Native Plants

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Friday - March 20, 2009

From: Henderson, NV
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources
Title: Replacing grass with xeric plants in Nevada
Answered by: Nina Hawkins

QUESTION:

I am looking to xeriscape my front yard - remove all grass! I am thinking 3-4 larger plants: bird of paradise (mesquite??), aloe, and ..?? Also, possibly a Chilean mesquite. Do you have suggestions on plants that would be appropriate/water conserving? I've seen pictures that I like, but it's tough to find plants and their Latin names on the internet, as well as cost estimates for consumers of these plants.

ANSWER:

Congratulations on removing your lawn! You are sure to save a lot of water - a very precious resource in your desert climate. Below is a list of trees and shrubs that are native to Clark County, Nevada and should therefore be very well adapted to your conditions. You'll notice that one of them is Honey Mesquite, which is mistakenly referred to by some as Chilean Mesquite, but is native to the United States. Since Aloe is native to Africa and not to North America, Mr. Smarty Plants cannot recommend it. Other resources you may find useful are the Recommended Species page for Nevada and our Suppliers page where you can find information about purveyors of native plants near you. Good luck with your front yard transformation!