Drought Tolerant

Drought-tolerant plants are those that can persist even when experiencing extended periods without water. Most of the state of California experiences a relatively mild and short rainy season stretching from November through March, with some lighter rain happening on the shoulders of this stretch of time. Most plants native to California have adapted to live several months without any rainfall.

Using drought-tolerant plants in the garden is an excellent way to minimize supplemental water use in the landscape. Not only do drought-tolerant plants cut down on your water bill, but they also play a huge role in water conservation. Once established, they require little water to thrive. In addition, they will provide habitats for local fauna and pollinators. Drought-tolerant plants most often require little to no fertilizers, eliminating fertilizer and chemical runoff that can potentially contaminate ground and surface water. What’s at the top of our list of reasons why we love to grow drought-tolerant plants in the garden? Drought-tolerant plants are as beautiful as they are functional in the landscape.

How frequently you will need to water your drought-tolerant plants can vary significantly based on the season and weather you are experiencing, the soil type your plants are growing in, the type of plants, and their maturity. Many drought-tolerant plants will require deep and regular water for their first year or two in order to establish robust and deep roots. Outside of the rainy season, this could be as frequent as weekly or as infrequent as monthly, depending on your plants, soils, and climate. How often you water to establish your plants should take into consideration the current temperatures and rainfall as well as your soil type. Clay soils retain water much longer than sandy soils and therefore will require less frequent watering. We suggest checking soil moisture levels to establish a sense of when irrigating is necessary. Once drought-tolerant plants are well established, most will require deep but infrequent watering. Again, the frequency can vary depending on soils and weather, so don’t forget to check the soil from time to time to get a sense of how the water is behaving in the soil profile.

No matter what your soil type, you can find drought-tolerant plants that will thrive in your garden. The important thing is to take a moment before planting to figure out what type of soil you’re working with, and then select plants that will excel in your garden soil. You may be able to broaden your potential plant palette by amending your soils to increase drainage or perhaps improve water-holding abilities. Adjusting watering habits can also help to make less-than-ideal soils hospitable to more plants than would otherwise thrive there. Clay soils are notorious for holding onto a lot of water. Over time, adding organic materials such as compost can greatly improve the drainage of clay soils. In the meantime, less frequent watering of plants growing in clay soil will help improve the growing conditions of plants situated in less-than-optimal drainage.

There are quite a number of drought-tolerant plants that will not need any fertilizers. Many drought-tolerant plants developed in regions that have spare soils; therefore, they do not require rich soils to grow and thrive. The addition of organic material, such as compost, can be used to improve drainage for the soil as well as provide minor amounts of plant nutrients that will encourage new growth and robust blooming. Be sure to read Annie’s growing instructions listed on the plant pages for each plant selection.

Whether or not drought-tolerant plants need pruning is largely up to you. If you select plants that will not exceed the space they are allotted, then you may not need to prune. There are some plants that will look best if pruned back once or twice a year. For example, Lavender plants will look their best when pruned back hard once a year. Hebes are a favorite for minimum maintenance with no need to prune!

Some of the most popular drought-tolerant plants are those that are native to California as well as other regions of the world that experience Mediterranean conditions. Part of the popularity of these plants is that they have adapted to be grown in climates and conditions very similar to what we experience here in California.

Arctotis may just be the easiest plants to care for, and their flowers are simply gorgeous! These lower-growing perennials are tough and drought tolerant, and they boast 3-5”-wide blooms in a variety of bright colors. In addition, they are long-blooming, and attract and serve a suite of pollinators. They’re perfect for the border of a drought-tolerant garden, or even a hell strip!

Ceanothus are beloved evergreen shrubs that come in many shapes and sizes and with glorious flower shades, from soft lavender to periwinkles to deep blue. Being native to drier areas of California, they are inherently drought tolerant. The larger Ceanothus varieties are often used as foundational and structural shrubs for the garden to be built around, while some of the smaller ones can be planted here and there for year-round texture and early spring color. Whatever your planting need, there is almost certainly a Ceanothus to fill it!

Cuphea are compact, densely branched, drought-tolerant shrubs that are evergreen in mild climates and are positively covered in flowers summer into fall! Their tubular flowers make them a favorite of hummingbird visitors, although they are beneficial to bees and butterflies as well. Add one of these to your dry garden, and you will be thrilled!

Lavander (Lavandula) is a genus everyone is familiar with. It is renowned for its soft green foliage, lovely purple flowers, and most notably the relaxing properties of its fragrance. Lavandula angustifolia can even be used in cooking or baking! These compact shrubs can be planted solo or in multiples to dramatic yet gentle effect.

Monkey Flowers (Mimulus) are a surefire way to keep your garden brimming with fun and flirty flowers from spring through fall. They are easy to grow, an effortless fit for flowering cottage gardens, and drought tolerant to boot!

Sedum are a variable and versatile genus of drought-tolerant, ground-covering succulents. At Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, we carry a wide array of these beauties, from the geometric and powder-white Cape Blanco (Sedum spatulifolium, which is also a California native), to the deep purple of Plum Dazzled (Sedum rupestre), and more or less everything in between. While the allure of Sedum is usually their succulent foliage, many have showy flowers as well!

Drought-tolerant plants can be used for fire-resistant landscaping. The best plan is to utilize plants native to your regional area. In California, many native plants naturally grow in areas where fire is a fundamental part of the ecosystem, such as in chaparral communities. Because of this, they have adapted to periodic burning and are more resistant to fire damage. Some species even depend on fire to regenerate. The rules of keeping a clear defensible space and placing plants properly definitely still apply, and there are no “fireproof” plants, but planting with native drought-tolerant species is an important part of mitigating property damage in the event of fire, especially if living in the wildland-urban interface.

When deciding which drought-tolerant plants are right for your garden, you will want to first consider your garden conditions. Make note of exposure to sun, seasonal high and low temperatures, watering practices, and soil type. You will also want to factor in how much care and maintenance you want to perform over the course of the year. Finding the right drought-tolerant plant is as simple as matching plant needs to your growing environment. Check out our plant listings, where we offer growing guidelines and maintenance suggestions for each of our plants. This will provide all the information you will need to match plant requirements to your garden. The final step is to choose plants that will match the style of your garden and home. No matter the color palette, garden style, or growing conditions, Annie’s Annuals and Perennials will have the perfect drought-tolerant plants for your landscape.

Drought-tolerant plants play a huge role in water conservation. Once established, they require little water to thrive. In addition, they also provide habitat for local fauna and often local pollinators. Drought-tolerant plants tend to want less, and in some cases zero, fertilizer, which helps mitigate the issues of nutrient and chemical runoff negatively impacting both ground and surface water.

Drought-tolerant plants can support wildlife, especially in areas where rain is naturally limited. Wildlife in these areas will be adapted to drought-tolerant species. In truth, any plants that produce fruit and seeds for food, have branches for nesting and shelter, and drop leaves that act as a nursery for beneficial insects, reptiles, and amphibians, will provide benefit to surrounding wildlife, drought-tolerant plants included.

If your drought-tolerant plant isn’t thriving, we suggest evaluating the plant’s current growing conditions and comparing those to the recommended growing conditions for that plant. Things to keep in mind when evaluating a plant’s growing condition are light exposure, soil, available water, pests, and disease. Always keep in mind seasonal conditions. Some plants my show signs that typically suggest a plant is in decline. Some plants may drop their leaves during the height of summer. This is not necessarily a sign of failing health; in some plants it is a response to seasonal conditions that make them better adapted to experiencing drought conditions.

At Annie’s, we offer an exceptional selection of annual and perennial drought-tolerant plants.