Plumeria tree

I don't get it. Our hills look just as dry and grassy as that.
I'm now wondering if my Plumeria try failed not because of root rot..but gophers?
I had to re-root my Celadine a few years ago. I have one old photo of it from 10 years or so Andy,where it was about 4' tall and wide in a pot. Its taken the last 3-4 to begin to look good. Still not as branched.
Gophers took out a small Monstera on the side of my house along with the Pipe auretum.

Yes, just as dry now. However, our hills rarely ever get green! LOL! Actually, it's not funny. It's been so dry here for the last several years...we haven't seen green hills in years! We only received about 70 percent of our normal rainfall this year...and that's only about 7 inches. That's a big difference from what all of the Bay Area receives even in the driest years.