Many perennials have special mechanisms to help them survive, especially when it comes to drought. Here are a few characteristics that help plants survive drought:
- Deep roots that go down where the soil stays cool and moist much longer than it does near the surface.
- Fleshy tubers that store water to be used in times of drought.
- Waxy leaves so moisture won’t evaporate out very fast.
- Fuzzy leaves to protect them from the drying sun and wind.
You might also like our drought-tolerant garden plan
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.
Drought-tolerant perennials
| Plant name / Botanical name | Cold zones | Plant description |
|---|---|---|
| Agastache Agastache spp. and hybrids | 5 to 10 | Spikes of lavender, pink or orange in summer |
| Ajuga Ajuga reptans | 3 to 10 | Ground cover with green, bronze or variegated foliage; spikes of blue or pink flowers in spring |
| Anthemis Anthemis tinctoria | 3 to 8 | Yellow or white daisies much of the summer |
| Artemisia Artemisia versicolor ‘Seafoam’ | 4 to 10 | Low mat of fine-textured silver-gray foliage; most other artemisias are also drought tolerant |
| Baby’s breath Gypsophila paniculata | 3 to 9 | Billows of tiny white flowers in summer |
| Basket-of-gold Aurinia saxatilis | 3 to 7 | Low mat of bright-yellow flowers in early spring |
| Bearded iris Iris hybrid | 3 to 9 | Wide variety of colors in late spring |
| Bishop’s weed Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’ | 3 to 9 | Vigorous ground cover with variegated leaves |
| Blanket flower Gaillardia grandiflora | 3 to 9 | Mahogany-red flowers with yellow edges much of the summer; most blanket flower species are drought tolerant |
| Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa | 4 to 9 | Glowing orange flowers in summer |
| Candytuft Iberis sempervirens | 4 to 9 | Low clumps of white flowers mid- to late spring |
| Catmint Nepeta spp. | 3 to 9 | Spikes of lavender-blue flowers in late spring |
| Cushion spurge Euphorbia polychroma | 4 to 8 | Dome-shaped mound with bright-yellow bracts in late spring |
| Daylily Hemerocallis hybrids | 3 to 9 | Wide variety of colors that bloom mostly in summer |
| False indigo Baptisia australis | 3 to 9 | Spikes of deep-blue flowers in late spring |
| Garden pinks Dianthus gratianopolitanus | 3 to 9 | Mounds of fragrant pink flowers in late spring |
| Gaura Gaura lindheimeri | 5 to 10 | Tall spires of pink or white flowers in summer |
| Gazania Gazania spp. | 6 to 10 | Shades of orange and yellow in early spring |
| Germander Teucrium chamaedrys | 4 to 9 | Pale-pink to deep-purple flowers in late summer |
| Goldenrod Solidago spp. | 4 to 9 | Sprays of golden-yellow flowers in late summer |
| Hardy ice plant Delosperma cooperi | 5 to 10 | Ground cover with bright pink flowers all summer |
| Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis | 4 to 9 | Spikes of blue or pink flowers in midsummer |
| Jupiter’s beard Centranthus ruber | 5 to 8 | Rosy pink flowers in late spring |
| Lamb’s ears Stachys byzantina | 4 to 9 | Mounds of gray leaves and spikes of magenta flowers in summer |
| Lavender Lavender spp. | 5 to 10 | Spikes of fragrant blue-purple flowers in summer |
| Lavender cotton Santolina chamaecyparissus | 5 to 10 | Yellow button flowers in summer; aromatic gray foliage |
| Mallow Malva sylvestris | 4 to 9 | Mauve-purple flowers with stripes on the outside in late summer |
| Missouri primrose Oenothera macrocarpa | 4 to 8 | Large yellow flowers much of the summer; most Oenothera species are drought tolerant |
| Mullein Verbascum bombyciferum | 4 to 8 | Tall spires of yellow flowers in mid- to late summer |
| Orange globe mallow Sphaeralcea munroana | 4 to 9 | Wands of orange flowers in midsummer |
| Oriental poppy Papaver orientale | 3 to 7 | Often brightly colored papery flowers in spring |
| Ornamental onion Allium senescens | 3 to 8 | Lavender or pink flowers in late summer; most alliums are drought tolerant |
| Penstemon Penstemon spp. and hybrids | 4 to 11 | Large family of drought-tolerant plants with spike flowers in many colors |
| Peony Paeonia lactiflora | 3 to 8 | Mounds of white, pink or red flowers in spring |
| Poppy mallow Callirhoe involucrata | 4 to 8 | Wine-red, white -eyed flowers much of the summer |
| Prairie zinnia Zinnia grandiflora | 4 to 9 | Deep-yellow flowers from late summer into fall |
| Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea | 4 to 9 | Carmine-pink daisies in late summer |
| Red hot poker Kniphofia uvaria | 4 to 10 | Orange and yellow spikes in summer |
| Rough blazing star Liatris aspera | 3 to 9 | Spikes of rosy purple flowers in summer |
| Russian sage Perovskia atriplicifolia | 4 to 9 | Spires of lavender-violet flowers in late summer |
| Sage Salvia spp. | 5 to 9 | Spikes of blue, pink or white flowers in summer; many drought-tolerant species and hybrids |
| Sea lavender Limonium latifolium | 3 to 9 | Airy panicles of lavender-blue flowers in late summer |
| Snow-in-summer Cerastium tomentosum | 3 to 7 | Gray-foliaged ground cover with white flowers in late spring |
| Stokes’ aster Stokesia laevis | 5 to 9 | Lavender-blue or pink chrysanthemum-like flowers in summer |
| Tall sedum Hylotelephium hybrids | 3 to 9 | Flat clusters of pink, white or rust in late summer |
| Threadleaf coreopsis Coreopsis verticillata | 3 to 9 | Small yellow daisies much of the summer |
| Thyme Thymus serpyllum | 4 to 9 | Mat-forming ground cover with pink or white flowers in spring; most thyme species are drought tolerant |
| Verbena Verbena bipinnatifida | 3 to 8 | Magenta-pink flowers all summer; many other verbena species are drought tolerant |
| Veronica Veronica spicata | 3 to 8 | Spikes of blue, pink or white flowers in summer |
| Yarrow Achillea filipendulina | 3 to 8 | Dark-yellow flower clusters in summer |
| Yucca Yucca spp. | 4 to 10 | Tall spires of creamy white flowers in summer; spiky evergreen foliage |
