Common name:Yellow Dietes or Fortnight Lily
Botanical name:Dietes bicolor

This clumping perennial iris relative stands 3'-4' high. It has light- yellow, iris-like flowers with maroon blotches that are about 2" wide. It performs best in full sun and in soil with good drainage.

Common name:Mission or Tree Cactus, Indian Fig
Botanical name:Opuntia ficus-indica

This unusual looking cactus forms a trunk topped with pads (actually the leaves) that have few spines. Flowers are yellow to orange in late spring and early summer, found at the edges of the pads. Green edible fruit follows the bloom period. Fruit turns purple when ripe. This cactus need full sun and well draining soil. It is frost sensitive. The newly formed pads, or nopales of this cactus are used to make a delicious salsa,. The major pest comes from a scale.

Common name:Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave americana

This agave is fast growing to about 6-10' tall and 8-13' wide. Wide, gray leaves have stiff terminal spines and recurved teeth on margins. It prefers full sun and well-drained situations. It is prone to agave snout weevil which will eat the roots and leaves. After blooming, which could take several years, it will die but will send up new pups from around the base. Some people are allergic to the sap. Removal is difficult if unwanted. Water once a month during the summer.

Common name:Couesii Century Plant
Botanical name:Agave parryi v. couesii

This attractive succulent slowly reaches 2' tall and wide. Evergreen leaves are wide, fleshy, and blue gray, almost white in color. This is a hardy plant, preferring full sun and well draining soil. It is drought tolerant once it's established. Leaf margins have small thorns.

Common name:Copper King Gazania
Botanical name:Gazania 'Copper King'

This perennial groundcover will grow 6"-10" tall and has soft, greyish-green foliage with yellow-orange flowers that bloom April to September.

Common name:Englemann Prickly Pear
Botanical name:Opuntia phaeacantha

This plant has sage-green pods and produces yellow-orange flowers tha bloom in summer. It is extremely drought tolerant and does well in full sun to partial shade with good drainage.

Common name:Nandina, Heavenly Bamboo
Botanical name:Nandina domestica

Nandina domestica is a graceful upright shrub that grows from 3'-6' in height. It gets its name from its bamboo-like growth habit. When thinned from the center it bears a remarkable resemblance to bamboo. It is best used in groups. It can be used in a shaded patio or out in a shrub border with full sun. An interesting feature of Heavenly Bamboo is the bronze color in the new growth when planted in full sun. It also bears clusters of white flowers in the spring.

Common name:Silver or Large Wormwood
Botanical name:Artemisia arborescens

Fast growing shrub to 6' tall by 8' wide. Soft, silvery foliage is a good contrast to the dull yellow flowers produced in spring. Wormwood is tolerant of a wide range of climates and soil conditions, although it is a little cold tender (25f).

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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