Waterwise Plants for Utah

There are very many plants that will do well in our climate on the Wasatch Front of Northern Utah without a lot of water.  Some are natives and some come from other parts of the world.  These are just a few favorites that I have seen blooming in the Salt Lake area during this past week.  You should be able to find these plants at your local nurseries or on line.
Here is another post about waterwise flowers.

This is Mirabilis multiflora or Desert Four O'clock.  It is a Utah Native Plant and, once established, it requires no water other than what nature provides.  It grows into a low shrubby ground cover, spreading three to five feet wide.  Bright pink flowers cover it from June through September.

This tall perennial is Penstemon palmeri or Palmer's Penstemon.  It is also a Utah Native and needs no extra water.  It grows to be about 5 feet tall!  It blooms in June and early July and prefers poor soil.  If you give it compost, water and fertilizer, you will probably kill it.

This is Centranthus ruber or Jupiter's Beard.  This is not a native plant but it does very well here and can be seen in many gardens around Salt Lake.  It needs water only about once a week during the hot times of summer.  If you cut off the flowers when they are finished blooming, the plant will bloom all summer.

 This is Achillia or Yarrow.  There are varieties that are native, but these yellow ones are not.  There are some that grow taller than others, and some that are red, pink and orange.  They require very little water - only once a week or every ten days in summer.  They love full sun and heat!