24 Plants That Can Handle Drought
Even in severe drought conditions, brown doesn’t necessarily have to be the new green. These 24 new, drought tolerant plants offer options that are attractive, yet tough. Check out the slideshow for complete descriptions of these worry-free garden performers.
-
-
1 of 24
Agapanthus praecox × ‘Duchess of Dazzle Full Moon’ (HGTV)
Two colors are better than one! Duchess of Dazzle is a regal showstopper in the HGTV HOME Plant Collection. It boasts bi-color light blue petals with a dark blue stripes on full-round heads that display 110-plus flowers per bloom. Its extended flowering time and evergreen foliage make it a go-to for sunny, dry areas. It reaches 12 to 18 inches in height/width and is best suited for Zones 8a–11.
-
2 of 24
Anigozanthos Jump Series (Henry F. Michells Co.)
Anigozanthos are drought tolerant, so the new Jump series will fit a need for plants requiring less water. Extensive breeding has developed this mid-sized Anigozanthos Jump line (garden height is 30 to 36 inches), ideal for both containers and the landscape with minimum maintenance.
-
3 of 24
Begonia boliviensis ‘San Francisco’ (Benary)
If you like Begonia ‘Santa Cruz,’ you’ll love our new color. ‘San Francisco’ is just as easy to grow, sun loving and drought and weather tolerant as ‘Santa Cruz.’ It has the same habit and flower form but with warm salmon-pink flowers.
-
4 of 24
Bonsai ‘Blue Jacaranda’ (Monrovia)
A true dwarf Jacaranda, this fast grower will make a stunning small specimen tree or small patio container. It has bright green, soft, fern-like foliage and explodes with deep purple tubular blooms in late spring. It prefers full sun, and once established it is remarkably tolerant of heat and drought. While Jacarandas can grow 40 to 50 feet tall, this petite discovery from Israel will be about six feet high by five feet wide, delighting the space-challenged gardener.
-
5 of 24
Buddleia ‘Buzz Hot Raspberry’ (Cultivaris)
Buddleja Buzz ‘Hot Raspberry’ is a spectacular new addition to the Buzz series of dwarf Butterfly Bush that shows off its incredibly bright purple-pink blooms on a well-branched plant that matures at 5-feet tall by 5-feet wide. Among the best Buddleja for smaller containers or patio pots, this variety shows well in 1 gallon to 10-inch pots. Flowering all summer and exhibiting strong drought tolerance once established, it will put on a superb show all summer if fertilized and groomed regularly.
-
6 of 24
Ceanothus ‘Marie Gold’ (Proven Winners/Color Choice)
'Marie Gold' has one-of-a-kind yellow foliage! Fluffy, soft pink blooms float above the fresh golden foliage in mid-summer. Showy red seed capsules appear in fall. The foliage is attractive all season long. Hardy in Zones in 6a to 9b.
-
7 of 24
Celosia ‘Intenz Lipstick’ (Ball Ingenuity)
A new color class for the Intenz series, Lipstick is a nice, bright raspberry. It can be grown side-by-side with popular celosia ‘Intenz Classic.’ Its long shelf life means it can be used and sold at multiple times of the year. It is drought tolerant once established.
-
8 of 24
Coleus ‘Campfire’ (Ball FloraPlant)
This brightly-colored coleus is easy to grow in large and small pots. Its orange foliage stays vibrant in full sun and shade. ‘Campfire’ has excellent garden performance on par with ‘Redhead’ and ‘Wasabi.’ It is a great season extender selection for high-performance color at retail.
-
9 of 24
Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl’ is a viable alternative to boxwood. Plum-purple new growth turns blue-green as the leaves mature. The small leaves give this plant a more refined look than other distylium.
-
10 of 24
Echinacea ‘Sombrero Baja Burgundy’ (Darwin Perennials)
Sombrero are tested to Zone 4 hardiness and feature bold, bright colors. They are well branched in containers under long or short days. New Baja Burgundy has rich, deep-burgundy flowers and overlapping petals.
-
11 of 24
Euphorbia ‘Glamour’ (PanAmerican Seed)
The first landscape euphorbia from seed, ‘Glamour’ is vigorous, resilient and durable from the start. It shines in landscapes and large-size containers. ‘Glamour’ is great solo or as a mixer with other vigorous flowering annuals. It grows 15- to 24-inches high and spreads 15- to 20- inches wide.
-
12 of 24
Helichrysum ‘Silverstar’ (Westflowers/Westhoff)
‘Silverstar’ has a delicate look and vigorous trailing foliage that offers a fantastic accent to other flowering annuals in hanging baskets and combination containers. Because of its incredible branching and finer texture, it integrates into combinations better than older varieties that would traditionally take over. Easy for the grower and even easier for the gardener, ‘Silverstar’ can be planted in both sun and part shade.
-
13 of 24
Heucherella hybrida Kirella Series (Danziger)
The Kirella series has two magnificent leaf colors. Fresh Green offers vivid green leaves with darker green veins and white flowers. Autumn Shades wows with leaves in rich purples and dark greens, plus pink and white flowers. Both feature full, mounded habits and bloom continuously from early spring to late fall. They have excellent tolerance to heat and drought and are hardy to Zone 4. Ideal for garden, pot, ground cover, patio and mixed containers.
-
14 of 24
Kwik Kombos I like it HOT, Summer’s Promise and Summer to Remember (Syngenta Flowers)
With eight heat-loving combinations, Kwik Kombos vegetative mixes are the perfect choice for drought tolerant gardens. These formulated combinations have been tested for performance in hot and humid climates, including Texas and Southern Florida. They are designed to provide vigor and color during dry summer months. I like it HOT Summer’s Promise and Summer to Remember are new heat-loving Kwik Kombos for 2016.
-
15 of 24
Lomandra ‘Lime Tough’ (Ball Ornamentals)
This tall, full, upright lomandra won’t get whipped out of shape by the wind. It’s a staple in drought-sensitive landscapes. It is a lush, grasslike plant that adapts to a wide variety of soils and loves the heat. Lomandra is an ecologically friendly choice and forgiving to garden slackers. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
-
16 of 24
Lomandra longifolia ‘White Sands’ (Plant Development Services -Southern Living Plant Collection/Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Drought tolerant and evergreen with long, green leaves that sport thin striping, this perennial grass is hardy to USDA Zone 8. ‘White Sands’ is a new gray-blue and white variegated form of this tough, low maintenance plant, which grows to three by three feet in the landscape. ‘White Sands’ is part of the Southern Living Plant Collection.
-
17 of 24
Nepeta grandiflora ‘Summer Magic’ (Plants Nouveau)
Nepeta 'Summer Magic' is an outstanding selection that blooms and blooms all summer. The upright, deep-lavender blooms are held high above the grass green foliage and never flop. This plant always looks great in a container.
-
18 of 24
Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ (Proven Winners Perennials)
‘Denim ‘n Lace’ is a new Russian Sage that growers are going to love. This is a compact variety that doesn’t get too tall, but still exhibits great vigor. Lace-like, bright sky blue flowers are held on amethyst calyxes.
-
19 of 24
Portulaca ‘SunDome’ (Sakata Seed)
‘SunDome’ delivers heat and drought tolerance and worry-free garden performance. It produces flowers over the entire plant and blooms remain open longer than traditional portulaca. ‘SunDome’s’ dense, mounding habit creates a strong retail presentation and durable plants hold up well in the garden.
-
20 of 24
Salvia ‘Arctic Blaze’ (Star Roses and Plants)
This new Salvia series is hardy to Zone 6. There are three colors that make up the new hardy group: Purple, Hot Pink and Red. They have excellent habits and bloom from spring through fall. The stems are also quite sturdy, making them less susceptible to breakage.
-
21 of 24
Scaevola Surdiva Series (Suntory Flowers)
Pink is a superb addition to the award-winning Surdiva scaevola series from Suntory Flowers. Bred in Australia, Surdivas are heat and drought tolerant. Like the rest of the series, growth is compact and manageable. Plants display fan flowers on top of the plant. It is perfect for late spring and summer programs.
-
22 of 24
Sedum ‘Sunsparkler Jade Tuffet’ (Emerald Coast Growers)
'Sedum Sunsparkler Jade Tuffet' rocks shiny, showy, narrow green leaves on contrasting red stems. Dark pink flowers smother the foliage in late summer. It is great for gallons or quick quarts without pinching, PGRs or vernalization, Jade Tuffet stands 14 inches tall by 18 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
-
23 of 24
Tagetes patula (French Marigold) Chica Series (Hem Genetics)
The new Chica series of French marigolds tolerates heat and drought with ease. Larger flowers, extremely good uniformity and showy flowers from spring through frost characterize this 10-inch tall garden beauty. The series has three colors available, Yellow, Orange and Gold, with a bicolored Flame to be released next year.
-
24 of 24
Zinnia ‘UpTown Frosted Strawberry’ (Burpee)
Burpee’s first double flower in the UpTown series features large, fully double flowers and vigor to match the collection. Zinnia is a great water-wise or hot weather selection. Plants are easy to produce, and the color stands out at retail.
View all
Agapanthus praecox × ‘Duchess of Dazzle Full Moon’ (HGTV)
Anigozanthos Jump Series (Henry F. Michells Co.)
Begonia boliviensis ‘San Francisco’ (Benary)
Bonsai ‘Blue Jacaranda’ (Monrovia)
Buddleia ‘Buzz Hot Raspberry’ (Cultivaris)
Ceanothus ‘Marie Gold’ (Proven Winners/Color Choice)
Celosia ‘Intenz Lipstick’ (Ball Ingenuity)
Coleus ‘Campfire’ (Ball FloraPlant)
Distylium ‘Cinnamon Girl’ (Bailey Nurseries)
Echinacea ‘Sombrero Baja Burgundy’ (Darwin Perennials)
Euphorbia ‘Glamour’ (PanAmerican Seed)
Helichrysum ‘Silverstar’ (Westflowers/Westhoff)
Heucherella hybrida Kirella Series (Danziger)
Kwik Kombos I like it HOT, Summer’s Promise and Summer to Remember (Syngenta Flowers)
Lomandra ‘Lime Tough’ (Ball Ornamentals)
Lomandra longifolia ‘White Sands’ (Plant Development Services -Southern Living Plant Collection/Sunset Western Garden Collection)
Nepeta grandiflora ‘Summer Magic’ (Plants Nouveau)
Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ (Proven Winners Perennials)
Portulaca ‘SunDome’ (Sakata Seed)
Salvia ‘Arctic Blaze’ (Star Roses and Plants)
Scaevola Surdiva Series (Suntory Flowers)
Sedum ‘Sunsparkler Jade Tuffet’ (Emerald Coast Growers)
Tagetes patula (French Marigold) Chica Series (Hem Genetics)
Zinnia ‘UpTown Frosted Strawberry’ (Burpee)
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.