This is USU Extension Horticulturist Taun Beddes based in Utah and Joab counties.
Mint family species offer wonderful fragrances, beautiful flowers, and attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Even better, most are water wise, making them excellent choices for Utah landscapes.
Hummingbird mint is one of the best. Many species are highly drought-tolerant once established.
Flower colors range from white and pink to orange, purple, red, and yellow. Most varieties grow about two feet tall and wide and bloom from late June through October.
Another standout is catmint. Newer selections stay compact, often under 18 inches tall. Popular varieties include Walker's Low, Cat's Pajamas, Cat's Meow, Persian Blue, and Little Trudy.
Many bloom from late spring through October, providing months of color and pollinator activity.
Lavender is another excellent water-wise perennial. This evergreen plant lives for five to 10 years, and has beautiful spring to early-summer light purple to blue flowers.
It thrives in hot, sunny locations, especially along south and west facing walls. Avoid cutting lavender to the ground in the fall, instead prune it lightly after flowering.
English lavender varieties are generally much more cold-hardy than French lavender.
Perennial salvia produces pink to purple flowers in late spring and early summer, growing about 18 inches tall. It often re-blooms and is both long-lived and drought-tolerant.
For lower growing options, thyme varieties make excellent water wise ground covers.
Creeping, Wooly, Elfin, Mother of Thyme and Lemon Thyme provide a range of textures and fragrances while requiring minimal irrigation.
The mint family offers something for nearly every Utah landscape.
