Home > Science Fact Finder > The Plant World - What Is Meant By "Xeriscaping"?

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page

What is meant by "xeriscaping"?

A xeriscape (pronounced zeer-i-scape) is a landscape of plants that require very little water. Taken from the Greek word "xeros," meaning dry, this type of gardening utilizes drought-resistant plants and grasses that require water only every two to three weeks. Xeriscaping is a common practice in areas that regularly experience water shortages, such as the southwestern United States.

Xeriscaping also makes use of techniques, such as drip irrigation and the heavy mulching of plant beds, that improve the soil's ability to absorb and retain water.

Source: Flower and Garden, vol. 34 (May 1990), pp. 44-45, 66-67.

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Terms, Classifications, And Functions
   1. Who is known as the founder of botany?
   2. Who is Melvin Calvin?
   3. How many chloroplasts are there in plant cells?
   4. What is tropism?
   5. What are the parts of a flower?
   6. What is the best type of pollination?
   7. What is the first wildflower to bloom in the spring in the Northern United Stated?
   8. How are carnivorous plants categorized?
   9. Which flowers should be planted in the garden to attract hummingbirds?
   10. How does a bulb differ from a corm, a tuber, and a rhizome?
   11. What is wormwood?
2. Gardening And Agriculture
   1. What were some of the accomplishments of George Washington Carver?
   2. What are living stones?
   3. How are seedlings hardened off before planting?
   4. When is the best time to work the soil?
   5. Why should lawn clippings be left on the grass after mowing?
   6. How can squirrels be kept away from vegetable and flower gardens?
   7. Which flowers should be planted in the garden to attract butterflies?
   8. What is meant by "xeriscaping"?
   9. What does the term hydroponics mean?
   10. How are seedless grapes grown?
3. Trees
   1. What are the longest-lived tree species in the United States?
   2. How did the navel orange originate?
   3. Why do tree leaves turn color in the fall?
   4. Why are fall leaves bright red in some years and dull colors in other years?
   5. What is the difference between poison ivy, oak, and sumac?
   6. What is the tallest tree ever measured?
   7. What is the secret of bonsai?
   8. Does ivy cause damage growing on a brick wall?
   9. How are free rings used to date historical events?
   10. What are the distinguishing characteristics of pine, spruce, and fir trees?
   11. How much of a tree that is cut down is sold as timber?
   12. What conifers in North America lose their leaves in fall?
   13. Who introduced the gypsy moth into the United States?
   14. How can fruit trees be protected from being eaten by field mice?