On Capitol Hill, across Seattle, and in nearby communities, all our drinking water comes from two watersheds — the Cedar River and the lesser known, South Fork Tolt River. Every sip, shower, and sprinkle is largely at the whim of snowpack, which acts as a slow release into the reservoirs that Seattle Public Utilities manages in these watersheds. We are extremely lucky to have this resource and I’ve always felt a bit ashamed using this water just for my gardening needs.

When the Washington Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency this April, it did nothing to assuage that shame. It fanned them into full-blown panic. Aside from being able to afford to water a garden, how can I ethically do so? To me, it feels imperative to both have a garden that contributes to my local ecosystem in more than paltry ways, and one that uses very little water. That water is needed for salmon and entire food-webs outside our own. And while I don’t intend to shame others for having gardens that take a lot of water and tending, I am thankful there are ways to enjoy garden plants without feeling like I’m just sucking the marrow of our dwindling snowpack. (Note that SPU says we are doing “ok” with our water but even if Cliff Mass says there’s no obvious trend in snowpack, it’s hard to feel optimistic with more frequent drought conditions across Washington.)

Many of the native plants on the Hill are widely distributed and can in theory do well with hotter, drier summers. I purposefully planted snowberry, oceanspray, and Mock Orange around our yard because of this. But not every native plant can handle what an urban summer throws at them, (and not everyone can accommodate shrubs that want to be ten feet tall and just as wide like Oceanspray).

I rep using native plants in gardens because I think they have the potential to make us pay more attention to the plight of their wild cousins. They are also often easier to grow because they are adapted to our soils, climate, require little to no fertilizer, and typically offer more ecological value to boot. But there’s still a need for climate adaptive plants in our human oriented landscapes and a discerning eye for right plant, right place can also lead to a waterwise garden. In fact, two of the plants listed here that are not native to Washington and one is not found on this side of the Cascades in Washington. I listed them because I like them, they are pretty, and they don’t require you to scour nurseries to find them.

All this is a lead up to a few choice plants that will shrug off summer droughts and barely need a sip of municipal water. Even if you don’t plant them, keep an eye out for them on your next stroll around the Hill. Continue reading →