What is xeriscaping?

What are the 7 principles of xeriscaping?

Texas A&M Extension bulletin E-447 lists the seven principles as planning and design, soil analysis and preparation, practical turf areas, appropriate plant selection, efficient irrigation, use of mulches and appropriate maintenance. It explains that the method is using all seven together: “The seven water-saving principles of Xeriscape landscaping are not new; they have been practiced in the landscape industry for decades.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Combining all seven into a comprehensive program of landscape water conservation is what makes Xeriscape landscaping unique.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “They can be cool, green landscapes full of beautiful plants maintained with water-efficient practices.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29.

How do extension guides define xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping, from the Greek word for dry, is a way of planning a yard so it needs little extra watering. New Mexico State University Extension traces the idea to Denver, Colorado, and both extension guides say it is not a bare rock-and-cactus yard: “Xeriscape refers to a landscape that uses little supplemental water.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. ““Xeros” is a Greek word that means “dry.”” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “The concept of xeriscape was developed in Denver, CO, in response to water shortages.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Xeriscape landscapes need not be cactus and rock gardens.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Xeriscape and the Xeriscape logo are trademarks of the Denver Water Department.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29.

How does xeriscaping save water?

Outdoor watering is a large share of household use, about 25 percent of urban supply in the Texas figures, so xeriscaping cuts waste at each step: grouping plants by water need, drip lines, mulch and watering lawns only as much as they need. The two extension guides explain: In Texas, “In urban areas, about 25 percent of the water supply is used to water landscapes and gardens.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. For the desert Southwest, “Water use data from cities in the Southwest show that 50% or more of summer domestic water use goes to outdoor watering.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Designing the landscape with areas of differing water demands is called “hydrozoning.”” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Drip irrigation is more efficient and more beneficial to plants than sprinkler irrigation.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “A good mulch conserves water by significantly reducing moisture evaporation from the soil.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Most lawns receive twice as much water as they need.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29.

What are xeriscape plants?

Xeriscape plants are trees, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses suited to the local soil and climate, often natives, that live mostly on rainfall once their roots are established. EPA WaterSense gives this national advice on choosing them: “Use regionally appropriate, low water-using and native plants.” Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense, read 2026-10-29. “Once established, these plants require little water beyond normal rainfall.” Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense, read 2026-10-29. “Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers that are adapted to your region’s soil and climate.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Xeric plants depend on the formation of extensive root systems to effectively gather water for proper growth.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Irrigation is necessary in a xeric landscape, at least during the first few years while the plants’ root systems are developing.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29.

Is xeriscaping low maintenance?

A xeriscape can take less upkeep, and Texas A&M Extension says up to 50 percent less, but it is not a no-maintenance yard. The design decides how much work it takes, and some routine care always remains: “It does not refer to a dry, barren landscape, nor is a xeriscape a “no maintenance” landscape.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Like traditional landscapes, a xeriscape may be designed to minimize labor or to require frequent care.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “A well-designed landscape that uses Xeriscape principles can reduce maintenance by as much as 50 percent through reduced mowing, once-a-year mulching, the elimination of unadapted plants that require lots of water, and efficient irrigation.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Any garden will require some maintenance: pruning, removing trash that has blown into the landscape, occasional weeding and pest management, checking that the irrigation system is functioning properly, and adjusting automatic irrigation systems as the seasons change.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29.

Is xeriscaping good for the environment?

Xeriscaping saves water and can cut fertilizer and pesticide runoff, but one shortcut works against it: New Mexico State University Extension warns that a yard covered only in gravel gets hotter around the house. The sources say: “This concept conserves water and protects the environment.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Runoff also can cause pollution by carrying fertilizers and pesticides into streams and lakes.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “Also, because native plants are adapted to local soils and climatic conditions, they rarely require the addition of fertilizer and are more resistant to pests and diseases than are other species.” Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense, read 2026-10-29. “Using gravel mulch alone as a landscape element will increase the temperatures around your house, which may result in increased home cooling bills and require greater weed control efforts.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29.

What is a xeriscape lawn?

A xeriscape lawn is a smaller patch of turf kept where people actually use it, planted with a grass that needs less water, rather than no lawn at all. The extension guides and EPA WaterSense describe it this way: “One of the most controversial and misunderstood of the xeriscape principles is the concept of appropriate turf.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “Turfgrasses have a place in the landscape, even the xeriscape.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29. “To conserve water, reduce the size of the lawn by including patios, decks, shrub beds and groundcovers in the landscape design.” Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, read 2026-10-29. “If your landscape includes turfgrass, place it strategically in areas where it will have a practical function, and consider using a low-water-use turfgrass suited to grow in your local climate to provide a beautiful lawn that can save water.” Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense, read 2026-10-29. In New Mexico, “If the use is light or mostly in the warmer months and in southern New Mexico, use a grass that needs less water such as buffalograss or bermudagrass.” Source: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, read 2026-10-29.

Sources

• Landscape Water Conservation: Principles of Xeriscape (Guide H-707) — New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service; published 2017-02; read 2026-10-29.
• Xeriscape: Landscape Water Conservation (E-447) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; published 2001-05; read 2026-10-29.
• Landscaping Tips — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense; published 2026-03-05; read 2026-10-29.