Best Plants for Xeriscaping in Central Oregon

Choosing the right plants is the most important decision in a xeriscape design. Not all "drought-tolerant" plants actually perform well in Bend's specific climate — our cold winters, intense summer sun, and alkaline volcanic soil eliminate many options that work in other dry climates. Here are the plants we've found to be the most reliable performers in Central Oregon xeriscape designs.

Ground Covers and Low-Growing Plants

• Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) — spring flowers, very drought-tolerant once established
• Sedum (Stonecrop) — succulent, many varieties, excellent for rock gardens
• Ice plant (Delosperma) — brilliant flowers, very drought-tolerant
• Woolly thyme — fragrant, walkable, great between pavers
• Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) — native grass, very drought-tolerant
• Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) — native, feathery seed heads, spring flowers

Perennials for Central Oregon Xeriscape

• Penstemon (Beardtongue) — native, many species, hummingbird magnet
• Lavender — fragrant, deer-resistant, extremely drought-tolerant once established
• Russian sage (Perovskia) — silvery foliage, purple flowers, very tough
• Yarrow (Achillea) — spreading, many colors, extremely drought-tolerant
• Catmint (Nepeta) — soft blue flowers, deer-resistant, long blooming
• Salvia — many species, excellent for pollinators
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia) — bright colors, native to western US
• Coneflower (Echinacea) — tough, pollinator magnet, good fall seed heads

Shrubs for Central Oregon Xeriscape

• Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) — iconic Central Oregon native, extremely drought-tolerant
• Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) — yellow fall flowers, native, very tough
• Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) — native shrub, fragrant spring flowers
• Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) — white flowers, feathery seed heads
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil) — long blooming, many colors, very cold-hardy
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier) — spring flowers, summer berries, fall color