Watershed-Approach Designer Plant Picks

[sidebar] This story first appeared in the APLD CA newsletter in March 2017[/sidebar]

The APLD Bay Area District is proud to promote the watershed approach to landscaping. It works for every landscape and specifically employs residential landscapes to capture, clean, and collect the rain that lands on the roof and drains through even the smallest yard. Plants in these landscapes serve multiple environmental functions beyond mere aesthetics. They build habitat, hold soil and water with their roots, improve soil structure, capture and store atmospheric carbon, and bring beauty and order to the landscape. As designers, we strive to select plants that are adapted to the local climate zone and to use local native plants whenever possible. These low-water workhorses deliver all of these benefits while helping you make the most of the natural rains that fall on your landscape. And when they do require irrigation, they are able to thrive on low-water inputs. Below you will find some favorite climate-appropriate plants of Bay Area APLD members.

As designers, we strive to select plants that are adapted to the local climate zone and to use local native plants whenever possible. These lo...