drought tolerant plants

17 years ago

Hi,

I am looking to add more drought tolerant plants into my garden after this summer. Things that will hold their color and look good even in the sun.

I have had good luck with eucalyptus, weigelia, lorapetalum, some roses, catmint, rosemary, lavendar and some others in the sun. The shade is another story, my shade gardens are full of tree roots and very dry, any suggestions?

Harriet

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Comments (7)

ilikemud_2006
17 years ago
Some ferns (Holly Fern and Autumn Fern)do well in dry shade, and you could check out cast-iron plant too. Hosta are great once established and don't forget Lenten Rose.
vnginger
17 years ago
Camellia bushes are great once estalished. I want to plant more in my garden. Cannas, autum joy sedum and forsythias all seem to do great in this drought.
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Despite conventional wisdom, I have success with hostas, trollius, bleeding heart, Northern Lights azaleas, white baneberry, ostrich ferns under old spruce. On the outer edges, I have some extra Stella d'Oros I couldn't see composting, Asitic lilies, nepeta, feverfew, and sedums. And there's a spring under story of squill, puschkinia, and muscari. Probably a couple of things I'm forgetting. It's an area that gets only rain, no supplemental watering. And it's been there for a long time and so far so good. My gardens all seem to be fairly drought tolerant; I have only had to water annuals and some newly installed shrubs and conifers. We're about 4" below normal rainfall, having gotten a fair amount in August, but little if any since.
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Cistus is a low water use plant, but like any plant, it needs water the first year to establish its root system. Alyssum is an annual which reseeds itself. If used for the whole yard, you would have periodic bare spots. Dymondia would be a better alternative. You can see cistus in the photo of my yard, also yarrow and society garlic. Columnea has many varieties, so it depends on which columnea you get. Another plant with tubular flowers that would be easy to grow is Mexican lobelia - Lobelia laxiflora. It is low growing - below knee level. The flowers of cistus sunset are almost the same color as the calendrinia. If you want to see some plant choices, try this link: MWD garden spot
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Comments (37)
i like your plant choices ! i am quite enamored of ceanothus ssp at the moment...i just collected some fresh seeds of our native ceanothus (which i have id as Ceanothus integerrimus) i also have been looking into drought tolerant plants, especially ground covers and /or landscaping elements...type plants/shrubs etc. i think you are on to a good start, those should all do well for you once established. they do say the same of ceanothus, as they do manazanitas - that they should have NO supplemental watering. basically the only way to kill them is to over baby them with watering, so i have read and researched... i have some large "yarden" areas, replacement for grasses, which get no watering and somehow keep on keeping on. also i like many feral / native / naturalized plants, and many of these are very drought tolerant, like things that grow in the forests and other areas without any human intervention. so anywho heres some thoughts, that i either have growing or have thought about/researched that should grow without watering. if these ideas are of no use to you, throw them out the window obviously =) but heres some food for thought. almond (despite recent weirdness i know its extremely drought tolerant) pistachio hazelnut (stays shrubby) olive fig elderberry grapes plums are pretty hardcore and tough all around. iffy to say they are completely drought tolerant, but they are close. they are just really tough and resilient all around. mahonia - oregon grape oregano pineapple weed/chamomile is surprisingly drought tolerant wild strawberry wild violets, viola, any kind of violet chicory self heal feverfew all salvias - sage calendula i've also found nigella of all types to be tolerant of dry conditions... well surely theres more, but enough for now...
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Comments (12)
Thank you all for your input. . . a few of you actually answered my question better than the way I asked it. . . I meant to word it asking if they are drought tolerant does it mean they have to be grown in drought conditions. I have been fairly successful as a gardener, and I giggle at myself when I think back to my beginning years, not knowing enough to pay attention to growing requirements, size or even zones for that matter. Now fast forward 30+ years with a lot of trial and error under my belt, I start to question my own wisdom. I do water, and I do coddle to a certain extent. I have 2 makeover beds this year with mostly new perennials so I do water when they pout, I do so deeply. My Anise Hissop was less than 6" tall when I got it, it is at the back of the bed and is already taller than an antique tricycle beside it, same with the babies breath which was bought at the same time. So they must approve, maybe??? I agree Ken, I don't want a fussy plant, I choose my plants for color, size, and eye candy. If it doesn't like me and checks out, OH WELL. It just so happens, I really like the plants in here, I hope they like me too. We never, ever have humidity. We have been 100 the past 4 days, and a few more days of it to come. Which is not real common here in SE Montana. Were about 60 miles from the Rocky Mountain range, so we don't really get any benefactor from that, except the view. Not a desert for sure and definetly not a swamp land. thanks again for the input. . . :) Debi in Montana
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jeff_al
17 years ago
lantana holds up well in dry conditions for sunny areas and blooms through fall.
mkrkmr
17 years ago
I planted several plants this past May only to leave town for June & July, letting the plants fend for themselves without any watering. At the end of July there were left:

Pineapple Sage
Salvia Coccinea (a red-flowered sage)
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Decumaria (the native cl. hydrangea)
Geranium maculatum
Foam Flower
Thalictrum spp. (aka. Meadow Rue)
Celadine Poppy
Iris cristata (dwarf crested iris)
Bloodroot
Marginal Wood Fern
Christmas Fern (suffered terribly though)

I also seeded zinnias which did well, too.

Most of the above are natives and a probably adapted to surviving drought. They may not flower much during drought though. The sages don't seem to have bloomed since we left, but the last two or so weeks of storms have brought new buds out; the should bloom any day now.

There are several beautiful native shrubs, too, which once established survive drought. Calycanthus floridus (Sweetshrub) smells nice when you pass it. I had to protect ours from deer, though.
buford
17 years ago
I second lantana. I bought a flat pak of 18 at Home Depot and they are still going strong with minimal watering. I'm hoping some survive the winter.

Established roses stand up well, as long as they are mulched. I've been watering mine about once a week, deeply. I may water more in anticipation of the late summer/fall flush.
girlgroupgirl
17 years ago
I have Chelone "Hot Lips", three different types of toadlily, rodea, perennial begonias all blooming or heady into bloom in dry shade gardens. For texture there is fatsia japonica, cast iron plant, and other plants mentioned above.

GGG
razorback33
17 years ago
Hydrangea paniculata's, Plumleaf Native Azaleas, Hostas, Oxblood lilies, Weeping Buddleja (Rostrincula dependens), several Tricyrtis cultivars, Clematis, Hardy Begonia and a tender one that spends summers outdoors, Tibouchina cvs.(intermittently), Lantana, A few Gardenia blooms now and then, same with Celandine Poppies and Corydalis lutea, Serissa, Drimia(Scilla), Nicotiana and those ubiquitous red-flowered Annuals that everyone has to have.
Variegated foliage perennials, shrubs and trees(JM) are a must in the summer garden for color contrast. Some of the one's I grow are Hydrangea 'Tricolor' & 'Quadricolor', Pieris japonica 'Variegata', Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus', Rohdea japonica 'Albomarginata',Ligularia (Farfugium) (Leopard Plant), Aucuba 'Gold Dust', Variegated Solomon's Seal and Japanese Fairy Bells, Acanthopanax sieboldii and dozens of variegated Hosta.
Everything seems to be holding up fairly well, considering the absence of normal rainfall. My major concern is the mature trees and the long-term damage they may suffer. Uninformed officials that order draconian watering restrictions have no clue as to the damage that is being inflicted upon the landscape.
Rb

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drought tolerant plants

Comments (7)

ilikemud_2006

vnginger

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mkrkmr

buford

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