
How much does it cost to xeriscape a yard?
Xeriscaping cost for each yard is different, depending on size, whether you use a professional designer and the plants you choose.
What are the benefits of xeriscaping gardens?
The main benefits of a xeriscape Garden are lower water usage and maintenance.
What is native landscaping?
Native landscaping is choosing landscape plants that naturally grow in the region and are accustomed to the climate, wildlife, and rainfall.
Why is it beneficial to choose native plant species for landscaping?
Native plant species typically grow without much intervention and support local wildlife.
Harvest by Hillwood Supports Native Plant Landscaping
Harvest, a thriving agrihood in Argyle and Northlake, Texas, is focused on nature and respecting the agricultural heritage of North Texas. That’s why our community focuses on native plants that support the local ecosystem and can tolerate our fluctuating weather.
Plan a visit to see the beautiful energy-efficient homes at Harvest and learn more about all the benefits our community has to offer: great on-site schools, fantastic amenities, and more than 300 classes, activities, and events each year as part of our signature Lifestyle by Hillwood℠ lifestyle program. Our new construction builders have homes available, and many are offering incentives, so now is a perfect time to buy! Start your homebuying journey online or get in touch with us today.
