Drought-Tolerant Hedges

Choosing Plants

• Always select a plant species for your garden based on its natural tolerances to the soil and climate in your area. Contact your local cooperative extension office (see Resources) or a local botanical garden to learn about recommended shrub species that prosper in your region's general growing conditions and survive with little water. Also select hedge plants -- species or cultivars -- that mature to a size appropriate for their use in the landscape. For example, if you only want a hedge that grows 3 feet tall, do not choose a plant that naturally matures at 10 feet tall, as this will increase pruning maintenance.

Plant Examples

• Among the hedge shrubs that tolerate dry soils and grow in temperate regions of the United States include barberry (Berberis spp.), pea shrub (Caragana spp.), cotoneaster, ligustrum, Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), inkberry (Ilex glabra), Vanhoutte spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei), buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.) and arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). In warm temperate to subtropical areas, choose from bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.), Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta), yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis spp.), tea olive (Osmanthus spp.), photinia, Japanese pittosporum (Pittosporum japonicum), cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco), sandankwa (Viburnum suspensum), sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and wax myrtle (Myrica spp.).

Establishment

• Even though many drought-tolerant shrubs are able to withstand a lack of water, plants must be appropriately watered after planting. A moist soil ensures new shrubs adequately establish their root systems into the soil profile. Only well-established hedge plants best resist the ill effects of dry soils. Irrigate new hedge plants for the first six to 12 months after planting and mulch the soil with a layer of 3 to 4 inches of bark nuggets to help conserve moisture during the establishment period.

Pruning Tips

• Pruning a drought-tolerant shrub to shape it causes temporary wounds and plant stress. Even though a hedge plant is drought-tolerant, cutting tissues the wrong time of year can negatively impact the plant's overall vigor and longevity. Prune shrubs in late winter to early spring when temperatures are cooler, the soil is moister and plants soon begin their new annual growth cycles. Avoid pruning during the hottest, coldest and driest times of the year, as the wounds and plant's natural response to regrow leaves require soil moisture. Pruning during extended droughts can lead to little regrowth, and seemingly lean or barren parts on the hedgerow.