17 Drought-Tolerant Plants Perfect for Dry Spots in Your Garden
You can have beautiful outdoor living spaces full of color and water less by choosing drought-tolerant plants.
 1. LantanaLuscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana is a great plant to grow if you're dealing with dry conditions in your garden. This resilient plant keeps blooming even when water is scarce, giving you clusters of small, colorful flowers from spring to fall. It spreads nicely too, making it perfect for filling in spaces and adding a pop of color to your landscape. |
 2. StonecropRock 'N Grow® 'Back in Black' Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a real trooper when it comes to drought. This succulent plant stores water in its thick, fleshy leaves, allowing it to thrive even when other plants are wilting. You'll love its low-growing, carpet-like form that's topped with clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers, usually in shades of pink, red, or yellow. Sedum is a great low-maintenance option for rock gardens or as a ground cover in sunny, dry spots. |
 3. MangaveArt & Sol™ 'Tooth Fairy' Mangave is a striking succulent that doesn't require a lot of water to thrive. This eye-catching plant combines the best features of agaves and manfredas, giving you dramatic, colorful leaves that often sport unique patterns or speckles. Mangave is easy to grow and surprisingly tough. Use it to add a bold, architectural element to your garden or patio containers. |
 4. LavenderSweet Romance® Lavender is a fragrant favorite that doesn't mind being thirsty. This aromatic herb boasts silvery-green foliage and spikes of purple flowers that add a touch of Provence to any garden. Lavender thrives in sunny spots with well-drained soil, making it an ideal choice for water-wise gardens. You'll love its calming scent and the way it attracts pollinators to your outdoor space. |
 5. Catmint'Cat's Pajamas' Among plants resistant to drought, Catmint is another impressive option with purple flowers. If you're in a cold climate where lavender won't thrive, Catmint makes an excellent substitute. This hardy perennial blooms all summer long and is nearly carefree. Add it to a water-wise border, mass it along a slope, or even grow it in containers. |
 6. Anise HyssopMeant to Bee® 'Queen Nectarine' Agastache is a tough perennial that thrives in dry weather. Its tall spikes of pink, purple, and orange flowers add a splash of color and a sweet scent to your garden. Plus, it's a favorite for hummingbirds and bees. Plant Agastache in a sunny spot with well-drained soil, and enjoy its beautiful blooms from summer through fall. |
 7. ConeflowerSummersong™ Firefinch™ Looking for a cheerful, drought-tolerant plant? Try coneflowers! Their daisy-like flowers will add mid- to late-season color to your garden in shades of pink, purple, yellow, red, orange and white. Newly planted coneflowers need consistent water, but once established they'll do just fine during drought. |
 8. Russian Sage'Denim 'n Lace' Add a touch of elegance to any garden with Russian sage's silvery-green foliage and tall spikes of lavender-blue flowers. Water regularly through the first growing season to encourage a deep root system. But be cautious, as overwatering can lead to disease and root rot. Once established, Russian sage is drought-resistant and low-maintenance. |
 9. Yarrow'Firefly Sunshine' For color that lasts all summer, even during dry spells, look no further! Yarrow is an easy plant with bright flowers that will stand out in your garden. This low-maintenance plant is also a great choice if you struggle with deer and rabbits. |
 10. PurslaneMojave® Yellow Bring a pop of color to your garden with this joyful, drought-proof plant. Purslane is a low-growing succulent with flowers in juicy shades of tangerine, pink, red, fuchsia, and yellow that open in the sunshine. It's a great choice for warm climates and poor, drier soils. Use it as a colorful ground cover, in hanging baskets, or as a filler in container gardens. Bonus: No deadheading required! |
 11. Butterfly FlowerStratosphere™ Pink Picotee Gaura is a graceful, drought-tolerant perennial that brings a touch of whimsy to your garden. Its slender stems dance in the breeze, adorned with delicate white or pink flowers that look like butterflies in flight. Gaura thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, continuing to bloom even when water is scarce. Use this long-blooming beauty in borders, cottage gardens, or as a soft, airy contrast to bolder plants. |
 12. Cranesbill Geranium'Boom Chocolatta' Want a plant that's as adaptable as it is charming? Look no further than cranesbill geranium. Its saucer-shaped flowers in pink, purple, or white bloom from spring to fall, adorning attractive foliage. Use this drought-resistant beauty for erosion control, pathway edging, in rock gardens, or mixed borders. |
 13. St. John's WortSunny Boulevard® Brighten up your drought-tolerant garden with the rich-yellow flowers of St. John's Wort. Its water-wise qualities are no secret - Sunny Boulevard® was even named a Blue Ribbon Winner in the UC Davis Landscape Irrigation Trials. With its compact growth habit, St. John's Wort is ideal for ground cover, border edges, or as a low-maintenance filler in mixed plantings. |
 14. PyracomelesJuke Box® Looking for a boxwood alternative that can handle drought? Meet Pyracomeles, a trouble-free shrub with very glossy leaves and a distinctive texture. Juke Box also earned a Blue Ribbon award in the UC Davis Landscape Irrigation Trials. Use as a low hedge, accent plant, or in mixed borders where it will maintain its good looks with minimal fuss. |
 15. Butterfly BushPugster Blue® True-blue flowers are a rarity in drought-resistant gardens, but Pugster Blue® butterfly bush delivers. This compact dynamo packs full-sized flowers onto a dwarf frame, bringing hard-to-find color to any landscape. Perfect for smaller spaces or mixed borders, this butterfly bush attracts pollinators while asking little in return. |
 16. WormwoodSilver Bullet® Wormwood is perfect for adding unique texture and contrast to your garden. With its silvery foliage, it serves as an excellent accent plant in containers and landscape combinations. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, wormwood is low maintenance and drought tolerant once established. |
 17. PinksFruit Punch® 'Maraschino' With its lovely fragrance and easy maintenance, Dianthus adds both beauty and a delightful scent to your landscape. It is an ideal choice for edging sunny borders and pathways with its charming, colorful blooms. Dianthus will tolerate dry soil for short periods, also making it a practical addition to your garden. |
More About Drought-Tolerant Landscaping Plants
All the plants listed have drought tolerant potential both from results in trials and what is inherent in the genetics. Remember that Florida drought and Arizona drought are different animals. Dry with drought is different from humid with drought; this terminology is relative to your region, so use caution when using this information.
ALL plants need at least 2 weeks of regular frequent watering to become well established in the landscape, longer for larger pots and shrub lines. NONE of our plants will do well watered once at planting and never watered again.
XERISCAPE & XERISCAPING
Are terms used to outline a landscaping style that employs drought-resistant plants to help conserve water.
DROUGHT-RESISTANT
As a definition varies by location, it means the plant can (once established) survive on natural precipitation with infrequent watering, or withstand dry periods. Used interchangeably with drought tolerance though they don’t truly mean the same thing. Drought tolerant means the plant deals with severe drought on a regular basis, and recovers from repeated wilting.
WATER-WISE
This has come to mean a plant that does well in a landscape that manages water sensibly, using moisture zones and managing water use. Includes other aspects such as mulching, reduction of turf grass, etc.
DROUGHT AVOIDANCE
Does not mean the plant runs away, but that it has developed storage capacity or other characteristics that enable it to weather severe drought without wilting, such as cacti and succulents.
Related Video
Janey Santos of Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat shares a few of her favorite Proven Winners drought-tolerant plants for her Davis, CA, Zone 9B garden.
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