Low-Water Plants for the High Desert

Every plant here is rated Very Low or Low in WUCOLS IV, Region 5, the High and Intermediate Desert.

4.8 Stars / 114 Reviews CSLB #957605 Since 2009

Reviewed by Freddie Ruiz, Owner and CSLB-licensed contractor License C-27 #957605 Building landscapes in the High Desert since 2009 Last updated September 29, 2026

Low-water plants are the ones UC Davis’s WUCOLS program rates Very Low or Low water use for the High and Intermediate Desert (Region 5). Once established, they get by on occasional deep drip watering.

11 Low-Water Plants That Handle the High Desert

Beaked Yucca

Yucca rostrata

Accent · Very low water · Hardy to -10 to -20°F

California Buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Shrub · Very low water · Hardy to -20°F (interior form)

Century Plant

Agave americana

Accent succulent · Very low water · Hardy to about 10°F (zone 8a)

Cleveland Sage

Salvia clevelandii

Shrub · Low water · Hardy to 10 to 20°F (marginal)

Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata

Shrub · Very low water · Hardy to 0 to 10°F

Honey Mesquite

Prosopis glandulosa

Tree · Low water · Hardy to 0°F

Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens

Accent shrub · Very low water · Hardy to 0 to 20°F by source

Penstemon

Penstemon palmeri, P. eatonii and P. parryi

Perennial · Low water · Hardy to -30 to 15°F by species

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

Accent succulent · Low water · Hardy to -20°F

Russian Sage

Salvia yangii (formerly Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Perennial · Low water · Hardy to -30°F (zone 4)

Texas Sage

Leucophyllum frutescens

Shrub · Low water · Hardy to about 10°F

Quick Comparison

Plant	Water (High Desert)	Cold hardy to	Size	Pets
Beaked Yucca	Very low	-10 to -20°F	10 to 15 ft over time	Toxic (ASPCA)
California Buckwheat	Very low	-20°F (interior form)	2 to 3 ft	Not on ASPCA list
Century Plant	Very low	About 10°F (zone 8a)	3 to 6 ft tall	Not on ASPCA list
Cleveland Sage	Low	10 to 20°F (marginal)	3 to 4 ft	Not on ASPCA list
Creosote Bush	Very low	0 to 10°F	3 to 12 ft	Non-toxic (ASPCA)
Honey Mesquite	Low	0°F	About 20 ft or more	Not on ASPCA list
Ocotillo	Very low	0 to 20°F by source	15 to 20 ft	Not on ASPCA list
Penstemon	Low	-30 to 15°F by species	Varies by species	Not on ASPCA list
Red Yucca	Low	-20°F	3 to 4 ft	Not on ASPCA list
Russian Sage	Low	-30°F (zone 4)	3 to 5 ft	Not on ASPCA list
Texas Sage	Low	About 10°F	4 to 10 ft	Not on ASPCA list

Related Guides & Services

All High Desert Plants Hummingbird Plants California and Mojave Native Plants Cold-Hardy Plants for Zone 8b Rockscape Design

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