Ten cities have one message for you: low-water-use plants save water. The municipalities of Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe have banded together to provide an online guide to water conserving plants. The guide depicts plants that defy conventional expectations for drought tolerant plants.

The new, interactive resource is an extension of the popular booklet Landscape Plants for
the Arizona Desert, now in its third printing. Both the printed and online publications catalog
over 200 plants that are inviting and sustainable. All plants listed are on the Arizona Department
of Water Resources “Low Water Use Plant List,” devised to address water conservation needs in
Arizona.

The new, online guide displays plant specifics, full-color photos, and the ability to search
for plants for a variety of landscape situations; sun exposure, flower color, flower season, and
bird, butterfly or hummingbird attractors. “Many of these plants may not be familiar to home or
business owners,” recounts Steve Olson, Arizona Municipal Water Users Association Water
Executive Director. “The water conservation benefits of low-water-use plants are well-know.
Their beauty can come as a surprise.”

The guide features plants that thrive while creating a rich planting palette, colorful
displays, pest and disease resistance, minimal care, and convey a unique sense of place. These
desert hardy plants are well-suited to the salty water, sandy-clay soils, and temperature range that
define the Valley of the Sun.

Written by local experts, the publication offers low-water-use plants that are relevant to
the life style, aesthetic and water conservation considerations for our valley. The new online
guide and a listing of sources for the free printed booklet are available at www.amwua.org.