Drought Tolerant Landscaping Plants

Bushes and Shrubs

• Cool, dry climates, such as the Northern Rockies or the High Desert, are often associated with drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs such as sage and juniper. Though these native bushes are good low-maintenance landscaping choices, they are not the only shrubs available. Flowering bushes, such as like the common lilac Syringa vulgaris and native pink rose Rosa woodsii, withstand drought and cool climates. Deciduous bushes, such as the butterfly bush and vibernum, provide autumn color. In the warm, dry regions of the Southeastern United States, gardeners have more choices. Forsythia, witch hazel, honeysuckle and jasmine are all warm-climate plants capable of withstanding periods of drought.

Trees

• Drought-tolerant trees carry similar attributes: narrow leaves, upright growth habits and layered leaves. Native species are also more likely to tolerate dry conditions. Regardless of the kind of trees you plant, remember that young trees require deep watering until their root systems mature, usually for the first 2 years of their lives. Once mature, the following trees are some of many trees capable of tolerating cool, dry conditions: Juniperus scopulorum "Rocky Mountain Juniper," Acer glabrum "Rocky Mountain Maple," Cercis occidentalis "Western Redbud" and Elaeagnus angustifolia "Russian Olive." Warm dry climates, as well as areas of Southeastern United States, experiencing droughtlike weather and are suited for the following trees: the lavender flowering Vitex agnus-castus "Vitex," the semievergreen Acacia farnesiana "Sweet Acacia" and the elegant Olea europea "European Olive."

Flowers

• Asters, salvia, blanket flower, daisies and other wildflowers and plants native to your area are likely to be drought tolerant and well suited for your growing zone. Consult your local university extension agents when choosing drought-tolerant flowers. Drought-tolerant flowers are often invasive, as they adapt to conditions other flowers can't withstand. Take precautions, such as clipping back seedheads and purchasing nonseeding varieties, to prevent over population.

Groundcovers

• Drought-tolerant gardens feature many hardscapes from wood decking to gravel to coarse sand. These nongrowing materials provide walkways and open areas frequently complemented with ornamental grasses and other groundcovers. Arching, upright clumping grasses like Andropogon gerardii "Big Bluestem" and Sorghastrum nutans "Indian Grass," provide architectural interest. Low lying Thymus pseudolanuginosus "Woolly Thyme," Achillea ageratifolia "Greek Yarrow" and Callihroe alceoides "Logan Calhoun," also known as white flowered poppy mallow, work well on slopes preventing soil erosion.