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Xeriscaping: Get Those Water-Sucking Plants Out of Here & Be Sustainable 

By Izzey S. 


If you’ve ever seen a lawn made of rocks or dirt rather than grass, then that lawn probably got xeriscaped. Xeriscaping (which means “dry-scaping” in Greek) refers to an alternative to the usual grass yard. Primarily it means a landscape designed to use as little water as possible while still being eco-friendly and not ugly. 




Why Xeriscape? 

With the increase of prolonged droughts in America, water has become increasingly limited and expensive. In California, specifically, there’s also the issue of wildfires, which can’t be put out with mass amounts of salt in place of water. Xeriscaping is growing popular in America’s drier regions due to its environmental benefits, like drought-tolerant native plant species, and its financial benefits, like how water use is reduced by 50% - 75%, which saves water and money. 


ORHS Xeriscaping Project

Starting in 2022, One Green Step has since transformed three spaces in two schools' campus’s ornamental lawns into xeriscaped ones through our xeriscaping projects—with the help of good ‘ol teen labor and help from business and outside volunteers. Our projects are saving over 180,000 gallons of water yearly in turn. Learn more about our projects.






Now You Try ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ )

Now, a xeriscaped lawn doesn’t always equal an area of packed-down dirt and rocks, just no grass. Xeriscaped lawns used soil, rocks, mulch, and drought-tolerant species native to the region. In California there are beautiful, drought-tolerant, and native alternatives for greenery: Golden Rain Tree and Bur Oak for trees, and sage and lupine for flowers. Planting these in your home’s lawn, garden, or backyard can aid California water conservation efforts and save yourself a dime, while still achieving that one-with-nature aesthetic, so consider leaving your one green step today! 


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