Growing a garden in a dry climate can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Especially if you use plants that can tolerate the dry conditions. A lack of water means the plants you choose must be able to tolerate being without water for long periods of time. You don't have to sacrifice beauty and charm when creating a garden paradise, just plant what will survive you will be amazed how resilient these plants and shrubs can be.
Tried and True Drought Resistant Plants
Below is a guide to ground covers, plants to 1 metre and shrubs over 1 metre that do well in dry conditions, as well as surviving in gardens when drought hits. The colours of the plants are noted as is the height of each plant.
Low Growing Plants
- Of the low growing plants it is the commonly called pig face that dazzles in drought conditions. The hardy succulent comes in vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow and thrives extremely well in dry conditions. Pig Face grows to approximately 20 cm.
- Another low growing plant is the Evening Primrose. Flowering all summer and into autumn it grows to approximately 15cm.
- The Sea Pink has rose coloured flowers that bloom in summer and grows to approximately 15 cm.
- The Cut Leaf Daisy is possibly the longest flowering of the low growing plants. It's flowering season is from late winter through to autumn and grows to a height of 30 cm.
- The Verbena comes in many different shades, flowering from summer through to autumn the verbena grows to approximately 30 cm
Mid Range Shrubs
- The beautifully scented Belladonna Lily grows to 1m. The flowers sit atop a long slender stem and do well as cut flowers or can be left as a massed display in the garden.
- Bearded Iris come in just about every colour imaginable. They flower in early summer and grow to approximately 50 cm.
- Geraniums are a very hardy and tolerant shrub. They come in a wide variety of colours and grow to approximately 30 cm. Being one of the toughest of the drought resistant plants they are also one of the longest flowering plants.
- Musk Rose is a saucer shaped flower. The pink or white blossoms flower in summer. The plant grows to approximately 1 m.
- The Butterfly Weed with lance-like leaves and orange flowers that bloom in summer grows to approximately 75cm.
- Threadleaf Coreopsis is covered in masses of start shaped yellow flowers in summer. The shrub grows to approximately 60cm.
- Japanese Quince has orange flowers in spring that are followed by green fruit. It grows to approximately 1m.
Shrubs Over 1 Metre
- Euphorbia characias has yellow-green flowers with purple centers. The shrub flowers in spring and grows to approximately 1.2 m
- Eryngium Alpinum has striking lavender foliage and purple flowers that bloom in summer. It grows to approximately 1.2m.
- Coastal Rosemary is another plant with gray/green foliage. It has white flowers in summer and grows to approximately 1.5m
- Kerria Japonica's golden yellow flowers bloom in mid to late spring. The shrub grows to approximately 2.5m.
Don't let drought conditions limit you imagination, indeed a dry garden does not have to be a garden without colour. Mass plantings will ensure that your garden is full of colour. The use of rocks, mulch and compost will aid in retaining moisture during those excessively dry times when water may not always be available. However the key to growing a garden in drought areas is to choose plants and shrubs that will best tolerate drought conditions.
Parania Wilson - Parania attained her degree with a double major in welfare and sociology then spent a number of years in welfare working in Mental Health, ...
