Favorite Drought-Tolerant Perennials
Discover the best drought-tolerant perennials for gardens facing dry conditions and strong winds. Find top plant picks that add beauty while conserving water.
Drought-tolerant perennials are essential for gardens exposed to wind and dry conditions. As more gardeners focus on water conservation, the variety of tough, low-water plants available continues to grow. Choosing plants adapted to arid climates is the best way to ensure long-term success in drought-prone areas.
Top Drought-Tolerant Perennials to Grow in Your Garden
Ice plants (Delosperma)
These low-growing succulents stop the show with daisy-like flowers of yellow, lavender and brilliant copper. They’re also recommended in wildfire-prone areas thanks to their water-retaining qualities. USDA Zones 5–9.
Beardstongues (Penstemon)
Everyone can find a penstemon they love among the genus’s mind-boggling array of colors, forms and variations. Popular hybrids include the bright P. xmexacali Pikes Peak Purple (‘P0075’) or the vibrant red P. pinifolius ‘Compactum’. Zones 4–9.
Stonecrop (Sedum)
Tall ‘Autumn Joy’ is a hard-to-beat favorite, but there are dozens of other varieties to explore that thrive in hot, dry conditions. Zones 3–9.
Salvia (Salvia)
There are few genera as varied as Salvia, which offers interesting foliage in some species and knockout blooms in others. Cultivar S. nemorosa ‘Mainacht’ (‘May Night’) is much loved, but delve deep for other colorful options, too. Zones 4–9.
Yarrow (Achillea)
Drought-tolerant yarrows bloom throughout the summer with little fuss, offering flat-topped flowers in delicious shades like strawberry, peach and paprika. Zones 3–9.
Related: Drought-Tolerant Garden Plans
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Blooming in colors from pale yellow to deep purple, columbines brighten spring and early-summer gardens with little care. Zones 3–8.
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)
Look for the evergreen species that vary from low-growing groundcovers to taller shrubs. They grow well in difficult conditions, providing good soil protection with plenty of visual appeal. Zones 4–8.
Buckwheat (Eriogonum)
These wildflowers boast beautiful light yellow flowers that is a boon to native bees and insects. Zones 4–8.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia)
These durable, bright flowers shine in the harshest conditions. Standing roughly a foot tall, they come in the brilliant yellows, oranges and reds of the sunset. Zones 4–10.
Text by Amy Grisak for the July/August 2018 issue of Horticulture.
Image credit: Jennifer Yakey-Ault/iStock/Getty Images