Drought-Tolerant Plants That Can Handle Dry Weather

Even when the rain stops, these drought-tolerant plants keep going strong. They’ll survive dry conditions while adding color and texture to your garden.

1. Coneflower

Echinacea spp. • Zones 3 to 9

                                                          

Often self-sowing, coneflowers need little upkeep. These drought tolerant plants and thrive in almost any soil with adequate drainage. Plus, coneflowers attract birds and butterflies.

2. Catmint

Nepeta x faassenii • Zones 3 to 8

                                             

Perfect for borders, rock gardens and containers, these drought tolerant plant have aromatic flowers that attract butterflies and bees. Catmint blooms from early summer to early fall, with plants that are 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. Check out more long-blooming flowers for attracting pollinators.

3. Agastache

Agastache • Zones 5 to 11

                                          

A bee’s delight, agastache grows 3 to 5 feet tall and sports purple or white flower spikes. This tall drought tolerant plant is a good choice for the back of a border. Psst—here’s the top 10 plants for bees.

4. Lantana

Lantana camara • annual to Zone 8

                                            

Abundant blooms make lantana a welcome addition to any sunny garden. Clusters of brightly colored blossoms adorn this plant, which grows 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. With a mounding or trailing habit, it’s a good choice for a container. Check out more easy plants you can grow in containers.

5. Salvia

Salvia splendens • grown as an annual

                                              

A true attention-getter, this tall drought tolerant flowering plant produces season-long color in just about any landscape. Its vibrantly colored columns range from 8 to 30 inches tall. These summer to fall bloomers are also striking when confined to containers. Discover the top 10 salvias to grow for hummingbirds.

6. Lavender

Lavandula • Zones 5 to 10

                                           

                                   

It’s no wonder lavender tolerates drought, since the fragrant plant is native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The mounding plants make attractive specimens or borders. Check out 5 attractive drought-tolerant shrubs for your garden.

7. Russian Sage

Perovskia atriplicifolia • Zones 4 to 9

                                              

With 2- to 5-foot stems in shades of purplish blue, Russian sage is a real garden trouper: It tolerates cold, drought and poor soil. As long as you grow it in a sunny spot, it won’t disappoint. Psst—here’s the top 10 plants you can’t kill.

8. California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica • grown as an annual

                                                      

If your yard isn’t the most fertile, look no further than California poppies. These drought resistant plants grow best in full sun but don’t mind poor soil a bit. Discover more pink and orange flowers that look just like a sunset.

9. Artemisia

Artemisia spp. • Zones 3 to 8

                                                    

Reliable artemisia is valued for its beautiful, slender gray to silver leaves on tall, arching stems or in low mounds, which range from 1 to 5 feet high and wide. These drought tolerant plants are tough and trouble-free.

10. Licorice Plant

Helichrysum petiolare • annual

                                              

Licorice plant’s fuzzy, silvery foliage grows long enough to trail, readily weaving throughout surrounding plants. This drought resistant vine thrives in partial shade to full sun and spreads out to 6 feet. 

12. Veronica

Veronica spp. • Zones 3 to 9

                                                                 

This easy-to-grow favorite, also known as speedwell, boasts beautiful white, purple, pink or blue spikes and has a long bloom time. These drought tolerant plants reach 1 to 2 feet high and thrive in well-drained soil and full sun. 

14. Yarrow

Achillea • Zones 3 to 9

                                      

These easy-care, long-lasting flowers come into their own once spring bulbs are past their peak. No matter what garden space you’re looking to fill, yarrow is a prime candidate. Yarrow is also one of the top 10 plants for sandy soil.

15. Portulaca

Portulaca spp. • annual

                                                       

These easy-care, drought tolerant annual plants are a sure source of perky color. Portulaca grows in low clusters, bloom in a rainbow of hues and thrive in the hot, sunny spots where other flowers might wither.