Agricultural Science Center at Farmington
Xeriscape Plant Specimens
High Irrigation
Plants listed under this classification are still xeric but appear to exhibit their best quality when irrigated with at least one gallon of water per square foot of canopy area per week during the summer.
An in-depth discussion on irrigation scheduling can be found in the 2007 Alfalfa and Urban Landscape Water-use document.
Taxonomic Section
Agavaceae
Agave family
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Name: Utah agave, Agave utahensis Type: Succulent perennial Seasonal color: Yellow bloom Bloom period: Mid-spring Mature height x spread: 1ft x 2ft Zones: 6-8 Feature: 'Monocarpic', edible and medicinal Light: Full sun |
Asteraceae
Aster family
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Name: Blanket flower, Gaillardia aristata Type: Herbaceous perennial Seasonal color: Bi-colored red and yellow bloom Bloom period: Late spring to frost Mature height x spread: 1ft x 1.5ft Zones: 3-8 Feature: Fertilization is not necessary Light: Full sun |
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Name: Lanceleaf coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata Type: Herbaceous perennial Seasonal color: Yellow bloom Bloom period: Late spring to summer Mature height x spread: 1-2ft x 1-1.5ft Zones: 4-8 Feature: Prefers sandy and sandy loam type soils Light: Full sun |
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Name: Maximilian's sunflower, Helianthus maximilianii Type: Herbaceous perennial Seasonal color: Golden yellow bloom Bloom period: Late summer to autumn Mature height x spread: 3ft x 3ft with 10ft flower stalks Zones: 4-8 Feature: Attracts butterflies, honeybees, birds and wildlife Light: Full sun |
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Name: Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea Type: Herbaceous perennial Seasonal color: Rosy-purple bloom Bloom period: Later spring to frost Mature height x spread: 4ft x 2ft Zones: 4-8 Feature: Good cut flower Light: Full sun |
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Name: Southernwood, Artemisia abrotanum Type: Woody perennial Seasonal color: Inconspicuous yellow bloom Bloom period: Late spring Mature height x spread: 3ft x 3ft Zones: 4-8 Feature: Small blue-purple fruit Light: Full sun |
Bignoniaceae
Trumpet-creeper family
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Name: Trumpet vine, Campsis radicans Type: Deciduous vine Seasonal color: Orange tubes with scarlet lobes Bloom period: Later summer Mature height x spread: Spread 30ft Zones: 5-9 Feature: Cultivar 'Flava' has yellow blooms Light: Full sun |
Caryophyllaceae
Pink family
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Name: Snow-in-summer, Cerastium tomentosum Type: Perennial groundcover Seasonal color: White bloom Bloom period: Late spring to early summer Mature height x spread: 8-12in x 12-18in Zones: 5-9 Feature: Gray foliage Light: Full sun to partial shade |
Crassulaceae
Stonecrop family
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Name: Dragons blood, Sedum spurium Type: Succulent perennial Seasonal color: Pink bloom Bloom period: Spring Mature height x spread: 6in x 12-24in Zones: 5-8 Feature: Native of Caucasus Light: Full sun or half day shade |
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge family
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Name: Yellow euphorbia, Euphoriba myrsinites Type: Perennial Seasonal color: Yellow blomm Bloom period: Early spring Mature height x spread: 6-8in x 18-24in Zones: 5-8 Feature: Colorado List A Noxious Weed Species Light: Full sun to partial shade |
Grossulariaceae
Gooseberry family
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Name: Golden currant, Ribes aureum Type: Deciduous shrub Seasonal color: Golden tubular bloom Bloom period: Spring Mature height x spread: 4-6ft x 4-6ft Zones: 2-7 Feature: Tolerates alkaline soil without chlorosis Light: Full sun to partial shade |
Lamiaceae
Mint family
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Name: Cherry sage, Salvia greggii Type: Evergreen or deciduous shrub zone dependent Seasonal color: Red bloom Bloom period: Spring and autumn Mature height x spread: 2ft x 2-3ft Zones: 5-8 Feature: Good as low hedge Light: Full sun to partial shade |
Linaceae
Flax family
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Name: Perennial blueflax, Linum perenne Type: Perennial Seasonal color: Blue bloom Bloom period: Spring Mature height x spread: 1-1.5ft x 1ft Zones: 2-8 Feature: Short lived, cut back after initial flowering Light: Full sun to partial shade |
Onagraceae
Primrose family
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Name: Hummingbird plant, Zauschneria californica Type: Shrubby perennial Seasonal color: Scarlet tubular trumpet bloom Bloom period: Early autumn to frost Mature height x spread: 1-2ft x 2-4ft Zones: 5-8 Feature: Botanist refer as Epilobium cana cana Light: Full sun |
Pinaceae
Pine family
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Name: Black (Austrian) pine, Pinus nigra Type: Coniferous tree - pyramida form Seasonal color: Dark green 3-6in needles Bloom period: Year round Mature height x spread: 40-60ft x 20-30ft Zones: 4-7 Feature: Resistant to oak root fungus Light: Full sun |
Rosaceae
Rose family
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Name: Squaw apple, Peraphyllum ramosissimum Type: Deciduous shrub Seasonal color: White Bloom period: Spring Mature height x spread: 5ft x 5ft Zones: 3-6 Feature: Small blue-purple fruit Light: Full sun |
Scrophulariaceae
Figwort family
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Name: Rocky Mountain penstemon, Penstemon strictus Type: Perennial Seasonal color: Blue-violet bloom Bloom period: Early summer Mature height x spread: 2-3ft x 2ft Zones: 3-8 Feature: A pinyon-juniper woodland native Light: Full sun to partial shade |