Common name:Common Yarrow, Mifoil
Botanical name:Achillea millefolium

Common Yarrow is a hardy perennial with hairy, evergreen green foliage. It has a tight cluster of white flowers and typically blooms in the summer months. It attracts bees and butterflies. It prefers full to part sun and becomes drought tolerant once it's established. Following bloom, one should dead head the plant and divide the clumps when it appears crowded to keep it looking tidy.

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:Common Field or Slender Sedge
Botanical name:Carex praegracilis

This California native grass can tolerate occasional flooding or standing water as it is found in marshes and wetlands. It does make a great lawn substitute as it can be mowed, will take sun and part sun and need watering once a week in hot summer months. This sedge uses much less water than sod. It can be used for erosion control also.

Common name:Grey Desert Spoon, Sotol
Botanical name:Dasylirion wheeleri

Grey desert spoon requires little maintenance and is popular in desert themed gardens. Plants tolerate drought, reflected heat and poor soils. It slowly develops a short, thick trunk while reaching 6' tall and wide. Leaves look like swords, are 3' long gray-green with thorns on the margins. During late spring to summer, an erect stem of white creamy flowers emerge from the center, up to 10' high. This long lived plant needs well draining soil. Do not plant near walkways.

Common name:Orange or Brown Sedge
Botanical name:Carex testacea

The testacea variety is an evergreen perennial that reaches 2' tall bearing very narrow, coppery brown leaves splitting to hair-like threads at their tips, and continuing to grow to 4-8' in length. This plant should be grown in sun with little or no summer watering. During winter, foliage turns orange. If this grass is planted in shade, foliage stays green. Flowers are insignificant. Orange Sedge looks great in containers or spilling over near walkways or into water features.

Common name:California Black Oak
Botanical name:Quercus kelloggii

The California black oak is a deciduous tree that grows 20'-60' tall. It has sharply lobed leaves which turn yellow to orange in the fall. The black oak is a CA native, is drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies. -Cornflower Farms

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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