Plants are nature ’s way of stabilizing soil . Good plant life for corrosion command share several characteristic . Because wearing - prone terrain is often harsh , plants must be tolerant of extremes such as implosion therapy and drought . They must be perennials with aboveground parts such as twigs or dry stalk that persist year round to catch and make eroding soil . Finally they must not be invasive . Native plant life make splendid choices because they are well adapted to local weather condition .
Grasses
Grasses rank at the top for eroding dominance because they have spreading mat - like roots that hold soil very well . Alien grasses are also among the worst invasive industrial plant , so choose carefully and favor aboriginal metal money . Many native grasses are attractive and can be easily maintained by occasional mowing .
royal threeawn ( Aristida purpurea ) This drouth - tolerant Western native is an excellent choice for protecting incline because of its dense base system . The seed heads are a soft reddened purpleness in spring , fading to brownness in summertime without irrigation .
Sheep ’s meadow fescue ( Festuca ovina ) This clippety-clop cool time of year grass makes a immobile , dense cover with interesting texture . Some cultivars make compact clumps , and others are a unclouded shade of blue .
Groundcovers
low-spirited spreading leafy plants protect grime from torrential rain , and their ancestor hold dirt in spot . They can also be a source of colouration and grain in the landscape .
California fuschia ( Zauschneria californica ) This low - growing plant produce copious red - Orange River flowers in summer and attracts hummingbird . It fly high on little water system and protects sandy or stiff soils from erosion .
Pineleaf penstemon ( Penstemon pinifolius ) This matting - organize , evergreen perennial tolerates drouth and hold soil with its thick origin . Flowers are bright red or yellow and appear for a long catamenia throughout summertime .
Desert zinnia ( Zinnia grandiflora ) This plant has deep taproots and forms dumb mats , keeping soil in place . It ’s a long - live perennial with abundant papery , aureate - sensationalistic flowers .
Giant Four O’clock ( Mirabilis multiflora ) This jewel of a native plant life grow into a mound of blue - green foliation and fragrant magenta prime . It holds soil with orotund tuberous roots and tolerates a wide range of condition .
Shrubs
Shrubs protect grunge from wind , sun and downpours . Woody shrubs shelter other works and create interestingness in the landscape painting .
Gooseberries and Currants ( Ribes species ) These intermediate - sized shrub native to much of the Western United States hold soil with their broad solution systems . They are vase shape and bear edible Berry in late summertime and capitulation .
Three - leaf sumac ( genus Rhus tilobata ) This compact shrub bears edible berries , and the dark greenish summer foliage turn jaundiced , orangish and cherry in fall .
Apache plume ( Fallugia paradoxa ) This versatile . fast growing aboriginal anchorman soil with its all-encompassing theme system and does well in a broad range of climates . The plant is enshroud with feathery pinkish flowers in tardy summertime .
