The Okanagan Xeriscape Association
Welcome
You have just opened the door to a whole new way of looking at your landscape, whether that’s the yard around a house; the landscaping around your condo; the entrance to your business; or the welcome to a new home or subdivision you’ve built.
The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is a registered charity founded in 2009 to help people Garden with Nature, conserving water and energy in the process, but creating beauty.
Join us.
Support us.
Enjoy our website and extensive plant database of waterwise plants.
Come to a class or workshop.
Visit our Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens in Kelowna and West Kelowna.
Learn while volunteering. Ask questions of our experts.
By learning more about xeriscape, you are learning how to create colourful, attractive outdoor spaces while minimizing your use of water—a resource that’s in short supply in the arid Okanagan climate, as well as elsewhere.
That means you save money on water, but at the same time, when you employ xeriscape principles you also save money on pesticides because you’re growing plants that suit their natural environment so they are less vulnerable to insects and diseases.
Where to Meet OXA This Month
September 20th–
OXA Annual Fall Plant Sale
Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm at the UnH2O Demonstration Garden on Gordon Drive in Kelowna, in front of the H2O Aquatic Centre.
Plant of the Month- October
Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’
Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’, commonly known as Letterman’s Ironweed or simply Ironweed, is a distinctive perennial wildflower native to the western United States. This member of the Asteraceae family occupies a unique ecological niche in mountainous regions, where it adds splashes of purple to alpine and subalpine meadows. This species is primarily found in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, typically growing at elevations between 7,000 and 11,000 feet. Letterman’s ironweed thrives in woodland clearings where it receives adequate sunlight and is tolerant of dry, rocky, alkaline soils. The plant’s preference for higher elevations distinguishes it from many of its Vernonia relatives, which are more commonly associated with lower elevation prairies and plains.
Vernonia lettermanii typically reaches heights of 1 to 3 feet, featuring lance-shaped leaves that alternate along sturdy stems. The plant blooms from July through September, producing vibrant purple flower heads arranged in flat-topped clusters. Each flower head contains numerous disk florets but lacks the ray florets found in many composite flowers, giving the blooms a distinctive, fluffy appearance that attracts various pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies.
As a native wildflower, Letterman’s ironweed plays an important role in mountain ecosystems. It provides late-season nectar sources for pollinators preparing for winter, and its seeds offer food for birds and small mammals. The plant’s fibrous root system also helps stabilize soil in its mountainous habitat.
Protecting high-elevation meadows and watersheds remains essential for maintaining healthy populations of this beautiful western native. In a garden environment, this perennial contrasts well with the golden blooms of the Goldenrod (Solidago) genus. Vernonia lettermanii suffers from no pest or disease issues, but is prone to flopping in rich soil or when situated in partially shaded locations.
UPCOMING EVENTS
DIG WITH SIG
Regularly FRIDAYS from 9 – 11 am
at the UnH2O Garden on Gordon Drive
But check our social media for up-to-date times and locations
This popular weekly drop-in allows you to spend time working with Sigrie Kendrick, OXA’s executive director and master gardener! This is a great opportunity to learn more about drought-tolerant plants and xeriscape landscaping.
You do not need to be an OXA member to join us in the garden– simply come along with gloves and a trowel.
MAKE WATER WORK PLEDGE
From Armstrong to Osoyoos, Okanagan citizens know that taking the Make Water Work Pledge is a great way to show commitment and take action towards a more water-efficient and fire-ready region. Adopting water-efficient practices and planting FireSmart™ not only helps make our region fire-resilient, but also saves you money, time and effort.
All pledge entries are entered to win one of two $500 gift cards towards a WaterWise yard upgrade from one of our participating retail partners!
PLEDGE CONTEST FOR 2025 CLOSES OCTOBER 20, 2025
Help us grow Xeriscape
When you support our campaign to Refresh the UnH2O as a business, organisation, individual, or family, you are helping ensure this vital community resource continues to thrive as a place where people learn that water conservation and beautiful landscapes go hand in hand.
Visit our fundraiser page to read complete details on this project, including all payment options and please join us!
Do you follow us?
If not, you really should check us out! Our social media pages are super informative and fabulous to follow especially for current events and seasonal information on everything xeriscape. Sharon Spring, OXA Vice President and Director of Social Media, does incredible and passionate work in creating content to promote OXA and xeriscape.
Follow us and take a good poke around through previous posts for gorgeous photos and great content.
Our Blog
Our new blog, On The Dry Side, is an opportunity to share information on how to garden with nature while conserving water in the Okanagan Valley.
As a group blog and forum, we welcome your contributions and comments and hope to create a blossoming community of xeriscape gardeners as well as a valuable archive of articles.
Learn
About Xeriscape
What is xeriscape and why it is perfect for the Okanagan environment? Learn how you can start conserving water in your own landscape.
7 Principles of Xeriscape
Xeriscape Classes
Get Inspired
The UnH2O Garden
A complete guide to each of our UnH2O Demonstration Garden themed beds– a 4,000 square foot garden, planted in 2010, which includes six theme areas to illustrate xeriscape possibilities. (See the Get Inspired tab in our main menu)
Xeriscape Stories
Our Xeriscape Garden Stories include photographs and stories showing xeriscape in action right here in several gardens in the Okanagan including winners from our 2011 and 2013 Xeriscape Garden Contests.
Resources
Informative resources, including an extensive list of the best books on xeriscape for our climate, links to websites, and a directory of xeriscape gardens to visit in the Okanagan, including our UnH2O and Spirit Square Garden.
We would like to thank the Okanagan Basin Water Board for their support and funding
Did you know?
- There is LESS water available per person in the Okanagan than anywhere else in Canada
- The Okanagan has one of the highest rates of water use per person in Canada
- The 2nd largest use of water in the Okanagan is for watering our household lawns & gardens
Here’s a reminder to check out the Make Water Work website to make your pledge to reduce water waste.
You will also find valuable information such as these useful PDF publications–
Make Water Works Tip Sheet and Make Water Works Plant Collection
Xeriscape is a very effective way to Make Water Work.
