By Emily How, Horticulture agent

NDSU Extension – Ward County

In 2011, Texas experienced its worst one-year drought since 1895. Water restrictions were intense, and reducing landscape watering was always first on the list. That summer, the lawns were all dry and crunchy. This was the first time I heard about “xeriscaping,” introduced to homeowners to help with the landscape watering restrictions.

What is xeriscaping? Coined in 1981 by Denver Water in Colorado as a response to drought, xeriscaping is the practice of water-efficient landscaping with drought-tolerant plants.

There are many ways to reduce irrigation needs — mulching, for example. However, the easiest way is to plant native plants. Native vegetation is already adapted to the climate and resources that are available in that area. This means that if the area is prone to drought, the native plants are already acclimated to it and therefore need less to adapt to those conditions. During times of stress, these plants are already adapted to function on lower soil moistures. Native plants often have longer roots, which allow them to search for nutrients in the soil, reducing fertilizer needs.

Native vegetation does not mean scruffy prairie grasses and scraggly brush; it often has beautiful flowers and seasonal colors. North Dakota is a wonderful place to see a wide variety of native plants because it is a prairie state. North Dakota offers numerous plants that easily adapt to more urban landscapes. Plants such as pink wild onion and prairie smoke are both native to North Dakota and make great medium-height filler plants. Other native plants, such as sunflowers, can be found in many varieties and offer a food source to both birds and insects. Native vegetation also provides shelter for many beneficial insects. Their colors naturally attract bees and butterflies while their leaves and stems provide a good habitat.

Planting native also means year-round colors and textures. Native grasses, such as little bluestem and big bluestem, have ornamental varieties that stand out as a statement in the corners of landscaped areas. In the summer, these grasses have a blue-green tint that gives them their name, but in the fall and winter, the blades turn a purply hue, and the seed heads add texture. This is a stark contrast against the bright white winter snow. Some of my favorite native plants to add to the landscape are blanket flower, yucca, black-eyed Susan and little bluestem. 

Growing native plants is an effortless way to incorporate color, add variety and be water wise.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – April 14, 2026

Source: Emily How, 701-857-6444, emily.how@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu