Western Oregon gardens and landscapes can flourish without summer irrigation - when you choose the right plants. Drought-tolerant plants include Oregon natives from summer-dry upland sites, as well as flora from Mediterranean regions of the world. The benefits of growing plants without supplemental irrigation include saving money on an irrigation system and water, as well as the environmental benefits of conserving water.

This series, based on decades of on-farm research, can provide some ideas and go-to plants to help create a successful low-water use landscape. Researchers with the Oregon State University Department of Horticulture have been evaluating plants grown without summer irrigation in Aurora, Oregon since 2000. Plant groups studied include California lilac (Ceanothus), Rockrose (Cistus and Halimium), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos), Spider flower (Grevillea), and ground cover shrubs