Our goal

Help Palisadians enrich their gardens and local ecosytems with thriving native drought-tolerant landscapes.

There are many types of drought-tolerant plants, but those native to Southern California are best-suited to our region. Our particular climate is different from other Mediterranean climates because ours has drier summers and wetter winters in which most of the water comes in a few, intense storms. California native plants are uniquely adapted to these conditions.

 

Native gardens beautify our landscape with their year-round rich colors, textures, and aromas. Native gardens save water, using 80 percent less water than conventional gardens. Native gardens cool our neighborhoods on hot days by providing shade and adding moisture to the atmosphere.

 

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds that 30 to 50 percent of the world’s land surface must be friendly to nature to help preserve the resilience of the Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. One important element to achieving this ambitious goal is making human settlements more friendly to their local ecosystems. California is a biodiversity hotspot, so our native gardens are particularly important in providing food and shelter for native birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.