Many perennials have special mechanisms to help them survive, especially when it comes to drought. Some have deep roots that go down where the soil stays cool and moist much longer than it does near the surface. Or they may have fleshy tubers that store water to be used in times of drought. Other plants have waxy leaves so moisture won’t evaporate out very fast. Still others have fuzzy leaves to protect them from the drying sun and wind.
Here is a list of 52 perennials that will grow fine in dry conditions. However, no plant can survive without any moisture. Even if they are tolerant of dry soil, make sure to keep all plants well-watered until they’re fully established in your garden. And they’ll do better with a deep watering when you see them beginning to wilt.
| Plant
name |
Cold/Heat Zones |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
|
Agastache Agastache spp. and
hybrids |
5 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Spikes of lavender, pink or orange in
summer |
| Ajuga Ajuga reptans |
3 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Ground cover with green, bronze or variegated
foliage; spikes of blue or pink flowers in spring |
|
Anthemis Anthemis tinctoria |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Yellow or white daisies much of the summer |
| Artemisia Artemisia versicolor
‘Seafoam’ |
4 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Low mat of fine-textured silver-gray
foliage; most other artemisias are also drought tolerant |
|
Baby’s breath Gypsophila paniculata
|
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Billows of tiny white flowers in summer |
| Basket-of-gold Aurinia saxatilis |
3 to 7/ 7 to 1 |
Low mat of bright-yellow flowers in early
spring |
|
Bearded iris Iris hybrid |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Wide variety of colors in late spring |
| Bishop’s weed Aegopodium podagraria
‘Variegatum’ |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Vigorous ground cover with variegated
leaves |
|
Blanket flower Gaillardia grandiflora
|
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Mahogany-red flowers with yellow edges
much of the summer; most blanket flower species are drought
tolerant |
| Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa
|
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Glowing orange flowers in summer |
|
Candytuft Iberis sempervirens |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Low clumps of white flowers mid- to late
spring |
| Catmint Nepeta spp. |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spikes of lavender-blue flowers in late
spring |
|
Cushion spurge Euphorbia polychroma
|
4 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Dome-shaped mound with bright-yellow
bracts in late spring |
| Daylily Hemerocallis hybrids |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Wide variety of colors that bloom mostly
in summer |
|
False indigo Baptisia australis |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spikes of deep-blue flowers in late spring |
| Garden pinks Dianthus gratianopolitanus
|
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Mounds of fragrant pink flowers in late
spring |
|
Gaura Gaura lindheimeri |
5 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Tall spires of pink or white flowers
in summer |
Gazania Gazania spp. |
6 to 10/ 12 to 1 |
Shades of orange and yellow in early spring
|
Germander Teucrium chamaedrys |
4 to 9/ 9 to 4 |
Pale-pink to deep-purple
flowers in late summer |
Globe thistle Echinops ritro |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Globes of metallic-blue flowers in summer |
Goldenrod Solidago spp. |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Sprays of golden-yellow
flowers in late summer |
Hardy ice plant Delosperma cooperi
|
5 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Ground cover with bright-pink flowers
all summer |
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spikes of blue or pink
flowers in midsummer |
Jupiter’s beard Centranthus
ruber |
5 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Rosy pink flowers in late spring |
Lamb’s ears Stachys byzantina |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Mounds of gray leaves
and spikes of magenta flowers in summer |
Lavender Lavender spp. |
5 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Spikes of fragrant blue-purple flowers
in summer |
Lavender cotton Santolina
chamaecyparissus |
5 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Yellow button flowers
in summer; aromatic gray foliage |
Mallow Malva sylvestris |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Mauve-purple flowers with stripes on the
outside in late summer |
Missouri primrose Oenothera
macrocarpa |
4 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Large yellow flowers
much of the summer; most Oenothera species are
drought tolerant |
Mullein Verbascum bombyciferum |
4 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Tall spires of yellow flowers in mid-
to late summer |
Orange globe mallow
Sphaeralcea munroana |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Wands of orange flowers
in midsummer |
Oriental poppy |
3 to 7/ 7 to 1 |
Often brightly colored papery flowers
in spring |
Ornamental onion Allium
senescens |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Lavender or pink flowers
in late summer; most alliums are drought tolerant |
Penstemon Penstemon spp. and
hybrids |
4 to 11/ 12 to 1 |
Large family of drought-tolerant plants
with spike flowers in many colors |
Peony Paeonia lactiflora |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Mounds of white, pink
or red flowers in spring |
Poppy mallow Callirhoe involucrata
|
4 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Wine-red, white -eyed flowers much of
the summer |
Prairie zinnia Zinnia grandiflora |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Deep-yellow flowers
from late summer into fall |
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea
|
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Carmine-pink daisies in late summer |
Red hot poker Kniphofia
uvaria |
4 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Orange and yellow spikes
in summer |
Rough blazing star Liatris aspera |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spikes of rosy purple flowers in summer |
| Russian sage Perovskia
atriplicifolia |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spires of lavender-violet
flowers in late summer |
| Sage Salvia
spp. |
5 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Spikes of blue, pink
or white flowers in summer; many drought-tolerant species
and hybrids |
| Sea lavender Limonium
latifolium |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Airy panicles of lavender-blue
flowers in late summer |
| Snow-in-summer Cerastium
tomentosum |
3 to 7/ 7 to 1 |
Gray-foliaged ground
cover with white flowers in late spring |
| Stokes’ aster
Stokesia laevis |
5 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Lavender-blue or pink
chrysanthemum-like flowers in summer |
| Tall sedum Sedum spectabile |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Flat clusters of pink,
white or rust in late summer |
| Threadleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis verticillata |
3 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Small yellow daisies
much of the summer |
| Thyme Thymus serphyllum |
4 to 9/ 9 to 1 |
Mat-forming ground
cover with pink or white flowers in spring; most thyme species
are drought tolerant |
| Verbena Verbena bipinnatifida |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Magenta-pink flowers
all summer; many other verbena species are drought tolerant |
| Veronica Veronica spicata |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Spikes of blue, pink
or white flowers in summer |
| Yarrow Achillea filipendulina |
3 to 8/ 8 to 1 |
Dark-yellow flower
clusters in summer |
| Yucca Yucca
spp. |
4 to 10/ 10 to 1 |
Tall spires of creamy
white flowers in summer; spiky evergreen foliage |