Landscape design resource
Utah Plant Selection Guide
Choosing plants for a Utah landscape means working with alkaline soil, low annual precipitation, intense summer heat, and cold winters. This guide covers the site conditions that drive plant performance and lists species that establish reliably in the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding communities.
How to choose
Four questions that narrow your plant list
01
What is your soil pH?
Most Wasatch Front soils test between 7.5 and 8.5. If you have not tested, assume alkaline. Species that require acidic soil — rhododendrons, azaleas, blueberries — will fail without significant amendment. Start with alkaline-tolerant species and you eliminate the most common cause of plant failure in Utah.
02
What is your irrigation source?
Secondary water is higher in dissolved minerals than culinary water and can raise soil pH over time. If your property uses secondary irrigation, weight your selection toward species with strong alkaline tolerance. The secondary water article below covers which species perform best under those conditions.
03
What is the sun and slope exposure?
South and west-facing slopes receive intense afternoon heat and dry out faster. North and east-facing areas stay cooler and retain moisture longer. A plant rated drought-tolerant on a north slope may need supplemental irrigation on a south-facing slope. Assess each planting zone separately.
04
Is deer pressure a factor?
Properties near open space, foothills, or canyon mouths in communities like Draper, Riverton, and Cottonwood Heights experience regular deer browsing. Deer will eat most plants when food is scarce, but certain species are consistently avoided. The deer-resistant article below covers which species hold up and how to design around pressure zones.
Understanding Utah site conditions
Most residential soils in the Salt Lake Valley are alkaline, with pH values commonly ranging from 7.5 to 8.5. High pH limits the availability of iron, manganese, and other micronutrients, causing chlorosis in species that require acidic conditions. Plants selected for Utah landscapes need to tolerate — or actively perform in — alkaline soil. Amending soil to lower pH is generally impractical at landscape scale; selecting appropriate species is the more reliable approach.
Annual precipitation in the Salt Lake Valley averages around 16 inches, most of which falls as winter snow. Summer months are dry, with high evapotranspiration rates driven by heat and low humidity. Plants that cannot tolerate summer drought without supplemental irrigation will require consistent watering throughout the growing season.
Exposure matters as much as species selection. South and west-facing slopes receive intense afternoon sun and heat. North and east-facing areas are cooler and retain moisture longer. Structures, walls, and existing trees create microclimates that can significantly expand or restrict what will grow in a given location.
How to read this guide
The species listed below are organized by plant category. Each entry notes the characteristics most relevant to Utah landscape performance — soil tolerance, drought tolerance, and any significant limitations. This is not an exhaustive list; it focuses on species that are reliably available through Utah nurseries and that perform consistently in residential landscape conditions.
"Drought-tolerant once established" is a meaningful qualifier. Most plants require consistent irrigation during their first one to two growing seasons to develop root systems capable of surviving summer drought. Establishment irrigation is not optional for drought-tolerant species — it is the investment that makes long-term drought tolerance possible.
Shade trees
Shade trees reduce cooling loads, moderate microclimates, and anchor the long-term structure of a landscape. Utah's alkaline soils and dry summers limit which species establish reliably.
Chanticleer pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer')
Narrow upright form; tolerates alkaline soil and urban conditions; consistent fall color.
Autumn Blaze maple (Acer × freemanii 'Jeffersred')
Fast-growing; reliable fall color; performs better than silver maple in alkaline conditions.
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Long-lived; drought-tolerant once established; tolerates compacted and alkaline soils.
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Native to the Intermountain West; extremely tolerant of alkaline soil, drought, and wind.
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)
Thornless cultivars available; fine-textured canopy; tolerates alkaline and compacted soils.
Ornamental trees
Smaller ornamental trees provide seasonal interest — spring bloom, fall color, or winter structure — without the canopy scale of a shade tree.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
White spring flowers; edible berries; good fall color; tolerates alkaline soil.
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Spring flowers; persistent fruit for wildlife; tolerates alkaline and dry conditions.
Crabapple (Malus spp.)
Wide range of cultivars; spring bloom; persistent fruit; select disease-resistant varieties.
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)
Trumpet-shaped flowers; very drought-tolerant; performs well in hot, dry exposures.
Evergreen trees and conifers
Evergreens provide year-round screening, wind protection, and structure. Species selection matters significantly in Utah's alkaline soils.
Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens)
Native to the region; tolerates alkaline soil; distinctive blue-gray foliage.
Austrian pine (Pinus nigra)
Tolerates alkaline soil and urban conditions better than most pines.
Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
Native; very drought-tolerant; multiple cultivars for screening or accent.
Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis)
Native to the Colorado Plateau; slow-growing; extremely drought-tolerant once established.
Shrubs — flowering
Flowering shrubs provide seasonal color and structure. Most of the following tolerate alkaline soil and moderate drought once established.
Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Native; bright yellow fall flowers; extremely drought-tolerant; attracts pollinators.
Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
Native; white flowers followed by feathery seed heads; very drought-tolerant.
Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium)
Native to the Great Basin; white flowers; aromatic foliage; drought-tolerant.
Potentilla (Dasiphora fruticosa)
Long bloom season; tolerates alkaline soil and cold; multiple flower colors available.
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Classic Utah landscape shrub; fragrant spring bloom; tolerates alkaline soil.
Spirea (Spiraea spp.)
Reliable flowering shrub; multiple cultivars; tolerates alkaline soil and moderate drought.
Shrubs — structural and evergreen
Structural shrubs provide year-round form, screening, and low-maintenance mass planting options.
Sage (Artemisia tridentata and cultivars)
Native; silver-gray foliage; extremely drought-tolerant; strong landscape character.
Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens)
Native; tolerates alkaline and saline soils; very drought-tolerant; good for erosion control.
Mugo pine (Pinus mugo)
Compact evergreen; tolerates alkaline soil; useful for low-maintenance mass planting.
Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
Wide range of forms from groundcover to upright; very drought-tolerant; tolerates alkaline soil.
Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Thorny; deer-resistant; tolerates alkaline soil and drought; note invasive potential in some areas.
Perennials
Perennials provide seasonal color and texture with lower long-term water requirements than annuals. The following perform reliably in Utah's climate.
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Silver stems; blue-purple flowers; extremely drought-tolerant; tolerates alkaline soil.
Salvia (Salvia spp.)
Wide range of species; most are drought-tolerant once established; attracts pollinators.
Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
Blue-purple flowers; long bloom season; drought-tolerant; deer-resistant.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Native; drought-tolerant; multiple flower colors; tolerates poor alkaline soil.
Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)
Many native species; tubular flowers; very drought-tolerant; attracts hummingbirds.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp.)
Long bloom season; drought-tolerant; tolerates poor alkaline soil.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Reliable perennial; drought-tolerant once established; attracts pollinators and birds.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Reliable yellow flowers; drought-tolerant once established; naturalizes well.
Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses provide movement, texture, and winter interest with minimal water requirements once established.
Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
Blue-gray foliage; tolerates alkaline soil and drought; semi-evergreen.
Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster')
Upright form; early summer plumes; tolerates alkaline soil and moderate drought.
Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Native; very drought-tolerant; can be used as a low-water lawn alternative.
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Native; fine texture; fragrant flowers; drought-tolerant once established.
Groundcovers
Groundcovers reduce bare soil, suppress weeds, and lower water use compared to lawn in areas where turf is not functional.
Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Fragrant; tolerates foot traffic; drought-tolerant; attracts pollinators.
Ice plant (Delosperma spp.)
Succulent; very drought-tolerant; colorful flowers; useful on slopes.
Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
Evergreen; very drought-tolerant; good for slopes and erosion control.
Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Native; evergreen; tolerates alkaline soil; good for slopes.
Secondary water and plant selection
Many Utah communities — including parts of Riverton, South Jordan, Herriman, and other areas served by secondary water systems — have access to untreated secondary water for irrigation. Secondary water is typically higher in dissolved minerals than culinary water, which can affect soil chemistry over time and influence which plants perform well.
If your property uses secondary water for irrigation, selecting plants with strong alkaline tolerance is especially important. The species listed in this guide are generally appropriate for secondary-water irrigation conditions.
Design a landscape that performs in Utah
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