Check out our Make Water Work Plant Collection
Heading down the runway is a lineup of prickly succulents, fruit trees, and plants that will make your yard pop and water use drop.
In partnership with the Okanagan Xeriscape Association, the Make Water Work Plant Collection brings together a palette of WaterWise plants that celebrate the beauty of what’s possible in our Okanagan climate.
And NEW THIS YEAR – we have updated the list to note plants on the list that are deemed FireSmartTM!
You can be WaterWise and FireSmart.
Let’s Make Water Work better in your yard!
HOT TIP! Save money with drought-tolerant plants. They need to be watered way less than their water-hungry counterparts.
Combine for the perfect plant ensemble
These plants provide easy-to-care-for gardens with various seasonal colours that thrive naturally, even in drought conditions.
This collection includes 105 perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs. Go ahead, dive in.
NOTE: To view more details, click an image followed by the name in the pop-up window.
Perennials
German Iris
Blanket Flower
Hardy Ice Plant
Bigroot Cranesbill
Wooly Thyme
Blue Flax
Butterfly Gaura
Chives
Cushion Spurge
Walkers Low Catmint
Firewitch Pinks
Garlic Chives
Gloriosa Daisy
Heartleaf Bergenia
Hen and Chicks
Jupiters Beard
Lambs Ears
Thread-leaf Coreopsis
Missouri Evening Primrose
Moonshine Yarrow
Nodding Onion
Ostrich Fern
Prickly Pear Cactus
Thyme
Rhubarb
Russian Sage
Sage (herb)
Salvia Caradonna
Santolina
Sea Lavender
Silver Mound
Stella D’Oro Daylily
Stonecrop Purplee
Barrenwort
Dusseldorf Pride Thrift
Lavendar
Perennial Candytuft
Red Rocks Penstemon
Yucca
Grasses
Blue Fescue
Blue Gramma Grass
Blue Hair Grass
Blue Moor Grass
Blue Oat Grass
Blue Sedge
Feather Reed
Hardy Pampas Grass
Heavy Metal Switch Grass
Little Bluestem
Mexican Feather Grass
Northern Sea Oats
Prairie Dropseed
Big Bluestem
Karl Foerster Feather Reed
Shrubs
Saskatoon Serviceberry
Dwarf Arctic Willow
Beauty Bush
Black Currant
Blanc De Coubert Rose
Blue Elderberry
Blue Mist Spirea
Slowmound Mugo Pine
Tiger Eyes Sumac
European Privet
Fernbush
Wax Currant
Gro Low Sumac
Hansa Rose
Hicks Yew
Japanese Barberry
Common Lilac
Miss Kim Lilac
Mock Orange Waterton
Northern Gold Forsythia
Oregon Grape
Rabbitbrush
Red Currant
Winter Creeper
Gold Coast Juniper
Hedge Cotoneaster
Juniper Moon Glow
Juniper Skyrocket
Potentilla
Soopolallie
Spruce Baby Blue
Spruce Little Gem
Trees
Amur Maple
Apricot
Golden Rain Tree
Green Ash
Common Hackberry
Italian Plum
Ivory Silk Lilac
Japanese Pagoda
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Maidenhair
Weeping Caragana
Thornless Honeylocust
Wayfaring Tree
Purple Robe Mexican Locust
Paul’s Scarlet Hawthorne
View the Full Make Water Work Plant Collection
Important notes about the fire-resistant plants listed by FireSmart BC and noted on the Make Water Work Plant Collection:
- The fire-resistant plants listed in the FireSmart BC tool are based on research completed to date, so the list is not exhaustive. With further research, additional plants may be added or removed.
- Not all plants on the chart are equally FireSmart. Some will ignite easier than others, especially in dry areas of the province.
- Data in the chart is based upon research performed to date and is subject to change based upon further research. For example, this information may be modified in the future due to climate change and other factors that can cause seasonal conditions and weather patterns to vary.
- Always check your local garden centre to verify your cold hardiness zone and choose your plants accordingly.
The plants noted as FireSmart on the Make Water Work Plant Collection list include the coloured dots in the legend below, recognizing that plants should be placed at certain distances from buildings to reduce fire risk.
Legend |
| Priority Zones |
|
Immediate Zone 0-1.5 m
Intermediate Zone 1.5-10 m
Extended Zone 10-30 m
Extended & Beyond 21-30+ m
Generally considered fire-resistant, however more research is required to determine which zone is appropriate for use. Use with caution as some may pose more risk than others.
|
For more details on the Priority Zones noted in the legend above, visit FireSmart BC.
MAKE WATER WORK PLANT CARE TIPS
Watering
- All plants need weekly watering during the first year to get roots established. Some varieties of shrubs will need weekly watering for 2-3 additional years.
- It is best to give the plant a slow soak, then allow the surface of the soil to dry out before watering again. This encourages deep, drought-tolerant root growth.
- Plants in water retentive soils (such as clay) will need less supplementary water than those in sandy, fast-draining soils.
Mulching
- A 2-3″ layer of organic mulch on top of the soil is recommended.
- Mulch helps retain moisture, minimize weeds and keeps soil surface soft for water retention.
- It also provides plant nutrients, which helps minimize the need for supplementary fertilizers.
Planting
- Plants planted in the fall will have a much better root system by the following summer than plants freshly planted in the spring.
Plant Collection Benefits
- Create beautiful, easy-care, drought-resistant landscapes that enhance home value.
- Reduce water use by 30-100%, depending on the plants used.
- The Make Water Work plants chosen as part of this collection are suited to the dry Okanagan climate, and will naturally thrive.
- During water restrictions, these plants will continue to look great.
Water is a finite resource. As the valley grows and costs of treating water rises, it becomes more important to make wise choices about how we use our water.
For an even more extensive listing of WaterWise plants, visit www.okanaganxeriscape.org/db
Participating Garden Centres
Ask about the Make Water Work Plant Collection at these participating garden centres.
North Okanagan
Blue Mountain Nursery Company
1871 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Armstrong, BC
Phone: 250.546.8181
Swan Lake Market & Garden
7920 Highway 97
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-542-7614
Nicholas Alexander Landscaping
6325 Hwy 97 97
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-542-8881
Central Okanagan
Lake Country Home Hardware
3223 Woodsdale Road
Lake Country, BC
Phone: 778-480-8030
Kel Lake Garden Centre
4351 Shanks Rd.
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-766-4475
Wild Bloom Nursery
840 Old Vernon Rd.
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-900-4815
South Okanagan
GardenWorks Penticton
670 Duncan Avenue W.
Penticton, BC
Phone: 250-492-5703
Toll Free: 1-800-667-0765
Sagebrush Nursery
7556 Island Road
Oliver, BC
Phone: 250-489-8898
Sandhu Greenhouses
9707-128 Ave.
Osoyoos, BC
Phone: 250-495-2676