What does xeriscape mean?
A xeriscape is a garden or other landscape planned and maintained to use little water. Rather than depending on frequent irrigation, it favors drought-tolerant plants, efficient irrigation, mulch, and other water-saving methods. The word can name either this general approach or the resulting garden itself. In current use, the term is especially associated with landscaping in dry or water-stressed climates, though its principles apply anywhere. A xeriscape is not necessarily a desert garden: it can include lawns, but replace conventional high-water planting with more water-efficient choices. As a verb, xeriscape means to create or convert a landscape using such methods. The word has a practical as well as environmental connotation, suggesting careful planning and conservation rather than neglect. It is especially useful for discussing gardens adapted to drought, but it also describes an aesthetic approach in which plant selection, soil care, and water management work together.
A method of landscaping that minimizes water use, or a garden or landscape designed and maintained in that way.
"Native flowers and gravel paths turn the old lawn into a colorful xeriscape."
The noun may refer to the general practice or to an individual landscape designed in this manner.
To design or convert a landscape using water-conserving methods and plants suited to dry conditions.
"They xeriscaped the courtyard with native plants and a drip-irrigation system."
This is less common than the noun and is chiefly used in gardening, landscaping, and environmental contexts.
The plural is uncommon because the word is often used in an uncountable sense for the practice; it is used when referring to separate designed landscapes.
"The exhibition featured xeriscapes designed for several different climate zones."
Born in 1980s water conservation, xeriscape made landscaping by drought a deliberate design principle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of xeriscape
Xeriscape combines xeric, derived from the Greek xēros, meaning "dry," with landscape. The term emerged in North America in the 1980s as a name for landscaping practices designed to conserve water in dry climates. Related English words including xerophyte and xerosis share the same Greek root for dryness.
Related word forms
How xeriscape is actually used
The term is especially common in North American horticulture and water-conservation discussions, but it is increasingly used elsewhere. It is more specialized than general terms such as "garden" or "landscape," though its meaning is broadly understood.