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Moments: Water-Efficient Gardening

KCET Desert Cities presents information on water efficient gardening with the help of Coachella Valley Water District. www.cvwd.org

Trees (Part 2)

The willow acacia is one of many water-efficient trees in the desert, growing to be about 40 feet tall. It has long, flowing branches that provide shade in the summer while it veritably sips small amounts of water. The drake elm has dark green leaves that fall off in Winter and return in Spring. It grows to be about 35 feet tall.

Systems

70-80 percent of water consumption in the Coachella Valley takes place outside of the home, on lawns and landscaping. In addition to water-efficient plants, a water efficient irrigation system can help reduce this waste. Drip systems are the best water-efficient irrigation systems, using emitters at each plant for concentrated watering. While a spray system uses about 2 gallons of water per minute, a drip system uses about 2 ounces. Similarly, a bubbler system that floods the soil can easily be replaced with a drip system. If you are going to use a sprinkler system, it's a good idea to monitor the length of time that it's on and any uninteded areas it might water.

Plant Attributes

There are ways to easily tell if plants are water-efficient. The leaf is usually a good indicator of how much water a plant conserves. Some of the following plant attributes are indicative of a plant's water-efficiency:

• Pubescence - a fuzz on each leaf, helps to slow air movement down over the leaf, losing less water


• Small leaves - reduces surface area and helps with water conservation


• Waxy cuticle - waxy surface over leaves that keep it from losing water


• Catci have compact shapes with very little surface area for volume, allowing them to hold water.


• The shallower a cactus' grooves, the more water it can hold.

Trees - Part 1

Despite common perceptions of the desert as a treeless expanse, there are many lush, water-efficient trees that can be planted in your yard. The cajeput tree has very unusual, spongy, white bark and can grow to be about 40 feet tall while just a few feet wide. It works well as a shade tree that flowers but doesn't make a big mess. The Sonoran palo verde ("green stick," pictured) has green bark and blooms with golden-yellow flowers in the spring. It grows to be about 30 feet tall and wide, and it is native to the desert.

Plants

One can create a beautiful desert garden with colorful plants while still conserving water. Dave Koller of Coachella Valley Water District shows host Davida Plummer Van Der Ploeg some of these plants as well as the "natural pruning" technique, which involves cutting branches from deeper inside a bush or shrub to maintain a more natural appearance.

• Orange jubilee - grows to 20 ft. tall by 8 ft. wide, very colorful, may require pruning.


• African Daisy - moderate water-user that can grow in the ground or potted.


• Texas Ranger - large shrub that uses very little water.

Groundcover

70 to 80 percent of the water consumed at home is used outside the house, so it can be difficult to maintain a beautiful yard along with a low water bill. Dave Koller, Conservation Coordinator at the gardens of Coachella Valley Water District, recommends the following plants for a resource-efficient, colorful alternative to using rocks as groundcover:

• False heather - grows throughout the year and has lavender-colored flowers.


• Dwarf rosemary - water-efficient plant that can be pruned or trimmed into a hedge.


• Lantana - colorful, perennially-flowering plant that can grow six feet in one year while using less than a gallon of water per day.