Drought Tolerant Flowering Bushes

2 to 4 Feet High

• Spiraea nipponica “Snowmound” grows 2 to 4 feet high and wide and produces numerous clusters of white flowers in the spring. This drought-tolerant shrub attracts butterflies and needs a site with full sun or partial shade. You can grow it in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 8. This low-maintenance plant tolerates a wide range of soils, advises Missouri Botanical Garden. The shrubby cinquefoil reaches the same height as the “Snowmound” but spreads 3 to 5 feet wide. It delivers yellow flowers from June to September and grows in zones 3 to 7. This shrub needs full sun or partial shade.

3 to 6 Feet High

• Spiraea thunbergii grows 3 to 5 feet high and wide and is suitable for zones 4 to 8. Tiny white flowers appear on the plant in April, before its foliage arrives. This bush needs full sun, and its leaves turn yellow in the fall. The flowers on the Virginia sweetspire attract butterflies, and birds like to eat the seeds it produces. This drought-tolerant bush grows 3 to 6 feet high and produces white flowers in stick-like shapes which are 3 to 6 inches long. While the plant prefers sun or partial shade and moist or wet soil, it can tolerate drought conditions. The Virginia sweetspire spreads by runners and can become invasive, warns consumer horticulturist Erv Evans.

6 to 10 Feet High

• The burkwood viburnum grows 8 to 10 feet high and spreads 6 to 7 feet wide. This drought-tolerant bush produces pinkish-white flowers in April and grows well in zones 4 to 8. It needs full sun or partial shade. Missouri Botanical Garden classifies it as a low-maintenance plant. The Florida azalea produces flowers in hues of orange-red, peach and yellow in April. This shrub grows 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide in zones 6 to 9. It requires partial shade and likes acidic soil which is light, sandy and well-drained.

More than 10 Feet

• You’ll see orange-red flowers shaped liked trumpets all summer long on the pomegranate bush, if you plant it in the proper site. The shrub grows best in zones 8 to 11 when given well-drained, organically rich soil which is dry or moderately moist. The pomegranate also needs full sun and regular watering. Its flowers yield fruit in areas with long, hot and dry summers.