Why the Demand for Drought-Tolerant Plants Will Continue to Grow

By HC Companies|April 29, 2022

The crops greenhouse and nursery growers produce are often dictated by consumer demand or design trends proliferating throughout other business sectors. But a recent blog post from HC Companies notes that crop cultivation might soon be dictated by an environmental need for more drought-tolerant plants.

According to Michigan State University, “Drought-tolerant plants have built-in features to minimize water loss and maximize water uptake,” including:

Reduced leaf areas and smaller leaves and needles
Indentations between the lobes to reduce the leaves’ surface area
A waxy or hairy-like coating
Deep root systems to pull moisture well below the surface.

While garden centers, nurseries, and big-box stores have increased their inventory of drought-tolerant plants, predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have revealed the need might become greater.

The NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, predicts prolonged and persistent drought in the West, where below-average precipitation is likely, and above-average temperatures for most of the U.S. and beyond the Canadian border.

With droughts growing more and more common, even in parts of the country traditionally unaffected by such conditions, and homeowners more aware than ever of the realities of climate change, they’ll be looking for trees, plants, and shrubs that are drought-tolerant for their landscapes.