Drought-Tolerant Plants for Your Landscape and Garden

Get landscaping ideas with our favorite drought-tolerant plants.

Even in dry conditions or areas subject to water restrictions, you can cultivate a vibrant and beautiful garden. The key lies in choosing plants that are naturally resilient and require less water. These drought-tolerant plants are not only practical, saving you time and water, but they also offer a stunning array of colors, textures, and forms. While these plants are tough, they can't survive on zero water; however, they are well-adapted to endure and even flourish during extended periods of high heat and little rainfall.

Incorporating these water-wise plants into your landscape is a smart approach to gardening. For those looking to fully embrace a water-minimal strategy, there's a specific method called xeriscaping. Derived from the Greek word xeros, meaning "dry," xeriscaping is a thoughtful approach to creating a landscape that focuses on the use of drought-tolerant plants and water-saving techniques. While xeriscaping is commonly practiced in the arid Southwest, the idea of water-efficient gardening can be done anywhere.

However, you don't need to fully commit to a xeriscape to enjoy the benefits of drought-tolerant plants. Simply including various drought-tolerant species in your existing garden beds or new landscape designs can significantly contribute to water conservation and reduce maintenance, all without sacrificing beauty.

Whether your goal is a xeriscape or you just wish to integrate some low-water plants into your garden, there are numerous colorful and easy-care options available. From flowers and herbs to grasses, succulents, and even trees and shrubs, your choices are more extensive than you might imagine. Don't be concerned if some names are unfamiliar; they are generally easy to find. Here are some fantastic drought-tolerant plants to inspire your gardening or xeriscaping projects.

Drought-Tolerant Flowers

“Drought tolerant” doesn't mean a garden full of cacti. Our first plant category features stunning blooms that are either native to deserts or dry regions, or can thrive in drier conditions:

Zinnia: one of the easiest cutting flowers to grow from seed
Sunflower: deep roots and rough foliage that protect sunflowers against long dry spells
Black-eyed Susan: a knock-out yellow bloomer in the sunflower family
Ice plant: a hardy groundcover with carpets of bright blooms, available in many colors
Tickseed or Coreopsis: a mounding plant that's full of vibrant blooms despite heat or drought
Sage or salvia: easy-care, pest-resistant flowers with colorful blooms and scented foliage
Lantana: a butterfly magnet that produces blooms in shades of orange, pink, red, or yellow
Blanket flower: a fuzzy-leaved, daisy-shaped bloomer also beloved by butterflies
Yarrow: known for its fern-like, gray-green foliage and flat-topped cluster of small flowers
Wormwood: known for its eye-catching textured, silver-gray foliage rather than its flowers

Edible Herbs

Originating in climates like the hot, dry, sandy Mediterranean, these edible herbs love some sunshine and add color, texture, and fragrance to xeriscaped landscapes:

Lavender
Rosemary
Thyme
Tarragon
Sage
Oregano

Drought-Tolerant Grasses

There are hundreds of varieties of drought-tolerant ornamental grasses that are popular for xeriscaping, including:

Pink muhly grass: soft green most of the year with fluffy, pink blooms in the fall
Purple fountain grass: deep maroon blades topped with feathery rose-pink plumes

Drought-Tolerant Succulents

A family of plants with water-filled branches that are either pokey or plump, including:

Agave: known as the century plant, known for their spiny, plump leaves
Cactus: there are many types of cactus in a variety of shapes and sizes, including prickly pear, opuntia, and old man cactus
Sedum: come in an array of colors, shapes and sizes
Sempervivum: also known as hens and chicks, this succulent forms mats of rosettes
Aloe: with their plump, fleshy leaves, aloe vera is just one of many types of aloe
Yucca: long, sword-shaped leaves with clusters of creamy-white, waxy flowers

Drought-Tolerant Trees & Evergreen Shrubs

Trees and evergreens may not be your first thought for xeriscaping, but these plants can handle a dry spell once established:

Pines: less moisture loss with long taproots and thin, small needles, particularly in short leaf, loblolly, eastern white, and longleaf pines
Wax myrtle: an evergreen shrub that’s happy in sun, part shade, salty air, or dry gardens
Juniper: options ranging from low-growing groundcovers to tall, pyramidal trees

Caring for Your Drought-Tolerant Landscape

Now that you're full of plant ideas for your xeriscape, make sure you stick the landing! Proper care for your landscape ensures that your drought-tolerant plants can thrive in their new home.

Start with great soil: How strong and vigorous your plants are have a big effect on their ability to stick it out during a dry spell, so help increase your odds of success by planting your drought-tolerant plants in rich soil filled with just the right nutrients. Mix Miracle-Gro® All-Purpose Garden Soil in with your of native soil before planting, then be sure to water regularly until roots have a chance to dig into the new soil.

Select and group plants appropriately: Group plants with similar light, water, and soil requirements together. Your plants will thrive because they're being grown in the right location where they each get the right amount of sunshine. Even within these drought-tolerant plants, some plants may require a little more or less water than others, so group plants together based on their watering needs as well.

Add mulch: A 3-inch layer of quality mulch, like Miracle-Gro Organic™ All Natural Mulch, will help keep weeds at bay by blocking their growth and access to sunlight. Weeds can steal water and nutrients from your plants, so it's important to prevent them and pull them up if you do see any. Mulch will also help moderate soil temperature, help retain soil moisture, and keep plant roots cooler.

Support plant health with proper nutrition: A month after planting, feed plants with a continuous-release plant food, like Miracle-Gro® Shake 'N Feed® All Purpose Plant Food, to ensure they keep getting all the nutrition they need (be sure to follow the directions).

Use water wisely: In your gardens, minimize the use of overhead watering, where water can be lost to evaporation. Instead use drip irrigation or a soaker hose, which target the water directly to the plant roots. Watering is more efficient if you do it early in the morning. Water your plants infrequently and deeply to encourage deep, sturdy root systems, which will help them stand up to hot, dry conditions. For more tips on watering and watering methods, check out this guide.

See, there’s no need to skip the landscaping just because you live in an area that’s exceptionally dry or prone to drought. Create your own oasis with a few of the drought-tolerant plants that sound most intriguing to you—then smile to yourself, thinking of all the time you’ll save on watering.