I hope to post some information here on native (eastern US) plants (mainly herbaceous) for drought conditions. I'm assembling the information from several sources: native plant nurseries, other on-line guides, books. One thing I've noticed is that different authorities do not fully agree on the cultural requirements of native species: wet vs. dry, heavy (clay) vs. light (sandy) soil, sun vs. shade. Why the disagreement? (a) Controlled experiments, growing each species under a variety of conditions (soil type, light level, and moisture), would provide the most accurate answers to these questions. I doubt that such experiments have been done. (b) Genetic variation within the species may lead to a variation in growth requirements. (Some individuals in a given species may be more drought tolerant than other individuals in the same species.) (c) Most plants become more drought tolerant as their root systems develop. This is especially true of plants that produce deep tap roots (up to 20 feet deep for some herbaceous species). The genus Baptisia (False Indigo) is a good example. (d) Related to (c), drought tolerance may depend on whether the plant is in its preferred soil type. For example, a species that prospers in sandy loam might wilt in clay soil because the roots can't grow in clay. Sorry to confuse things, but I think it's important to point out that drought tolerance isn't as "cut and dried" as a simple list might suggest. The best advice is probably to take an experimental approach, and try a number of different plants to see what works best in your garden.

Wetsuiter: I protected my pindo with a leaf cafe during its first winter here. Easily survived, but several of the fonds were nailed by rot as I did not cover the cage with a tarp. None the less, it recovered suprisingly fast. This past winter, I sprung for a little, portable greenhouse. I put a shop light inside with a 100 watt incandescent and a thermocube to turn it off and on automatically. The Pindo did not miss a beat. Stayed green all winter and hit the ground running in the Spring. In fact, its spreading so much, I have to procure or build something even bigger to protect it next winter. So yes, your idea would be fine. Just make sure you have a way to vent the box as it gets hot with even a glint of sunshine. No reason for that Pindo to perish.

Alex, I'm surprised you've not seen the wild roses along the Long Island or New England beaches. I dyid some research and found out they're native to Japan and Korea. They must've been introduced a very long time ago as they're widespread along the Atlantic Beaches from VA into Canada and Great Lakes. They apparently thrive in crappy soils (beach sand) and very close to open water. http://www.google.com/search?q=beach+roses&hl=en&client=ms-android-verizon&gm=576&sky=mrdr&site=webhp&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=dACiT57iCqad6AGLyqTfCA&sqi=2&ved=0CEYQsAQ&biw=308&bih=513#p=0

Cactus dude, its all good. If you're not familiar with mid Atlantic and Northeast Beach culture, its radically different than going to a beach in California. California is more about day tripping to the beach. It's a year round beach climate and people go there to surf or picnic or watch the sunset. Here, our beach season is short. Businesses have three precious months to make money for the entire year. Rent is VERY expensive. Anything that sets you apart from your competitor or makes your place look more "beachy" will help make the season. Tourists generally don't do day trips either, as most of the east coast cities are a few hours drive from their favorite beach resorts. So visits are often in increments of every weekend, entire week's vacation or entire seasons renting a house (often year after year or generations). Repeat loyal customers are big business. The thousands spent on "disposable" palms can translate to hundreds of thousands for the beach club, bar, mini golf or restaurant. Same for the garden center that sold the palms and installed them. Growers too.