Drought tolerant plants are a good choice for sunny, sloping sites as well as for areas that are out of reach of your garden hose. Be aware that even drought tolerant plants will need supplemental moisture during their first growing season. (Read about proper first-season watering techniques here). However, once these plants are established in the landscape, they will pretty much care for themselves except in cases of severe drought.
Shrubs:
- Barberry (Berberis)
- Smoke Bush (Cotinus)
- Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla)
- Burning Bush (Euonymus)
- Forsythia (Forsythia)
- Ninebark (Physocarpus)
- Potentilla (potentilla)
- Purple Leaf Sandcherry (Prunus cisterna)
- Sumac (Rhus)
- Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa)
- Juniper (Juniperus)
- Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Perennials:
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Anise-Hyssop (Agastache)
- Allium (Allium)
- Bluestar (Amsonia)
- Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Aster (Aster/Symphyotrichum)
- False Indigo (Baptisia)
- Calamintha Catmint (Calamintha)
- Zagreb Coreopsis (Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’)
- Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Blanketflower (Gaillardia)
- Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
- Ornamental Grasses, most
- Daylily (Hemerocallis)
- Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
- Nepeta Catmint (Nepeta)
- Russian Sage (Perovskia)
- Prairie Petunia (Ruellia humilis)
- Salvia (Salvia)
- Sedum (Sedum)
Dry Shade:
- Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
- Epimedium (Epimedium)
- Dead Nettle (Lamium)
Witten by Zannah Crowe
Some images provided by Bailey Nurseries
