20 Drought-Resistant Plants for a Beautiful Yard Even in Dry Climates
Once established, these water-wise plants can take the heat.
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Dry spells happen, no matter where you live. But by choosing plants that are less thirsty and more resilient during droughts, your garden will survive Mother Nature’s worst. Make sure whatever plant you fall in love with works in your USDA Hardiness Zone. And remember that even the most water-wise plants need you to haul out the watering can, lawn sprinkler, or soaker hose if it’s super-dry. For your perennials and shrubs, keep them well-watered for a couple of seasons until they get established. And always, always, always give plants an extra edge by adding a layer of mulch, which retains moisture and keeps down weeds that compete for water and nutrients.
Caryopteris (Bluebeard)
This brilliant blue-flowering shrub attracts pollinators like crazy, and it’s in bloom in late summer long after many other flowering shrubs are winding down for the season.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Varieties to try: Sunshine Blue II, Beyond Midnight
Ninebark
Elegant, draping branches, small flowers, and beautiful foliage ranging from coppery-orange to deep wine make this native shrub a dramatic choice as a mass planting or accent plant.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Varieties to try: Coppertina, Summer Wine
Juniper
Junipers come in many different sizes and forms including low-growing ground-cover types and more upright, pyramidal shrubs. They offer appealing year-round interest with their feathery evergreen foliage in shades ranging from yellow to lime green to deepest emerald.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to try: Good Vibrations Gold, Gin Fizz
Panicle Hydrangea
These gorgeous flowering shrubs come in an array of types, colors, and sizes. Though they look lacey and delicate, hydrangeas are hardy plants once established. Most types need some sun to flower best, but they appreciate afternoon shade in the hottest climates.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to try: Limelight, Pinky Winky
Mugo Pine
These evergreen conifers are slow-growing so they won’t quickly crowd out the rest of your garden. Their striking shapes lend architectural interest to any garden.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
Varieties to try: Compact Select, Jakobsen
Baptisia (False Indigo)
This striking perennial sends up spikes of unusual flowers in late spring with rich colors ranging from deep purple to pale pinks and darkest charcoal. The plants look best planted in borders.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Decadence Dark Chocolate, Twilight Prairieblues
Catmint
This perennial with slightly fuzzy grey-green foliage has a pleasant spicy, minty scent and purple-blue flowers in midsummer. Newer varieties don’t flop over but keep a nice mounded shape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Varieties to try: Cat’s Meow, Walker’s Low
Coneflower
These sturdy perennials boast gorgeous colors including yellows, creams, hot pinks, deep corals, and everything in between. They typically bloom in late June until frost.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Double Scoop Bubble Gum, Lakota Fire
Russian Sage
Pretty silvery foliage and lacy violet-blue flowers make this perennial a good choice for hot, dry areas, especially borders. The flowers also attract hummingbirds.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Little Spire, Denim ‘N Lace
Sedum
There are hundreds of varieties of sedum, and it’s truly one of those perennial plants you (almost) can’t kill. Its fleshy leaves help it survive dry spells, and its muted colors are lovely in the late season garden. Plus, the cut blooms last forever in a vase.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
Varieties to try: Dynomite, Autumn Joy
Salvia
Spiky purple, blue, or pink flowers atop handsome mounded foliage make these summer-blooming perennials a favorite. They’re sturdy and trouble-free.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Varieties to try: Black & Blue, Perfect Profusion
Ornamental Grasses
Hardy and generally un-fussy, ornamental grasses are good perennials for low-maintenance landscapes. From wispy plumes to mounded types, you’ll find one to love.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to try: Elijah Blue Fescue, Foerster’s Feather Reed Grass
Verbena
Verbena have loads of blooms all the way until a hard frost. They’re a nice annual in mixed containers or in beds. Some types are perennial, such as the taller heirloom variety, which is especially striking with its airy sprays of violet-blue flowers.
Varieties to try: Lanai Purple Star, Verbena Bonariensis (heirloom)
Angelonia
Angelonia bloom best in the hottest part of the summer. These annuals come in a number of heights and gorgeous colors including pinks, purples and whites, and newer types have a cascading habit that’s perfect in baskets. Some types resemble teeny-tiny orchid faces!
Varieties to try: Angelface Steel Blue, AngelMist Spreading Berry Sparkler
Bidens
These cheery annuals sport bright, petite flowers all season long without the need for deadheading (removing spent blooms), so you won’t have to work to keep them blooming. They are equally at home in window boxes, containers and beds.
Varieties to try: Gold Nuggets, Beedance Painted Red
Lantana
This is an extremely tough annual that keeps on blooming even during the hottest days of summer. They come in many sizes and shapes, and their vibrant colors are unforgettable. In some warm climates, they’ll overwinter (survive winter).
Varieties to try: Marmalade, Landmark Rose Sunrise
Portulaca
These ground-hugging succulents are some of the hardiest flowering plants around. Some types have double flowers. They come in many brilliant shades including fuchsia, scarlet and coral.
Varieties to try: Sundial Hybrid Mix, Mohave Tangerine
Marigold
You get real value with these old-fashioned flowers your Grandma probably grew. These sturdy plants bloom nonstop until a hard frost (they’ll endure a light frost). Plant them in between edibles to keep pests away. New varieties come in many shades ranging from cream to bright yellows and cheery oranges.
Varieties to try: Endurance Yellow Hybrid, French Marigolds (heirloom)
Zinnia
These stately flowers have big, showy nonstop blooms, are disease resistant, and make great cut flowers. They attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Every color under the rainbow, including pure white, is available.
Varieties to try: Dancing Girls, White Wedding
Blanket Flower
These flashy and cheery annuals adore sandy soil and love the heat. Their fiery colors light up any sunny bed.
Varieties to try: Arizona Sun, Punch Bowl Hybrid
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