Xeriscaping Brief

January 22, 2008

While over half of the water consumed by American households is used for landscaping, consumption by households is only about seven percent of total consumption (agriculture consumes about 85 percent). Xeriscaping is a landscaping technique that uses indigenous plants, reduced or no turf, and careful planning to reduce landscape water usage. A review of multiple empirical studies finds that xeriscaping can, often substantially, reduce landscaping water usage. Some well-regarded xeriscaping incentive programs are described in this brief; typically these programs offer financial incentives in return for converting turf to xeriscaping.