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Abstract
Some Great Basin urban areas in Utah and Nevada exhibit climatic conditions that make it difficult for all but the toughest landscape plants to thrive without providing supplemental water. These areas are found at elevations from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet in USDA cold-hardiness zones 6 and 7. Soils are often poor and gravelly, containing less than 1 percent organic matter. Soil pH ranges from 6.5 to over 7.5, and some areas have salinity levels that exceed the limits of tolerance for many plants. Precipitation is less than 10 inches per year, and drying winds are persistent much of the time. Many plants under these conditions lose water rapidly due to evaporation from leaf surfaces and from the soil. Rocky, poor soils with little organic matter have little capacity to hold water, causing further stress to landscape plants. Selecting plants that are adapted to such a climate will improve plant survival and achieve aesthetic and functional goals for the landscape.
Citation
Kratsch, Heidi; Heflebower, Rick. 2013. Gardening guide for high-desert urban landscapes of Great Basin regions in Nevada and Utah. SP-13-09. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, Cooperative Extension. Online: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2013/sp1309.pdf
