Citrus Heights, CA · Lawn conversion
Replace Your Citrus Heights Lawn With a Low-Water Yard
Citrus Heights is full of mid-century ranch homes with big, thirsty front lawns — and in our zone 9b summers, where the heat sits over 100°F for weeks and the rain quits from May to October, keeping that grass green means running sprinklers hardest right when water costs the most. Replacing your front lawn with low-water plants cuts that summer irrigation, ends the weekly mow, and may qualify you for a regional turf-replacement rebate. Use the free planner below to sketch your new yard, then take a real plan to your water provider and, if you want, a local installer. GoGarden is a planning tool — we don't sell or install anything.
Your water providerCitrus Heights Water District (CHWD serves roughly two-thirds of the city with American River water from Folsom Lake, wholesaled and treated by the San Juan Water District); the rest of Citrus Heights is split between California American Water and the Sacramento Suburban Water District, generally toward the city's western and southern edges — check the provider name printed on your water bill to be sure.
Citrus Heights-area water agencies participate in the Regional Water Authority's regional turf-replacement rebate, promoted through bewatersmart.info, while California American Water runs its own Sacramento-area conservation program — which one applies to you depends on who bills you. Whichever it is, you generally must apply and get written approval (essentially a reservation of funds) before you remove any grass, since these rebates are first-come, first-served and not retroactive. Programs, rates, and eligibility rules change often and can pause when the year's funding runs out, so confirm the current terms directly with your provider first. Note that Sacramento County's separate "Cash for Grass" rebate covers the County Water Agency's own service area, not Citrus Heights.
1 Pick a look
A knee-high tapestry of native grasses and sedges threaded with seasonal flowers — the relaxed, walkable look that reads as a meadow, not a cactus garden.
2 How much lawn are you replacing?
Not sure of your square footage? Size it by shape
Measure the lawn you're removing. For an odd shape, add a couple of rectangles together.
3 Your plant plan
Clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis
2×1 ft · Sun–part shade · Evergreen
Premier no-mow lawn swap: mow short for turf or leave long for a meadow. Takes light foot traffic; wants regular water to stay green.
139 plants
Deer grass Muhlenbergia rigens
4×3.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen
Evergreen native clump with tall arching flower spikes for a strong accent. Keep it back from the house, out of the first 5 ft.
8 plants
Common yarrow Achillea millefolium
2×1.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen · Blooms late spring to summer
California native that knits into a soft, fern-leafy mat, staying low with white summer flower stalks. Tough and easygoing.
42 plants
Purple needlegrass Stipa pulchra
2×3 ft · Sun–part shade
California's native state grass, great for erosion control and reseeds on its own. Keep it out of the first 5 ft by the house.
21 plants
California fuchsia Epilobium canum
3.5×1.5 ft · Full sun · Blooms late summer to fall
Scarlet trumpet flowers late summer to fall make it a hummingbird favorite. Cut to the ground each winter for a fresh flush.
6 plants
Foothill Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP'
2×1.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen · Blooms spring to early summer
Electric blue-to-fuchsia tubular flowers pull in hummingbirds and native bees. The toughest, longest-lived foothill penstemon.
21 plants
Plant photos from iNaturalist contributors · CC BY / CC0. See the full plant guide →
🔥 Fire-smart placement: Deer grass, Purple needlegrass are drought-tolerant but more flammable — keep them out of the 0–5 ft strip against the house (Zone 0) and use the low-flammability plants there instead. Want a palette that's fire-safe right up to the wall? Try the look.
You're converting about 400 sq ft of lawn. Many Sacramento-area water providers pay a per-square-foot cash rebate for replacing lawn with low-water landscaping (often called Cash for Grass) — programs and rates change, so check your own provider's current offer and rules before you start.
Rebate programs usually want low-water plants covering a set share of the area and drip irrigation in place. This plan reaches roughly 100% live-plant coverage at maturity — GoGarden doesn't determine eligibility or amounts.
Want it installed?
Let a local pro know you're interested · no obligation
Plant counts use triangular on-center spacing and are planning estimates — buy a few extra for losses and confirm spacing with your nursery. Water use follows WUCOLS for the Central Valley; flammability guidance follows CAL FIRE / UC ANR; costs are 2026 retail assumptions, not quotes. Palette drawn for Sacramento (USDA zone 9b) — 48 plants and growing.
Who bills you for water in Citrus Heights — and where the rebate comes from
Citrus Heights is unusual for a city its size: three different water utilities serve it. The Citrus Heights Water District, which has served the community since 1920, covers roughly two-thirds of town — much of the area around Sylvan Corners, Sunrise Ranch, and the Arcade Creek corridor — and delivers American River surface water from Folsom Lake that's treated and wholesaled by the San Juan Water District. The remaining third is divided between California American Water and the Sacramento Suburban Water District, generally toward the city's western and southern edges. Because your rebate options follow whoever bills you, the first step is literally to read the provider name on your water bill. For turf conversion, Citrus Heights-area agencies participate in the Regional Water Authority's regional turf-replacement rebate promoted through bewatersmart.info, while California American Water customers apply through American Water's own Sacramento conservation program. The catch that trips people up region-wide: you must apply and receive an approval — a reservation of funds — before you pull out a single blade, because the rebate isn't retroactive and funding runs first-come, first-served until it's gone for the year. Note too that Sacramento County's separate 'Cash for Grass' program covers the County Water Agency's own service area, not Citrus Heights, so don't assume it applies here. Confirm the current program and terms directly with your provider before you plan around any rebate.
Why convert your front lawn in Citrus Heights
Citrus Heights grew up as classic mid-century Sacramento suburbia — streets of 1960s and '70s ranch homes on generous lots, most fronted by a wide cool-season lawn that was cheap to install and is now expensive to keep alive. In our USDA zone 9b climate, summers routinely sit above 100°F for weeks while the rain shuts off from roughly May to October, so holding that fescue or ryegrass green means running sprinklers hardest exactly when the Valley has the least water to spare. The local ground doesn't help a lawn either: much of the terrace east of the American River sits over dense clay and hardpan, which sheds water sideways and leaves turf shallow-rooted and perpetually thirsty. Trading the front lawn for low-water plantings ends the weekly mow, cuts the single biggest line on your summer bill, and — in neighborhoods from Birdcage Heights to Rusch Park — reads as a deliberate upgrade rather than a patchy, half-brown rectangle by August. A well-planned water-wise yard also rides out the drought-year watering-day limits that keep returning to the region, and it brings back the pollinators and songbirds you already see along Arcade Creek. Use the planner below to map your real lawn footprint and test a few layouts before you commit to anything.
What grows well in a Citrus Heights yard
Citrus Heights is squarely valley-floor zone 9b — hot, dry summers, mild wet winters, and heavy clay-over-hardpan soils in many older tracts — so the plants that thrive on little summer water once established are California natives and Mediterranean-climate species. For backbone structure, reach for manzanita, ceanothus (California lilac), toyon, and western redbud; for long, heat-proof color, Cleveland and autumn sage, California fuchsia, yarrow, native buckwheat, and penstemon; and for movement without a mower, deergrass and other native bunchgrasses. Lavender, rosemary, and westringia handle both the heat and the heavy soils common here. The one adjustment Citrus Heights ground calls for: because hardpan drains slowly, plant on gentle mounds or berms so crowns don't sit in winter water, roughen the sides of each planting hole rather than glazing the clay smooth, and mulch three to four inches deep to keep the soil from baking. Group everything by water need, put it all on drip, and plant in the cool, wet season — fall through early spring — so roots establish before the first real heat. Regional turf rebates typically require low-water, non-invasive plants plus efficient irrigation anyway, so a climate-matched palette keeps you eligible and keeps the yard full. The planner helps you lay out beds and spacing so the finished yard reads as intentional, not sparse.
Replacing a lawn in Citrus Heights — FAQs
Who is my water provider in Citrus Heights?
Citrus Heights is served by three water utilities. The Citrus Heights Water District covers roughly two-thirds of the city and delivers American River water from Folsom Lake treated by the San Juan Water District; the rest of the city is split between California American Water and the Sacramento Suburban Water District, generally toward the western and southern edges. Check the provider name printed on your water bill — it determines which rebate program, if any, you can apply for.
Is there a rebate for replacing my lawn in Citrus Heights?
Likely, but it depends on your provider. Citrus Heights-area agencies participate in the Regional Water Authority's regional turf-replacement rebate (promoted at bewatersmart.info), and California American Water customers apply through American Water's own Sacramento conservation program. We don't quote dollar amounts here on purpose: rates, caps, and funding change and can pause when the year's money runs out. Confirm the current program and terms directly with whoever bills you. Note that Sacramento County's separate 'Cash for Grass' rebate covers the County Water Agency area, not Citrus Heights.
Do I have to get approval before removing my lawn?
Almost certainly, yes. Regional turf-replacement rebates require you to apply and receive an approval — essentially a reservation of funds — before you remove any grass, and the lawn (dead or alive) generally has to still be in place when you apply. Homeowners who tear out the turf first and apply afterward routinely disqualify themselves, because these rebates aren't retroactive. Apply, wait for written approval, then start digging.
What should I plant instead of grass in Citrus Heights?
Lean into California natives and Mediterranean plants suited to zone 9b: manzanita, western redbud, ceanothus, toyon, salvias, California fuchsia, buckwheat, lavender, and rosemary, plus native bunchgrasses like deergrass for movement. Because much of Citrus Heights sits over slow-draining clay and hardpan, plant on gentle mounds, mulch deeply, and put everything on drip. The planner helps you pick a palette that fits your yard's sun, size, and soil.
Does GoGarden install my new yard?
No — GoGarden is a free planning tool, not a landscaping contractor. We help you design the conversion, understand your local water and rebate landscape, and, if you'd like, connect with local pros who can handle the installation. We don't install anything ourselves, we don't pull your rebate paperwork, and using the planner costs nothing.
Areas we serve
Serving homeowners across Sunrise Ranch, Birdcage Heights, Sylvan Corners, Arcade Creek, Rusch Park, Mariposa, Stock Ranch and the greater Citrus Heights area.
Lawn conversion in nearby cities
aSaaSin Ventures LLC operates GoGarden — a free planning tool that can connect you with a local pro, not the installing contractor. Rebate programs, rates, and eligibility are set by your water provider and change often; confirm the current terms with them, and get any required written pre-approval, before removing turf. Plant and cost figures are planning estimates.