Making a garden resilient, stronger in the face of the repeated heatwaves our countries now suffer, is one of the challenges of the Chaparral garden, which draws on flora from extreme climates, such as those found in New Mexico or California. The multiple heatwaves of summer 2026 confirm this reality and will certainly steer us towards undemanding plants that are also hardy in our winters. Discover this new type of garden, inherently waterwise, low-maintenance and very promising.

What is a chaparral?

Chaparro is a Spanish word referring to several oak species (Quercus ilex, holm oak, but also Quercus coccifera and sometimes cork oak). The term also covers less well-known species such as Castela tortuosa, a shrub native to arid areas of Mexico and southern United States.

Chaparral is nothing more than an area of scrub and shrubs, forming a specific ecosystem in Mediterranean climates. It generally resembles a stand of holm oaks, in other words a garrigue or maquis, terms and landscapes more familiar to us. The name in Spanish denotes a biome found mainly from Mexico to California, and in Europe around the Mediterranean such as Andalusia or Sardinia. These areas are wooded, populated by shrubs and undershrubs able to withstand very hot conditions.

Plants able to grow in chaparral are often sclerophyllous (small, leathery leaves covered by a protective cuticle), sharing unique adaptations to this dry environment: deep roots, grey-green leaves that reflect light, and essential oils that limit evaporation.

chaparral garden trend — *Left, an Andalusian chaparral; right, Californian landscapes around Santa Monica*

We imagined three scenes to reproduce, in spirit, this ultra-resilient type of landscape. You can create a single area of the garden that receives particularly strong summer sun, or treat the whole garden in this style, provided you live in temperate valleys or mild zones of the country.

Adapting the chaparral to a dry exotic garden

A dry garden can create a sublime scene with exceptional plants.
Here we play with a palette of blue-tinged foliage using plants surprisingly resistant to short frosts in winter, not exceeding −10°C. The tree poppy, a Californian and Mexican plant with wonderful white flowers, and the Mexican blue palm for an original backdrop, have proven able to withstand very dry summers. Once well established, Romneya poses no real hardiness issues. A Yucca pallida joins them to form that superb silvery-blue base, accompanied by an agave hardy enough such as Agave parryi or Agave montana.

A Mediterranean perennial, Euphorbia pithyusa, a Balearic spurge that stays low, and a Mexican-origin plant, Mathiasella bupleuroides 'Green Dream' with jade-green flowers, naturally fit among these plants. We bring in chartreuse and blue-green tones for a duet of colours evoking Mediterranean aridity.

NB: this blue planting can easily be part of a blue garden, located in the sunniest, driest part of the garden!

dry garden rockery arid terrain ideas — *Brahea armata, Agave parryi, Euphorbia pythiusa, Romneya coulteri and Yucca pallida (photo Michel Dupuyoo-Flickr)*

Transport yourself to Lanzarote

Lanzarote's cactus gardens are exceptionally photogenic. On this volcanic archipelago grow sclerophyllous plants with small leathery leaves adapted to drought, and spiny cacti. Drawing inspiration from them, while carefully selecting cacti cold-hardy enough for our winters, allows creation of a unique area within a dry garden, ready to face repeated summer heat spikes. Ensure perfect drainage, as this type of garden cannot tolerate any standing moisture in winter.

A prickly pear, well adapted to sea spray, is interesting for its slightly greater hardiness (down to around −15°C for some) and its unique habit with large spiny pads. Plant them liberally; choices include Opuntia scheeri or Opuntia engelmannii var. rastrera, among many others. In this distinctive setting, succumb to oddity of Cylindropuntia kleiniae, a cousin of opuntias, quite cold-hardy and producing a beautiful magenta summer bloom. Complement the area with a Hesperaloe parviflora and an Echinocactus grusonii, the golden barrel cactus often seen on the island.

This type of garden is intended for warm, mild regions of the country with less severe winters and dry summers.
Use pumice or black volcanic stones to simulate island soils and to ensure drainage. Finishing touch? a whitewashed house with green shutters to reproduce another characteristic of this island close to African coasts.

chaparral garden trend promesse de fleurs — Prickly pear, *Hesperaloe parviflora,* *Cylindropuntia kleiniae*, and *Echinocactus grusonii*

... or to landscape a poor, unproductive slope

A south-facing, dry and unproductive slope can also be transformed into a resilient space by imitating the chaparral, an ecosystem adapted to extreme conditions.

To turn poor soil into a semi-desert rockery, favour low, hardy shrubs such as cistus (Cistus), a California lilac like the ceanothus ' Pacific Wave' or its groundcover form (C. thyrsiflorus 'Repens'), a prostrate rosemary and some sempervivums. These plants, with deep roots and leathery or fleshy leaves, tolerate drought and poor soils perfectly. Add a golden thyme, and some sages (such as Canary Island sage 'Lancelot'), aromatic plants that will scent the garden while attracting pollinators.

Once established, these plants require little watering and maintenance. Their dense foliage will protect soil from erosion and limit growth of weeds that are unwanted on the slope. A mineral mulch will help conserve moisture and enhance the slope's natural appearance. A few ochre or orange boulders placed here and there will also help evoke Californian or Andalusian maquis while enhancing the area.