Top Drought Tolerant Perennials
In general, perennials tend to be more drought resistant than annuals simply because they have a more established plant and root system built out. If you’re looking for perennials that will thrive better than the rest in dry locations, we have a few recommendations! Just remember, all newly planted perennials will require more regular waterings at the start to help them get established.
Blanket Flower
(Gaillardia)
This tough perennial is a prairie plant that produces bright blooms all summer and into fall in shades of red and yellow.
Coneflower
(Echinacea)
Easy to grow, drought tolerant and their flowers are long-lasting, is it any wonder coneflowers are so darn popular? They create a beautiful display with their daisy like flowers that bloom from summer through fall. Did we mention their seeds give birds a feed source over the winter and they are poplar with butterflies too?
Globe Thistle
(Echinops ‘Blue Globe’)
Talk about easy to grow, the thing is literally a thistle! But hear us out, the flower on this plant may be one of the best you’ve never seen. Come summer it’ll produce round metallic-blue flowers that are great for drying.
Lamb’s Ear
(Stachys byzantina)
Mary had a little… wait, wrong one, but the leaves on this plant really are soft and fuzzy like a lamb! Silvery in colour, this easy care ground cover can be a prolific grower in great soil.
Lavender
(Lavendula)
If it seems like you keep reading about lavender on our garden guides, it’s because you are! Lavender is just one of those plants that has everything you want from a plant, it smells great, looks good, and is super tough. While it doesn’t love being wet, it will look wonderful in your garden and can be used for its herbal properties too.
Meadow Sage
(Salvia ‘Select Blue Violet’)
Popular with butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, it’s popular with us too. Salvia like flowers in blue-violet from midsummer through early fall make it a welcome addition to the garden.
Russian Sage
(Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Pretty on the eyes and tough to kill, we like that. Silvery leaves and purple flowers make this super hardy perennial a stunning plant to behold. Hardy to Zone 2, it’s one of the toughest plants you can grow and stands up to deer, rabbits and the heat too.
Sedum
If you look up ‘tough’ in the plant dictionary, you may find a picture of a sedum. With an endless list of varieties, sedums come in many shapes and sizes but they have one thing in common they are tough as nails. Their waxy leaves hold in water and give you great versatility.
Sundrops
(Oenothera macrocarpa)
Bright and cheerful flowers from spring into early fall, isn’t that what you want from a perennial? This plant offers cute yellow blossoms all growing season and takes the heat too. It is a very good grower so if you have rich soil, watch that it doesn’t get to aggressive with it’s growth.
Yarrow
(Achillea)
This is one hardy plant! Resistant to deer, rabbits and other pests, it also stands up to the heat and drought. With flowers in various colours that work well in cut flower arrangements, it’s hard to go wrong with some yarrow.
