Drought-Tolerant Landscaping

Growing drought-tolerant annuals and other low-water plants offers a wide variety of benefits. Such plants allow you to save water, which can be especially helpful in areas hit by drought. Many plants that possess drought resistance, like certain shrubs, also tend to be low maintenance.

What is drought tolerance?

Drought tolerance indicates that a plant is able to withstand periods of drought and can survive on low amounts of water overall. It does not mean that the plant can survive on no water. It’s important to remember that because of their access to limited amounts of soil, drought-tolerant plants in containers require more water than their in-ground counterparts.

Common drought-tolerant annuals

A wide variety of drought-resistant annuals exist. Some easy-to-grow favorites include ageratum, blanket flower (Gaillardia), cockscomb (Celosia cristata), cosmos, dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), marigold, moss rose (portulaca grandiflora), salvia, verbena and zinnia.

Drought-resistance shrubs and vines

Growing foundation plants that are tolerant of dry conditions gives you the opportunity to enjoy a low-maintenance landscape. Drought-resistant shrubs to grow include panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), glossy abelia, maple-leaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) and American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Vines that stand up to little to no watering include bougainvillea, bower vine, morning glory and passion vine.

Growing tips for drought-tolerant plants

Locate drought-tolerant plants in a sunny location in well-draining soil. If necessary, improve drainage by adding compost, which will also help the soil retain moisture. Mulch drought-resistant plants by covering the area surrounding the plant with a 2-inch layer of shredded bark. Water your drought-tolerant annuals and shrubs regularly for the first few weeks after planting. They don’t actually become drought-tolerant and able to go without water for extended periods of time until they’ve established themselves, so this early watering is important to their survival. Once they’ve put on 25 percent new growth, slowly ease off on watering until you are only irrigating weekly for annuals and monthly for vines and shrubs, when there is no rainfall. Water deeply when you irrigate, which creates a deep root system that is better able to withstand dry periods.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, blogger, speaker and novelist. Widely published, she has written 25 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. For many years, Julie was a columnist with the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Parade.com. In nonfiction, Julie specializes in home and garden, small business, personal finance, food, health and fitness, inspirational profiles and memoirs. She is founder and publisher of HealthyHouseplants.com and the YouTube channel Healthy Houseplants. Julie is also a prolific novelist who has penned two fiction series.