Common name:Curly Top Sedge
Botanical name:Carex buchananii

This orange bronze ornamental grass is 2'-3' tall and 1'-2' wide and does best in full sun to part shade. It needs moderate amount of water. Blades have gentle curls. This grass looks great when planted with green or gray colored foliage plants.

Common name:Deer Grass
Botanical name:Muhlenbergia rigens

The Deer Grass is a warm season perennial that forms dense clumps from the base. The spike-like flower stalks grow 2'-3' tall and this grass has striking foundation form. The Deer Grass is native to California and needs watering once or twice a month after it has been established. The more water it has, the greener it is.

Common name:Elija Blue Fescue
Botanical name:Festuca glauca 'Elija Blue'

The 'Elijah Blue' is a dwarf variety with gray blue (but sometimes white-looking) foliage. It should receive sun and little summer watering. -Monterey Bay Nursrey

Common name:California Gray Rush
Botanical name:Juncus patens

Although a wetland plant, Juncus patens can tolerate fairly dry conditions. It will slowly clump to 2'-3' wide and a height of 2'-2.5'. There are many selections of this species available with different heights and widths. It is carefree, with little to no maintenance. It provides great upright structure to many styles of landscapes.

Common name:Waxleaf Privet
Botanical name:Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum'

This dense evergreen shrub of an upright habit is capable of growing as a shrub or small tree. Its dark green, leathery leaves are opposite those of a simple evergreen plant.

Common name:Blue Oat Grass
Botanical name:Helictotrichon sempervirens

The Blue Oat Grass is an evergreen, blue clumping grass that grows 12"-18" tall and wide. Its showy flowers are 1'-2' above the foliage. This plant looks good alone as well as in mass plantings. The blue oat grass likes dry hill sides and is drought tolerant. -Cornflower Farms

Common name:Lindheimer's Muhly
Botanical name:Muhlenbergia lindheimer

Native to Mexico and Texas this stunning clump forming grass is winter dormant grass in cold climates, but usually semi-deciduous in mild climates. From the fall into winter emerge the 5 ft tall upright flower inflorescence, that rise well above the blue-gray foliage. The flowers are at first purple then mature to a gray color. Best in full sun with regular watering but will tolerate drought and light shade. -Randy Baldwin San Marcos Growers

Common name:Giant Feather Grass
Botanical name:Stipa gigantea

This grass will grow 2'-3' tall and 2'-3' wide. It has narrow, dark green leaves with golden flowers that bloom in the summer. Tall grasses are highly combustible.

Dealing With Drought

More than half of the water used at your home is for outside purposes. Studies show that on average, half of the water used outdoors is wasted. The leading cause of waste is incorrectly set and poorly managed irrigation controllers. The second biggest cause of wastage is broken irrigation equipment that goes undetected. There are a few basic things you can do to make a big difference in your water use.

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