UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials™

BW UC Davis

The Best Low-water Plants Trialed at UC Davis

We reserve our Blue RibbonTM for plants that maintain high standards of aesthetic quality over the growing season on our lowest irrigation treatment (20% of ETo). Based on our evaluations these plants should perform well on low water in Central Valley landscapes.

  • Plants are listed alphabetically by scientific name
  • Plants were evaluated in full sun or under 50% shade cloth
  • All plants were evaluated in Davis CA (WUCOLS Region 2)
  • The average Overall Appearance rating on Low water during the deficit treatment season is listed as Mean O/A Score (based on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is highest)
  • printer friendly pdf version: UC Davis Blue Ribbon™ Winners
Scientific NameCommon NameExposureMean OA ScoreTrial
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Abelops’Sunshine Daydream Abelia50% Shade4.42011
Acacia boormaniiSnowy river wattleSun4.92009
Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'Blonde Ambition blue gramma grassSun4.22016
Buddleia ‘Purple Splendor’Purple Splendor butterfly bushSun4.32014
Buddleia × 'SMNBDBT' Pugster BlueTMPugster Blue™ butterfly bushSun4.12020
Bulbine ‘Tiny Tangerine’Tiny Tangerine Cape balsamSun4.62011
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'Karl Foerster feather reed grassSun4.22013
Ceanothus × pallidus 'Marie Simon'Marie Simon ceanothusSun4.42009
Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheaeIsland mountain mahoganySun4.42009
Chondropetalum tectorumSmall cape rushSun4.32015
Correa pulchella 'Pink Eyre'Pink Eyre Australian fuchsia50% Shade4.12015
Delosperma cooperiHardy ice plantSun42013
Dianella revoluta 'Allyn-Citation'Coolvista™ DianellaSun4.22019
Dietes bicolor 'African Gold'Pure Gold® African irisSun4.12018
Elaeagnus × ebbingii ‘Viveleg’Olive Martini™ eleaegnusSun4.52019
Epilobium 'Sidewinder'Sidewinder California fuchsiaSun4.22014
Grevillea 'King's Fire'King's Fire grevilleaSun4.82019
Heuchera maximaIsland alum root50% Shade42011
Hypericum androsaemum 'Seifire'Ignite Red St. John's wort50% Shade4.22011

Hypericum kalmianum 'Deppe'

Sunny Boulevard® St. John's wortSun42020
Lagerstroemia indica 'Deleb'Delta Eclipse™ crape myrtleSun4.12018
Lagerstroemia 'Purple Magic'Purple Magic crape myrtleSun4.12018
Lavandula allardii 'Meerlo''Meerlo' lavenderSun4.42019
Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’Sunshine privet50% Shade4.82011
Lippia 'ECOLOPIA2' Pink Kurapia®Sun4.52020
Lippia nodiflora 'Campagna Verde'Kurapia®Sun4.22014
Lomandra confertifolia 'LOLTCS08' Del SolDel Sol LomandraSun4.22021
Lomandra confertifolia ssp. pallida 'Pom Pom' ShortyShorty LomandraSun4.22021
Lomandra longifolia 'Katrinus Deluxe''Katrinus Deluxe' mat rush50% Shade4.32020
Lomandra longifolia 'Lomlon'Lime Tuff dwarf mat rush50% Shade4.52015
Lomandra longifolia 'Lomlon'Lime Tuff dwarf mat rushSun4.22014
Lomandra longifolia 'Roma13'Platinum Beauty™ mat rush50% Shade4.12017
Lygeum spartumFalse esparto grassSun4.52017
Muhlenbergia dubiaPine muhlySun4.32009
Muhlenberiga reverchonii 'PUND01S'Undaunted™ ruby muhlySun4.22017
Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP'Margarita B.O.P foothill penstemonSun4.82009
×Pyracomeles 'NCXP1'Juke Box® pyracomelesSun4.02020
Rhagodia spinescens 'SAB01' Aussie Flat Bush™Aussie Flat Bush saltbushSun42020
Ribes viburnifoliumEvergreen currant50% Shade4.92011
Ribes viburnifolium 'Spooners Mesa'Spooners Mesa evergreen currant50% Shade4.22015
Rosa 'Meijecycka'Limoncello™ roseSun4.12019
Rosa 'Radcon'Pink Knock Out® roseSun4.32018
Rosa 'KORsixkono'Kardinal Kolorscape® roseSun4.12015
Rosa 'Meiradena'Icecap™ roseSun4.42017
Rosa 'Meitraligh' Brick House™roseSun4.12019
Rosa 'Meizorland'White Drift® roseSun42017
Rosa 'NOA168098F'Pink supreme Flower Carpet® roseSun42020
Rosa 'Radtko'Double Knock Out® roseSun42017
Rosa 'Radwhite'White Knock Out® roseSun4.32019
Rosa 'Sprogreatpink'Pink Brickhouse roseSun4.02021
Rosa 'Zlepolone' Pretty Polly Pink roseSun4.02021
Rosa 'Zlepoltwo'Pretty Polly White roseSun4.12021
Sporobolus wrightiiGiant sacatonSun4.42017
Vitex agnus-castus ‘PIIVAC-I’Delta Blues™ chastetreeSun4.32018
Vitex 'Bailtexone'Flip Side® chastetreeSun4.42019