Drought Tolerant Perennials

If you live in an area with little rainfall, fast-draining soil or other conditions that make the soil particularly dry, don’t give up on creating a garden. Massive amounts of water are not your only option. Consider creating a xeriscape, a dry landscape composed of plants that are adapted to harsh growing conditions.  By utilizing plants from various arid regions of the world, you can have a garden that is beautiful and make thoughtful use of limited natural resources.

Achillea/Yarrow – Sun
Agastache/Hyssop – Sun
Allium/All varities  –  Sun – Pt. Sun
Amsonia/Blue Star – all varieties – Sun to Pt. Sun
Anthemis marschalliana (Marshall Chamomile) & tinctoria (Golden Marguerite) – Sun
Arabis/Rock Cress – Sun
Armeria martima/Sea Thrift  – Sun to Pt. Sun
Artemesia/ Mugwort, Wormwood, ‘Silver Mound’  – Sun
Asclepias/All varieties except swamp milkweed –  Sun
Aubrieta – Sun
Aurinia  saxatilis ‘Basket of Gold’ – Sun
Baptisia/False Indigo – Sun
Berginia purpurascens – Sun to Pt. Shade
Calamintha nepeta – Sun to Pt. Sun
Caryopteris x clandonensis/Bluebeard – Sun to Pt. Sun
Boltonia asteroids – Sun
Centaurea/Mountain Bluet – Sun to Pt. Sun
Convallaria/Lily of the Valley – Pt. Sun to Shade
Coreopsis/verticillata ‘Moonbeam’, ‘Zagreb’ – Sun
Delosperma/Ice Plant –   cooperi, nubigena ‘John Proffitt’ – Sun to Pt. Sun
Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ Sun to Part Shade
Dianthus/Pinks – Sun to Part Sun
Disporum/Fairy Bells – Pt. Shade to Shade
Doronicum orientale/Leopard’s Bane – Pt. Sun
Echinacea purpurea/Coneflower – Sun to Pt. Sun
Echinops/Globe Thistle – Sun to Part Sun
Epimedium/ Part Sun to Shade
Erica carnea/Spring Heath – Sun to Part Sun
Eryngium/Sea Holly – Sun to Part Sun
Euphorbia polychrome, myrsinites  – Cushion Spurge – Sun
Fallopia japonica/Fleeceflower – Sun to Part Shade
Gaillardia/Blanket Flower – Sun
Geranium/Hardy Cranesbill Groundcover Geraniums – Sun to Part Sun
 

Helianthemum/Sun Rose – Sun

Heliopsis/False Sunflower – Sun
Helleborus/Lenten Rose – All varieties – Pt. Sun to Pt. Shade
Hemerocallis/Daylilies, All varieties – Sun to Part Sun
Heuchera/Coral Bells – Sun to Part Shade
Hostas – Pt. Sun
Iberis simpervirens /Candytuft – Sun
Iris sibirica/Siberian Iris – Sun to Part Sun
Kalimeris/Blue Star – Sun to Part Sun
Knautia macedonica – Sun
Knifofia – Red Hot Poker – Sun to Pt. Sun
Lamium maculatum/Deadnettle – Pt. Sun
Lavandula angustifolia/ English Lavender – Sun
Lavandula x intermedia/Lavender – Sun
Liatris/Gayfeather – Sun to Part Sun
Liriope/Lily-turf – Sun to Part Shade
Lysimachia clethroides/Gooseneck Loosestrife – Sun to Part Sun
Nepeta x faassenii/Catmint – Sun to Part Sun
Oenothera fruticosa/Sundrops – Sun
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’/Black Mondo Grass – Sun to Part Shade
Origanum laevigatum ‘Harrenhausen’ and vulgare – Ornamental Oregano – Sun to Part Sun
Perovskia atriplicifolia/Russian Sage – Sun to Pt. Sun
Polygonatum, green or variegated/Solomen’s Seal Part Sun to Part Shade
Potentilla cinera, megalantha, nepalensis – Sun
Roses/Knock Outs, Nearly Wild, ‘The Fairy’ – Sun
Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum) & speciosa ‘Viette’s Little Suzy – Sun to Pt. Sun
Salvia nemorosa/all    – Sun
Santolina/Lavender Cotton – Sun
Scabiosa caucasica/Pincushion Flower – Sun
Sedum/All species – Sun
Sempervivum/Hen & Chicks – Sun
Sisyrinchium angustifolium/’Lucerne’ Blue-Eyed Grass – Sun to Pt. Sun
Silene dioica & Moss Campion – Sun to Pt. Sun
Solidago/Goldenrod – Sun
Stachys – Lamb’s Ear – Sun to Pt. Sun
Stokesia laevis/Stoke’s Aster – Sun
Thymus/Thyme all varieties – Sun to Part Sun
Tradescantia/Spiderwort – all varieties – Sun to Part Sun
Veronica/Speedwell – All species – Sun
Vinca minor (groundcover) Myrtle – Sun to Shade
Yucca filamentosa – Sun to Pt. Sun
 
Ornamental Grasses: All species and varieties  Sun to Part Sun
Calamagrostis acutiflora & arundinacea
Miscanthus (all varieties)  –  Panicum virgatum (all varieties)    –     Pennisetum   (all varieties)
Erianthus ravennae           –  Festuca glauca