Drought Resistant Shrubs for Shade in Georgia

Large Shrubs

• Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) and fetterbush (Agarista populifolia), also known as pipestem or Florida leucothoe, are large, drought-resistant shrubs. Bottlebrush buckeye is a deciduous shrub that grows to a height of 8 to 12 feet. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. This shrub produces 8- to 12-inch long spikes of white flowers in May and June and thrives in partial or full shade. Fetterbush is an evergreen shrub that grows to a height of 6 to 15 feet. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. Fragrant, off-white flowers are produced by this shrub in May and June. It thrives in partial or dappled shade but will also grow in full shade.

Medium Shrubs

• American beautyberry or French mulberry (Callicarpa americana) and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) are flowering deciduous shrubs. American beautyberry grows to a height of 4 to 8 feet. It is highly drought-resistant and hardy in USDA zones 6 to 10. Pale pink to purple flowers bloom along the length of its stems in the summer followed by metallic purple berries. It thrives in dappled or partial shade. Oakleaf hydrangeas grow to a height of 6 to 8 feet and are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. They are drought-resistant, although they will drop their flowers during periods of drought. Their small, fragrant white flowers bloom in May and June in 6- to 12-inch long clusters but they remain on the shrub until autumn. The flowers fade to pale pink as they age and change to rust-brown by fall. Their foliage changes to bronze, purple or red in autumn. They thrive in partial, dappled or nearly full shade.

Small Shrubs

• The “Amoenum” Kurume azalea hybrid (Rhododendron x obtusum“Amoenum”) and southern Indian azaleas (Rhododendron indicum) are both drought-resistant and thrive in dappled or high shade. They can also be grown with direct sunlight in the morning and shade for the rest of the day. “Amoenum” usually grows to 1 to 3 feet tall but can occasionally reach 6 feet. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8 and blooms in magenta in the spring. Southern Indian azaleas grow to a height of 2 to 3 feet. They are hardy in USDA zones 7 to 8 and bloom in red in the spring. Both of these azaleas are evergreen or semi-evergreen.

Planting and Care

• Drought-resistant shrubs should be planted in the fall in Georgia. Cooler fall and winter temperatures give the shrubs an opportunity to recover from being transplanted and grow their roots into the soil before temperatures rise in the spring. They will also require less supplemental water and become established faster. Even drought-resistant shrubs need to be watered for three months to one year after planting or until they become well-established. Water them slowly and generously when the top few inches of soil dries. This will encourage the shrubs to grow deeper roots. Shrubs with deeper root systems are better able to withstand drought.