Xeriscaping Importance and Water Conservation, Coastal Landscape Design

Xeriscaping is the practice of landscape design focused on the form of water conservation function using native or water conserving plants.

Florida Hurricane Landscape - Coastal Xeriscape plan.  One year post planting. No irrigation required.

Native plants are particularly useful in successful xeriscape design.

Irrigation is used primarily to assist during the initial period of the landscape plants establishing their roots and adapting to their new environment.

A successful mature xeriscape design should have either no added irrigation or at the most, very limited irrigation - such as micro-drip, for long term survival.

Regardless, xeriscaping design can be a challenge.

Coastal xeriscaping can present even greater challenges because of the added salt spray variable.

Here is an example of a successful coastal xeriscape project completed on Live Oak Island, Florida.

The first photo below is of the site after a tropical storm, debris littered across the water-front yard.

Hurricane damage, Site was cleaned and replanted with a xeriscape design

The second photo below is a snapshot of the new xeriscape landscape installed and mulched.

Xeriscaping, Initial planting installed only with temporary irrigation

Finally the very first photo above is of the landscape one year subsequent to the initial xeriscape plantings.

The plants include; Yucca filaamentosa (Adam's needle), Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Cabbage/Sabal palms and including Florida Friendly plants such as; agave, rosemary and more.

For more about coastal landscape and salt tolerant design, check out Kevin's Designing Coastal Green Roofs video here.