Dryland Plant Groups

[ysabetwordsmith]

Plant groupings in drylands support ecosystem resilience

Many complex systems, from microbial communities to mussel beds to drylands, display striking self-organized clusters. According to theoretical models, these groupings play an important role in how an ecosystem works and its ability to respond to environmental changes. A new article focused on the spatial patterns found in drylands offers important empirical evidence validating the models.


First, compare this with permaculture guilds. These are designed so the plants support each other.

20 Plant Polycultures and Guilds

Create A Vegetable Plant Guild in 7 Steps

Guilds for the Small Scale Home Garden

How to Grow a Three Sisters Garden

Introducing Guilds: The Easy Way to Garden!

Mediterranean Understory & *Guild Plants for Food Forests – Part 1

Permaculture Guilds -- Never Ending Food


Second, consider xericulture / xeriscaping. This approach to landscaping uses dryland plants, preferably native to the locale, to create yards and gardens that require little or no supplemental watering once established. Look at those natural clusters and think how you could emulate that at home.

39 Drought-Tolerant Plants for a Gorgeous Garden Even on Arid Zones

20 Tough Plants for Dry Shade

The Best Plants for Xeriscaping

Design the Ultimate Xeriscape: Mix Perennials and Cacti

Herbs Like Mediterranean Climate

Plants for Dry Sandy Soils

Xeriscaping & Rock Gardens


Finally, put the concepts together and think about how you can grow a climate-resilient garden or landscape. It is likely to have clusters of hardy plants supporting each other amidst stretches of short grass or other groundcover. Unless your locale is prone to flooding, it should probably include water-trapping methods.

75 Drought-Tolerant Veggies + Drought-Proofing Your Garden

Building Climate Change Resilience into the Garden

Climate change gardening: 12 strategies for a resilient garden

Climate Resilient Vegetable Varieties

Drought-Resistant Crops and Varieties
Look how many of these are named for Native American tribes.

DROUGHT-TOLERANT FOOD PLANTS

Five Ways to Grow Resilient Gardens in a Changing Climate

Heat- & Drought-Tolerant Veggies for Your Climate-Resilient Garden

One Solution to the Crisis: Landrace Everything

Comments

[fred_mouse]

thanks for the links on drought tolerant veggies. Have bookmarked them for later -- need to work out things we can grow! I think the only thing currently surviving the summer is the warrigal greens (tetragonia tetragonides, from memory)

You're welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I grow sunchokes. They give zero fucks about drought. When even the weeds are wilting, the sunchokes are still going strong.

Perennial vegetables in general have an edge because they are better equipped for the long haul. Consider things like rhubarb, asparagus, and so forth.

Native species and/or cultivars also have an edge. Sunchokes are an escaped agricultural crop from some lost empire. Later ones favored corn, squash, and beans. Explore cultivars of the Three Sisters from the southwest tribes -- tepary beans are very durable. Some wild crops may suffer from a bad year but survive it and produce good fruit later on. Wild raspberries are like that. I love serviceberries -- they're like tree blueberries -- but I rarely get any because the birds scarf them up. So I just keep planting more. I figure eventually it'll hit saturation like the mulberries and I'll get a good share.

These are some places to look for Lofthouse or other landrace seeds. Buffalo Seed Company is a personal favorite.