Advice provided by: Denise Colestock, LEED AP BD+C, The Studio C

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Going Native

With the rising cost of water, the decrease of water resources, and the dry, semi-arid desert climate, many San Diegans are investing their pocketbooks in the environment by installing drought resistant and native landscapes. The idea of lush green lawns and endless bounties of tropical foliage sound like an ideal landscape to have, but in reality, that type of landscape in San Diego takes bounties of finite water resources to keep alive and flourishing, not to mention the money it costs to pay for that water.

If you are looking to cut your eco footprint or just cut the cost of your home’s upkeep, take a look at your external water usage. Do you have grass? Do you have plants that belong in a rainforest climate? How many times a day or week to do water? If you think you can only achieve a drought- tolerant landscape using only cactus, think again. There are endless possibilities of beautiful drought- resistant plants to choose from.

San Diego County Water Conservation Program

According to the San Diego County Water Conservation Program, 32% of outdoor water use goes to watering lawns. In an effort to reduce outdoor water use, this program has created incentives for homeowners to go native, or at least drought-tolerant.

One incentive includes the Sustainable Landscape Turf Replacement Program which provides $1.25 or $1.50 per square foot (up to $2,000 per customer) for replacing living front yard lawn with sustainable and water wise landscaping. The first step in applying for this incentive is to take a photo of your existing front lawn (before removal). It must be alive in order to receive this rebate. For other outdoor water saving incentives, visit this site.

Native vs. Drought Tolerant Plants

There is a difference between native vs drought-tolerant, but not much.

If you go native, it is important to plant “Southern California” only shrubs, plants and foliage. If you go drought-tolerant, you not only plant foliage that grows naturally in California open space, but also plants that are drought- tolerant in other regions of the world. For example, Australian plants have become a popular choice among drought-tolerant landscapes, as well as plants found in the Mediterranean and the North American Southwest. Both give plenty of options depending on the look you are going for. Your local plant nursery should be able to help you with these selections.

Buffalo, Synthetic and Other Grass Alternatives

If you really like the idea of having a lawn, there are many types of grass to take into consideration. In a recent visit to the Cuyamaca College Water Conservancy Garden, I found a breakdown of different types of lawn and how much water they need to keep alive in our Southern California climate. For a low water use grass, Buffalo Grass uses about 500 gallons a year on average, whereas, Blue Rye uses up to 1200 gallons a year. In between those comes St. Augustine at 940 gallons per year and Zoysia at 780 gallons per year.

For an extremely sustainable grass, consider artificial turf. It has come a long way since the beginning of single color and height putting greens. With new technology and improvements, artificial turf now comes with various textures and colors and uses zero gallons of water per year.

Water Efficiency and LEED

For those trying to achieve LEED credits, this plays a large role in the sustainable sites and water efficiency sections of the LEED handbook. Building a green or sustainable building will only go so far if you do not consider the external part of the building.

As a LEED professional, the entire footprint needs to be considered in order to achieve LEED certification for both commercial and residential projects. To achieve credits under water efficiency, you can limit or eliminate the use of potable water for landscape irrigation by 50% for one credit, or for two credits, try no potable water for irrigation use. This means use only native landscaping or alternative forms of irrigation.

If you are interested in living with a smaller eco-footprint or decreasing the water output on your home, consider your landscaping options. Going native, or drought tolerant, can achieve both of those goals.

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