Common name:Brown Sedge
Botanical name:Carex testacea

The testacea variety is an evergreen perennial that reaches 2' tall bearing very narrow, coppery brown leaves splitting to hair-like threads at their tips, and continuing to grow to 4-8' in length. This plant should be grown in sun with little or no summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursery

Common name:Alkali Sacaton or Dropseed
Botanical name:Sporobolus airoides

This attractive grass reaches 4' tall and 2' wide. Pink inflorescences which look like wispy flowers, appear in summer and fall. These inflorescences are actually seed heads that attract birds; cattle and horses will eat them too! Leaves are long, thin and gray green; will curl if it goes dormant. This grass is used for revegetation; it can grow in alkaline, moist soils. It does best in full sun in hot areas.

Common name:Parasol Aeonium
Botanical name:Aeonium arboreum

An upright succulent with rosette leaf clusters. Forms a mound and can be easily propagated by cuttings.

Common name:Carnation, Clove Pink, Pinks
Botanical name:Dianthus caryophyllus

Dianthus caryophyllus is a perennial. Produces double flowers, bluish green leaves, and leafy stems that often become woody at the base.

Common name:Chalk Dudleya, Chalk-Lettuce
Botanical name:Dudleya pulverulenta

Chalk Dudleya is a succulent. with 12" diameter rosette and glaucous leaves and interesting flower spikes.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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