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Whether you live in a hot, dry region or you’re looking to conserve water with an xeriscape garden, drought-tolerant plants are the way to go. These hardy landscape specimens can often get by with just a few sips of water from occasional rain and thrive in full sun with well-draining soil that prevents root rot.
“A drought-tolerant plant is a plant that can survive on very little moisture,” explains Sydney Trio, education coordinator for McCrory Gardens botanical garden and arboretum at South Dakota State University. Certain plants, she says, have deeper roots that allow them to withstand longer periods without water. However, not all plants are suited to every climate zone, and most drought-tolerant options in your area likely grow natively, Trio says.
Her advice? Check with your local extension service for drought-tolerant plant recommendations that will thrive in your area. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 15 popular drought-tolerant plants and noted the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones, so you'll know right away whether they're a suitable pick for your sustainable garden.
With a beautiful purple hue and enveloping fragrance, lavender is a popular drought-tolerant plant no matter your landscaping style. Planting pea gravel near the base of lavender helps reflect heat to this hardy, sun-loving plant.
Related: How to Grow English Lavender Plants That Look and Smell Divine
Depending on how you prune it, this evergreen shrub can grow as a bush, a tree, or alongside other plants to create a privacy hedge.
Beloved by home chefs, this shrubby herb is a garden favorite for pollinators, too, who are attracted to rosemary’s blue flowers.
Related: We Figured Out the BEST Way To Keep Your Rosemary Plant Happy All Summer Long
These daisy lookalikes can be cut and added to floral bouquets; deadhead them throughout the summer so they keep blooming.
These drought-tolerant, low-maintenance flowers come in a variety of colors, including coral, orange, pink, red, yellow, and ivory.
The fuzzy leaves on Lamb’s Ear trap moisture, preventing water evaporation and making it a low-maintenance choice for drought-tolerant xeriscaping.
Sedums, which produce star-shaped flower blooms, are great candidates for rock gardens or xeriscaping projects because they can thrive in sandy and rocky soil.
Related: 22 Ground-Covering Plants to Liven Up Your Landscape
This type of aloe produces beautiful coral-colored rosettes, adding a pop of color to rock or succulent gardens.
These versatile flowers can be planted in your garden or grown in a hanging basket or pot. Bonus: Some varieties are known to repel mosquitoes.
Yarrow is extremely drought-tolerant, thanks to its deep root system that can tap into the hydration in the soil. It prefers hot and dry conditions, but if you get less than an inch of rain per week, it may need some supplemental watering.
These sun-loving flowers will attract butterflies to your yard and provide gardens with a beautiful pop of warm colors. Wear gloves when you’re deadheading them to encourage growth; their sap can irritate skin.
While Bougainvillea is drought-tolerant once it’s established, it does require more water as it grows. Rich in nectar, it’s a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds.
Gardeners love blue sage because of its long blooming period (the tubular flowers show up spring through fall) and the fact that it draws all types of colorful butterflies and pollinators to the yard.
Related: We Found the BEST Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
The state cactus of Texas, patience is a virtue with prickly pears. It usually takes a few years for them to start bearing fruit and flowers.
The pollinator-friendly, cone-like centers of pretty coneflowers attract butterflies and bees.
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