Xeriscape – Drought-Adaptive Horticulture
The Llano Estacado boasts of an abundance of natural resources; unfortunately, rainfall is not one of them. The conservation of water is of utmost importance and one important way of doing this is to use xeriscaping.
The word xeriscaping comes from a combination of two other words: "xeri" derived from the Greek word "xeros" for dry; and "scape," meaning a kind of view or scene. In practice xeriscaping means landscaping with slow-growing, drought tolerant plants to conserve water and reduce yard trimmings. Besides saving water, xeriscapes generally require less fertilizer and fewer pest control measures than traditional landscapes.
The Sibley Nature Center is a strong advocate of xeriscaping, and we are providing some valuable resources to help residents learn more about this important practice. Please check back as we'll provide links to these resources as they become available.
Xeriscaping Resources
Some documents are presented in both PDF and HTML formats. The former is better for printing; the latter is recommended for onscreen display and searching.
Tip: Use the search box in the left column of each page to see if there's a picture of a specific plant in one of our Photo Essays.
- Sibley Nature Center's Wildscape Gardening Program (2010)
- Suggested Ornamental Drought-Hardy Tree And Shrub Species For The Southern Llano Estacado:
- Suggested Plants for Midland - Prepared for the City of Midland:
- Passalong Plants in West Texas:
- Garden Stresses, Pt. 1: Watering and Weather
- Garden Stresses, Pt. 2: Insects, Weeds, Disease, and Salty Water and Soil
- The History of Plantings in West Texas:
- Graduate-level drought adaptive gardening - Part 1
- Graduate-level drought adaptive gardening - Part 2
- Xeriscaping and Drought
Index to Gone Native Essays – These essays celebrate living in a Xeriscape Garden
The Gone Native Drought Adaptive Garden – Diary and Photo Gallery
The 17-acre Gone Native Arboretum and Botanical Sanctuary is privately owned by Burr and Deborah 
Williams. It was begun in 1981 as one of the first nurseries in the southwest that specialized in native or adapted plants to the arid southwest. Two acres have been intensively planted. 15 acres of mesquite and reclaimed prairie (now terribly drought-stricken) surround 2 acres of plantings. 700 species of plants (including 150 trees of thirty species), a half-mile of walking trails, two ponds, a bog garden, a scent garden, an herb garden, a dry stream bed, two flagstone patios and a flagstone walk, over 200 objects of ornamentation, and a dozen sitting places provide a visitor a visual feast. Jump to the Diary and Photo Gallery...