Drought tolerant plants popular during water shortage

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- With temperatures climbing, you may be tempted to turn on the sprinklers, but there are ways to beat the heat and the drought at the same time.

Matt Sesody with Summer Winds Nursery could talk forever about his selection of drought tolerant plants.

"This is kind of a nice one," he said holding a plant. "Dark Star, it's one of my favorites."

He says another one we can't forget is our state flower, the California poppy. A California native.

"We've changed how we're ordering stuff how we look at plants and landscapes,"

The drought has changed his industry. Since you can't water non-stop anymore, he urges residents to make sure they water early, when it's not very hot. Another tip is to water slowly to promote deep root growth.

"Cause if the roots are closer to the surface, you're going to have to water them more frequently cause they're going to dry out a lot sooner," he said.

San Jose resident Elaine Yastishock says bring on the heat.

"I love the heat," she said. "I love dry heat, so I do well with it."

She adds that they're letting their grass dry and that they're prepared.

"Be realistic and cut back," said Yastischock. "Plant appropriate plants."

Save the water to rehydrate yourself tomorrow.

To learn how much your city is required to cut back, click here. For water rebate information from Bay Area water suppliers, click here. And click here for tips on how to conserve water. To learn more about how to report water wasters #WhereYouLive, click here.

For full coverage on the drought, click here.