In Utah, conversations about water often begin with scarcity. Reservoir levels, snowpack totals, and conservation mandates. But at The Plant Institute, the brainchild of horticulturist Ben Behunin, a different question is taking root: what if the issue isn’t just how much water we use, but how our landscapes are designed to use it?
Behunin is exploring a shift in how we think about water conservation—one focusing not on removing landscapes, but in understanding how they function. The research points to a surprising culprit in urban water use: not just irrigation habits, but the physical structure of plants themselves.
“Healthy plant canopies that are strategically managed for density, airflow, light penetration, and plant physiology can significantly reduce unnecessary water demand while preserving shade, cooling benefits, aesthetics, and long-term plant health,” Behunin explains.
In simple terms, the more dense a plant’s canopy, the more water it “sweats” back into the atmosphere. That insight reframes a long-standing approach to conservation. For years, strategies like xeriscaping and turf removal have focused on reducing inputs, meaning less grass, less water. But The Plant Institute is focused on output: how plants actually release water.
It’s a subtle distinction with significant implications.
One example lies in a common landscaping practice: shearing shrubs into tight, manicured shapes. While visually tidy, the process triggers dense regrowth and increases total leaf surface area, ultimately driving higher water demand. The result is a dense outer shell canopy that maximizes transpiration rather than minimizing it.
At the same time, widely adopted water-saving methods like rock-heavy xeriscaping may introduce another challenge: heat. Rock mulch can reach temperatures between 130°F and 160°F in peak summer conditions, raising surrounding air temperatures and increasing plant stress.
To address this, The Plant Institute has developed the JLB Precision Canopy Management System, a science-based landscape and urban forestry management approach developed by Behunin through decades of practical field experience in Utah’s arid climate. It’s designed to reduce plant density without sacrificing the benefits of living landscapes. By selectively pruning at natural growth points rather than shaping externally, the system lowers total leaf area, reducing water demand while preserving shade, cooling, and ecological value.
The numbers are compelling. Compared to conventional landscapes, JLB-managed properties can reduce water use by roughly 45 percent—saving nearly 47,000 gallons annually per home—while maintaining the cooling benefits that vegetation provides.
That balance may prove critical as Utah looks for scalable solutions. With more than 500,000 acre-feet of water used annually on residential landscapes, even modest efficiency gains could have meaningful, state-wide impact.
“The system integrates arboriculture, irrigation management, plant physiology, soil science, and microclimate management into one coordinated water conservation strategy,” he notes.
What The Plant Institute suggests is a new way of thinking that doesn’t ask residents to abandon green space, but to refine it. Instead of replacing landscapes, optimize them. Instead of removing plants, understand them.
Because in the end, the future of water in the West may not be defined by how much we take away but rather by how thoughtfully we shape what remains.
With more than 500,000 acre-feet of water used annually on residential landscapes, even modest efficiency gains could have meaningful, state-wide impact.