Common name:Bush Strawflower
Botanical name:Bracteantha bracteata

This shrubby perennial grows to 8" to 2.5' tall and spreading to 5' wide or more. Flowers are typically golden yellow; some selections are pink & white, blooming from spring through fall. It needs full sun and good drainage. It is great in dried flower arrangements or use for color borders. This attractive plant will become drought tolerant after being established for a few years.

Common name:Shademaster Honey Locust
Botanical name:Gleditsia triacanthos 'Shademaster'

This beautiful deciduous tree has no thorns or pods. It grows quickly to 50' tall and 25' wide. The black bark rises up to horizontal spreading branches. Leaves are tiny and made up of many oval leaflets, which turn yellow in the fall and then drop. Green yellow, fragrant, almost inconspicuous flowers appear in spring or summer. This is a great urban tree as it tolerates heat and smog.

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, grey-green, undulating mounds to 1.5' high in bloom, spreading 3'-4' wide. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in summer. Catmint can be planted in sun or shade and needs medium amount of water. Prune spent flowers to encourage more blooms.

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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