Drought-Tolerant Plants Guide
Drought-tolerant plants are an excellent choice for landscapes that experience hot summers, dry spells, or areas where watering is limited. Once established, these plants require less supplemental irrigation while continuing to provide beautiful color, texture, and seasonal interest.
Whether you’re creating a low-maintenance landscape or looking to conserve water, drought-tolerant plants offer lasting beauty with fewer resources.
Why Choose Drought-Tolerant Plants?
Drought-tolerant plants are built to handle dry spells and less water, thanks to their deep root systems and natural resilience. They also require less maintenance, making them ideal for sunny beds, slopes, and other tricky planting areas.
Creating a Drought-Tolerant Landscape
A successful water-wise landscape starts with proper plant selection and good gardening practices.
- Choose plants suited for full sun and well-drained soil
- Group plants with similar watering needs together
- Apply 2–3 inches of mulch to retain soil moisture
- Water deeply but less frequently to encourage deep roots
- Improve drainage before planting if needed
- Avoid overwatering once plants are established
Thoughtful planning helps create a landscape that stays attractive even during periods of dry weather.
Best Plants for Drought Tolerance
One of the most important things to understand about hydrangeas is that watering and pruning needs vary by variety. Knowing the difference helps ensure healthy growth and better blooms.
Trees
Many established trees are highly tolerant of dry conditions while providing shade and year-round beauty.
Featured Trees:
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
- Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
- Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
- Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
These trees provide lasting structure and perform well with minimal supplemental watering once established.
Shrubs
Many shrubs develop deep root systems that allow them to thrive through summer heat and dry conditions.
Featured Shrubs:
- Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)
- Juniper (Juniperus)
- Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
- American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
- Ninebark (Physocarpus)
These shrubs provide season-long interest while requiring less frequent watering than many traditional landscape plants.
Perennials
Many flowering perennials perform exceptionally well in hot, sunny landscapes with minimal irrigation.
Featured Perennials:
- Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
- Sage (Salvia)
- Coreopsis
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Lavender (Lavandula)
- Russian Sage (Salvia yangii/Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Planting a variety of drought-tolerant perennials provides continuous blooms while reducing water use throughout the growing season.
Native Drought-Tolerant Plants
Many Virginia native plants are naturally adapted to periods of heat and drought once established. They provide dependable performance while supporting pollinators and other beneficial wildlife.
Excellent native choices include Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Little Bluestem, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), and Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica). Incorporating native plants into your landscape creates a beautiful, resilient garden that thrives with less water.
General Care Tips for Drought-Tolerant Plants
Even drought-tolerant plants need regular care while becoming established. Proper watering during the first growing season helps develop strong, deep root systems.
- Water deeply during the first year after planting
- Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings
- Apply mulch to reduce evaporation and regulate soil temperature
- Avoid frequent, shallow watering
- Prune dead or damaged growth as needed to maintain plant health
Once established, most drought-tolerant plants require significantly less supplemental watering than traditional landscape plants.
Create a Water-Wise Landscape
Whether you’re planting a new landscape, updating existing garden beds, or looking to reduce water usage, drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses offer lasting beauty with less maintenance.
Visit our Garden Center to explore our selection of drought-tolerant plants. Our team can help you choose the right varieties for your landscape and create a garden that remains healthy, colorful, and resilient throughout the seasons
Low maintenance options for sun to shade, these plants take very little watering once established.
Annuals will not be as droughtt tolerant as established trees, however they will need less water than other annuals. We still receommend waterng at least twice a week to encourage healthy growth and to get the most out of your annuals this season.