Xeriscaping on Cape Cod
A Beautiful Yard That Works With Cape Cod’s Climate
If you’ve ever watched your lawn turn brown and brittle by mid-July, you’re not alone. Cape Cod’s sandy, fast-draining soils and periodic summer dry spells can make traditional lawns a constant battle. That’s why more and more homeowners here on the Cape are turning to xeriscaping — a landscaping approach that creates stunning, low-maintenance yards by choosing plants and designs that naturally thrive in our local conditions.
At Sears, we’ve been tending to Cape Cod landscapes for 95 years. We’ve seen the seasons change, the drought years come and go, and the shift toward smarter, more sustainable landscaping. Xeriscaping isn’t a trend — it’s a practical, beautiful choice that can save you time, money, and water while keeping your property looking its absolute best year-round.
What Is Xeriscaping?
It’s pronounced “zeer-ih-scaping” — rhymes with “zero-scaping,” The word “xeriscape” comes from the Greek word xeros, meaning dry. But don’t let that fool you — xeriscaped yards aren’t barren or dull. Done well, they’re lush, colorful, and full of life. The core idea is simple: design your landscape around plants and practices that are naturally suited to your region’s rainfall and soil, so you rely less on supplemental watering and heavy maintenance.
On Cape Cod, that means working with our sandy, well-drained soils, our salt air near the coast, and our warm but sometimes dry summers. The good news? Our region has a fantastic palette of native and adapted plants that love exactly these conditions.
Why Xeriscaping Makes Sense on Cape Cod
Our Soils Are Sandy — and That’s Okay
Cape Cod’s glacially-deposited sandy soils drain quickly, which is hard on thirsty traditional lawns. But many native plants evolved in just these conditions and thrive without amendment. Embracing the soil you have — rather than fighting it — is one of the smartest things you can do for your landscape.
Water Restrictions Are a Real Concern
Many Cape Cod towns have seasonal water restrictions, particularly during summer. A xeriscape design dramatically reduces your irrigation needs, so you stay worry-free even during the driest stretches of August.
Salt Tolerance Matters Near the Water
If your property is close to the shore, salt spray and salty soils can damage plants that aren’t adapted to it. Native coastal plants like Beach Plum, Rugosa Rose, and American Beach Grass are naturally tough as nails in these conditions.
Less Maintenance, More Enjoyment
Deep-rooted native plants don’t just need less water — they also need less fertilizer, fewer pest treatments, and less mowing. That means more weekends relaxing in your yard and fewer hours maintaining it.
The Best Plants for a Cape Cod Xeriscape
After nearly a century of working with Cape Cod soils and landscapes, we have our favorite go-to plants for drought-tolerant, low-maintenance beauty. Here are some of our top picks:
Native Grasses & Groundcovers
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) — A beautiful native grass that turns brilliant copper-red in fall. Thrives in dry, sandy soil.
- Beach Grass (Ammophila breviligulata) — The classic Cape Cod coastal grass. Stabilizes soil and handles full sun and salt spray with ease.
- Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) — A low-growing, mat-forming groundcover with glossy leaves and red berries. Perfect for slopes and dry areas.
- Creeping Thyme — Fragrant, bee-friendly, and nearly indestructible. A wonderful lawn alternative for sunny spots.
Native Flowering Plants & Perennials
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) — Cheerful yellow flowers all summer long, no irrigation needed.
- Wild Blue Indigo (Baptisia australis) — Stunning blue-purple flowers in spring, architectural seedpods in fall.
- Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — Beloved by pollinators, drought-hardy once established, and long-blooming.
- Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) — A Cape Cod classic that feeds late-season butterflies and bees.
- Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) — Brilliant orange blooms and a critical host plant for monarch butterflies.
Shrubs & Trees
- Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) — A true Cape Cod icon. Fragrant white spring flowers, edible plums in fall, and extreme salt and drought tolerance.
- Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) — Evergreen-ish, salt-tolerant, aromatic, and a fantastic wildlife plant.
- Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra) — A tough native shrub that tolerates both wet and dry conditions.
- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) — Wind-resistant, drought-hardy, and provides year-round structure and shelter for birds.
Seven Principles of Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping isn’t just about plant selection — it’s a whole-landscape philosophy. Here are the seven guiding principles we use when designing xeriscape landscapes for Cape Cod homeowners:
- Plan and design thoughtfully — Group plants with similar water needs together, called hydrozoning.
- Improve your soil where it counts — For planting beds, work in compost to give new plants a strong start.
- Reduce lawn areas — Replace high-maintenance turf with native groundcovers, mulched beds, or hardscape.
- Choose water-wise plants — Lean on the native and drought-adapted species listed above.
- Mulch, mulch, mulch — A 2–3 inch layer of natural mulch dramatically reduces evaporation and suppresses weeds.
- Water efficiently — If you do irrigate, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses early in the morning to minimize waste.
- Maintain carefully — Once established, native plants need very little intervention. Let them do their thing!
Getting Started: Our Advice for Cape Cod Homeowners
The best xeriscape transformations don’t happen overnight — and they don’t need to. Here’s how we recommend approaching it:
Start small. Pick one area — maybe a sunny, dry slope or a strip along the driveway — and convert it to a native plant bed. Watch it thrive, and let that success inspire you to expand.
Reduce your lawn gradually. Grass is one of the thirstiest parts of most landscapes. Every square foot you replace with native plants is a square foot that waters itself.
Call us. Honestly, this is one of our favorite kinds of project. Our team has deep knowledge of what works here on the Cape, and we love helping homeowners find that sweet spot between beautiful and low-maintenance. Whether you want a full xeriscape redesign or just some guidance on where to start, we’re here for it.
Ready to transform your Cape Cod yard into something beautiful and effortless?
We’d love to talk and we’re here to help you make the most of your outdoor space, every season of the year.
— The Sears Family John G. Sears & Son Landscaping | Est. 1931 | Cape Cod, MA