Water-Efficient Landscapes for Oklahoma

The City of Oklahoma City Utilities Department has partnered with the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service to promote outdoor water conservation through proper outdoor watering and drought-tolerant landscaping. Water is a non-renewable resource that we tend to undervalue. In Oklahoma, home landscapes consume 30 to 40 percent of household water use. As much as 50 percent of outdoor water use is lost due to inefficient practices. It is possible to have an attractive landscape while conserving water. The choices made by the individual, as a steward of the land, are what determine how efficiently water is used.

 

This publication will assist the homeowner in designing a landscape that is attractive while eliminating wasteful water usage. The first portion of the booklet is focused on water-efficient design strategies using the Seven Principles of Xeriscaping. The second portion of the booklet is a guide to plants that perform well in Oklahoma and have low to moderate water requirements. The plants listed in this guide are targeted for Oklahoma City specifically, with many also suitable for the entire state of Oklahoma. All selections were chosen for their heat and drought tolerance, as well as commercial availability. Thank you to the authors of OCES publications E-1037 and E-1038, from which much of this content is adapted.

 

View the full PDF version of Water-Efficient Landscapes for Oklahoma.