It is estimated that homeowners use sixty to eighty gallons of water per day for outside use in gardens and landscapes in Arizona. By paying attention to plant selection, irrigation practices, and alternative systems of collecting water, you can conserve water and maintain a healthy landscape. Selecting plants that naturally use less water is the first step in water conservation.
Plants have many different strategies for using water.
Some plants, like black walnut, are water spenders. They have an extensive root system that can explore lots of soil. As long as some of the roots are in moist soil, they can survive drought. However, they still use large amounts of water. Other plants, such as bermuda grass, are drought evaders.