Drought Tolerant Plants
Looking forward to a hot summer? All the plants listed below should fare well in hot, dry weather provided they are established correctly.
Drought tolerant plants are Ideal if you are likely to forget to water them, spend alot of time away during the summer or have no water source nearby to water them during times of low rainfall.
How to establish plants
- Give plants a good soaking before planting. If the rootball
is dry, soak in a bucket.
- Apply a mulch around the plant but keep away
from the centre of the plant as this will encourage rotting. Applying
a mulch reduces surface evaporation, keeps the soil cool and keeps weeds
down.
- If possible, create sheltered areas by planting drought tolerant
trees and shrubs.
- On heavy soils, add a mixture of organic matter and
grit or sharp sand.
- On free-draining soils, mix in organic matter.
Key to plants
*** Very drought tolerant once established
** Drought
tolerant once established
* Moderately drought tolerant once
established
+ Needs well drained soil
Drought Tolerant Alpines
Achillea tomentosa aurea - **+
Androsace - ***
Antennaria
dioica rubra - ***+
Armeria maritima splendens - ***+
Calceolaria
biflora - *+
Erinus alpinus - **+
Geranium - 'Ballerina' - ***+
Helianthum - Rock rose - ***+
Lewisia cotyledon - ***+
Leontopodium
alpinum - **+
Phlox douglasii - **
Sedum - 'Capo Blanco' - ***+
Sempervivum - ***
Drought Tolerant Annuals
Cosmos - **
Escholzia - Californian poppy - **
Gaillardia -
**
Gazania - ***+
Helichrysum - ***
Ipomoea - Morning glory - ***
Mesembryanthemum - ***+
Papaver somniferum - Opium poppy - ***
Drought Tolerant Bedding &
Patio plants
Alonsoa - ***+
Artotis - ***+
Argyranthemum - ***+
Begonia
fuchsioides - ***
Bidens - ***
Diascia - **
Helichrysum petiolare -
***
Lantana - **
Nicotiana - Tobacco plant - **
Osteospermum - ***+
Pelargonium - ***
Petunia - **
Plectranthus - ***
Portulaca - ***+
Zinnia - ***+
Drought Tolerant Climbers
Clematis montana - **
Fallopia baldschuanicum - Russian Vine -
***
Hedera - Ivy - **
Parthenocissus - Virginia creeper - **
Rosa -
'Sander's White' - *
Rosa - 'Mermaid' - *
Trachelospermum asciaticum -
**
Vitus coignetiae - **
Vitis viniferia - 'Purperea' - **
Drought Tolerant
Perennials
Acaena - ***
Acanthus - Bears breeches - *
Achillea - **
Aconitum - Monkswood - **
Agapanthus - **
Alcea - Hollyhock - **
Alchemilla mollis - **
Anthemis - **+
Armeria - Thrift - ***+
Artemisia - 'Powis Castle' - ***+
Arum italicum - **
Aster ericoides -
**
Aquilegia - *
Bergenia - **
Brunnera macrophylla - *
Calamintha nepeta - ***+
Campanula carpatica - **
Campanula
poscharskyana - ***
Catananche caerulea - *
Cerastium tomentosum - ***
Cirsium rivulare atropurpureum - ***
Coreopsis grandiflora - **
Coreopsis verticillata - **
Crambe cordifolia - **
Crocosmia - *
Cynara cardunculus - Cardoon - **
Cynara scolymus group - **
Dictamnus
albus - Burning bush - **
Digitalis purpurea - Foxglove - *
Echinacea
purpurea - Coneflower - ***
Echinops ritro - Globe thistle - ***
Eremurus - Foxtail lily - *
Erodium - Storks bill - **
Eryngium
maritimum - Sea holly - ***+
Erysimum - Perennial wallflower - *
Euphorbia - **
Festuca glauca - **
Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel - ***
Gaillardia - ***
Geranium renardii - ***
Geranium sanguineum - ***
Geranium - Spinners - ***
Geranium - 'Wargrave Pink' - ***
Geum - *
Helictotrichon sempervivens - Blue oat grass - ***
Heliopsis
helianthoides - *
Hemerocallis - Day lily - *
Heuchera macrantha -
'Palace Purple' - *
Heuchera sanguinea - *
Hosta (small leaved) - **
Iris foetidissima - ***
Knautia - **+
Kniphofia - Red hot poker - **
Leucanthemum superba - Shasta daisy - *
Lovage - **
Limonium
latifolium - Sea Holly - ***
Linaria - Toadflax - ***
Linum narbonense
- ***
Linum perenne - Flax - ***
Liriope - ***
Macleaya cordata -
Plume poppy - **
Malva moschata - Musk mallow - **+
Nepeta - Catmint -
**+
Oenothera missouriensis - **+
Oopordum acanthium - ***
Ophiopogon jab. vittatus - **
Ophiopogon plan. nigrescens - **
Papaver
orientale - *
Penstemon pinofolius - ***+
Pulmonaria - **
Rudbeckia
ful. goldsturm - **
Saxifraga urbium - 'London's Pride' - ***
Sedum
spectabile - ***
Sedum telephium atropurpureum - ***
Sisyrinchium
striatum - **
Stachys byzantina - ***
Symphytum grandiflorum - **
Thalictrum aquilegiifolium - *
Viola - 'Freckles' - *
Waldsteinia
ternata - ***
Drought Tolerant Trees &
Shrubs
Arbutus unedo - Strawberry tree - **
Berberis - **
Betula -
Birch - **
Buddleia davidii - Butterfly bush - ***
Buxus - Box - ***
Caragana arborescens - Pea tree - ***
Caryopteris x clandonensis - **
Chaenomeles - Flowering quince - **
Ceanothus - Californian lilac - *
Choisya - *
Cistus - Sun Rose - ***+
Convolvulus cneorum - ***
Cordyline australis - Torbay palm - **
Cotoneaster - **
Cytisus -
Broom - ***+
Danae - **
Daphne mezereum - **+
Elaegnus - ***
Euonymus europaeus - Spindle tree - *
Euonymus fortunei - *+
Fagus
sylvatica - Beech - ***
Genista - **+
Gleditsia triacanthos - Sunburst
- ***+
Griselinia littoralis - **
Halimiocistus - ***+
Hebe (small
leaved) - *+
Helianthum - Rock rose - ***+
Hibiscus syriacus - *
Indigofera - **+
Ilex - Holly - ***
Jasminum nudiflorum - Winter
jasmine - *+
Juniperus - **
Kerria japonica - **
Lavandula -
Lavender - **
Lavatera - Tree mallow - **
Ligustrum - Privet - ***
Lithodora - **
Olearia - ***+
Perovskia - Russian sage - ***+
Philadelphus - *
Phlomis fruticosa - ***+
Phormium - *
Physocarpus
- *
Picea pungens glauca - **
Pinus mugo - Dwarf pine - ***+
Pittosporum tenuifolium - **+
Potentilla fruticosa - *
Prunus
lauracerasus - 'Otto Luyken' & 'Zabeliana' - ***
Prunus subhirtella
autumnalis - *
Rhus typhina - Stags horn sumach - **+
Ribes sanguineum
- Flowering currant - *
Robinia - **
Rosa glauca - **
Rosa rugosa -
**
Rosmarinus officinalis - Rosemary - **+
Ruscus aculeatus - Butchers
broom - ***
Ruta - Rue - ***+
Salvia officinalis - Sage - **+
Santolina - Cotton lavender - **+
Senecio - Sunshine - ***+
Spartium
junceum - Spanish Broom - ***
Symphoricarpos - Snowberry - ***
Tamarix
- ***
Taxus baccata - Yew - ***
Ulex europaeus - Gorse - ***
Viburnum - *
Vinca - Periwinkle - ***