Drought Tolerant Plants: 20 Picks for Low-Water Gardens, Ranked by Region

A garden that lives on rainfall is no longer a Southwestern thing. Water restrictions, hotter summers, and busier lives have moved drought tolerant plants from a niche to a mainstream choice across most of the country. Below is what drought tolerant actually means, twenty plants that earn the label, regional picks for the Southwest through the Southeast, and the planting timing that decides whether they live through their first dry summer.

What “Drought Tolerant” Actually Means

Three terms get used interchangeably and should not be. Drought tolerant means the plant can survive an extended dry period after it is established (typically year three onward) without irrigation. Drought resistant is sometimes used as a synonym but technically means the plant resists water loss through structural features (waxy leaves, deep taproots, succulent tissue). Xeriscape is the landscape design philosophy that uses drought tolerant plants plus mulch, smart irrigation, and grouped water needs to minimize total garden water use.

Establishment matters. Even the most drought tolerant plant needs regular water for the first one to two years to grow the root system that lets it skip rain later. Plant a yarrow in May, neglect it in July, and it dies. Plant the same yarrow in October, water it through fall, and by July it survives on its own.

20 Drought Tolerant Plants Worth Planting

All recommended in published lists from EPA WaterSense and university extension drought-plant guides.

Perennials

1. Lavender (Lavandula). Zones 5 to 9. Full sun. 1 to 3 feet. Purple bloom, silver foliage, deer resistant, pollinator magnet. Wants well-drained soil and hates wet feet.

2. Salvia. Zones 4 to 9. Full sun. 1 to 3 feet. Purple, blue, red, or white spikes through summer. Hummingbird favorite.

3. Yarrow (Achillea). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. 1 to 3 feet. Yellow, white, pink, red flat-top blooms. Tolerates poor soil. Spreads.

4. Sedum (Stonecrop). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. Ground cover to 2 feet. Succulent leaves, late summer blooms. Bulletproof.

5. Agastache (Hyssop). Zones 5 to 10. Full sun. 2 to 4 feet. Long spikes of purple, orange, or pink, hummingbird favorite, fragrant foliage.

6. Echinacea (Coneflower). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun to part shade. 2 to 4 feet. Native, butterfly favorite, cold tolerant.

7. Russian sage (Perovskia). Zones 4 to 9. Full sun. 3 to 5 feet. Long lavender-blue plumes from midsummer to fall, deer resistant, tough.

8. Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. 2 to 3 feet. Native gold daisies July to October. Reseeds.

9. Coreopsis (Tickseed). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. 1 to 3 feet. Yellow daisies all summer. Cuts well for vases.

10. Gaura (Whirling Butterflies). Zones 5 to 9. Full sun. 2 to 3 feet. Airy white or pink wands. Long bloom window.

Shrubs

11. Juniper. Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. From ground covers to 30-foot trees. Evergreen, almost no maintenance once rooted.

12. Butterfly bush (Buddleia). Zones 5 to 9. Full sun. 4 to 10 feet. Long lilac, white, or magenta flower spikes. Check local invasive status before planting.

13. Ninebark (Physocarpus). Zones 2 to 8. Full sun to part shade. 4 to 8 feet. Native, gold or purple foliage cultivars, cold tolerant.

14. Rugosa rose. Zones 2 to 7. Full sun. 4 to 6 feet. Salt and drought tolerant. Big rose hips after bloom.

Grasses

15. Blue fescue (Festuca glauca). Zones 4 to 8. Full sun. 6 to 12 inches. Tight blue tufts. Border classic.

16. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun. 2 to 4 feet. Native prairie grass with russet fall color.

17. Switchgrass (Panicum). Zones 3 to 9. Full sun to part shade. 3 to 6 feet. Native, vertical, golden seed heads.

18. Mexican feather grass (Nassella). Zones 6 to 10. Full sun. 2 feet. Soft, hair-thin foliage that catches the wind.

Succulents and natives

19. Agave. Zones 7 to 11. Full sun. Architectural rosette. Best for Southwest and Mediterranean climates.

20. Penstemon (Beardtongue). Zones 3 to 10. Full sun. 1 to 3 feet. Native, tubular flowers, hummingbird favorite.

Drought Tolerant Plants by Region

Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, west Texas). Agave, ocotillo, penstemon, desert marigold, Mexican feather grass, yucca, agastache, salvia greggii, lavender. Plant fall through early spring. Use decomposed-granite mulch.

Mountain West (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho). Russian sage, yarrow, blue mist spirea, blanket flower (gaillardia), little bluestem, juniper, native penstemon, lambs ear, agastache. Plant in early fall once temperatures cool but the ground is still workable.

Great Plains and Midwest. Echinacea, black-eyed susan, switchgrass, little bluestem, butterfly weed, prairie smoke, native milkweed. Match natives to local soils for the lowest care load.

Southeast. Lantana, salvia, gaura, coreopsis, beautyberry, native rosemary (Conradina), yucca, ninebark, gaillardia. The Southeast can be unexpectedly dry late summer; drought tolerance pays off in August.

California and Mediterranean climates. Lavender, rosemary, ceanothus, salvia clevelandii, Mexican sage, California poppy, yarrow, agave, manzanita. Many California natives go fully summer-dormant and bloom on winter rain.

Care Essentials

Plant in fall. Roots grow through winter while the top stays dormant. By the time spring heat arrives, the plant is already anchored. Spring planting works but burns more water and risks first-summer mortality.

Water deep, water rare. The training rule for the first two years: deep soak (long, slow watering that wets the root zone fully) once a week instead of daily sprinkles. Deep watering forces roots downward. Frequent shallow watering keeps roots near the surface where they cook.

Mulch heavy. Two to four inches of organic mulch (bark, wood chips, pine straw) cuts evaporation 25 to 50 percent and keeps roots cool. Use gravel or decomposed granite for desert plantings that hate organic mulch.

Improve drainage, not fertility. Most drought plants prefer lean, fast-draining soil. Skip the rich amendments. Heavy compost can rot the roots of a sage or a lavender.

Year-three water schedule. Once established, most drought plants need 0 to 0.5 inches of supplemental water per week in summer, depending on rainfall. Many need none in average years.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overwatering. Most drought-plant failures are wet feet, not thirst. Stop watering once the plant is established.

2. Calling things drought tolerant that are not. Hydrangea, hosta, astilbe, most ferns, ornamental cabbage, and impatiens want consistent moisture. They do not belong in this category.

3. Planting in spring and skipping the establishment year. A drought tolerant plant is not drought tolerant in year one. Spring planting requires summer babysitting.

4. Skipping mulch. Bare soil between plants doubles evaporation and triples weeding.

5. Mixing thirsty and dry plants in the same bed. The thirsty ones force more watering than the drought plants want. Group by water need (the core xeriscape principle).

Best Days for Planting

By Farmers’ Almanac tradition, plant aboveground perennials and shrubs on a waxing moon (new moon through first quarter) and root-heavy or bulb plants on a waning moon (full through last quarter). The waxing window encourages top growth, which helps a transplant settle. For specific dates, see our Best Days Calendar. For climate context that drives drought cycles, see El Nino and La Nina.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best drought tolerant plants?

Lavender, salvia, yarrow, sedum, agastache, echinacea, russian sage, black-eyed susan, coreopsis, and gaura are the most reliable drought tolerant perennials across most US climate zones. For shrubs, juniper and ninebark. For grasses, little bluestem and switchgrass.

When is the best time to plant drought tolerant plants?

Fall, six to eight weeks before the first hard frost. Roots grow through winter while the top is dormant, so the plant is established by the time summer heat arrives. Spring planting works but requires more babysitting through the first summer.

How often should I water drought tolerant plants?

Year one: deep soak once a week. Year two: deep soak every two to three weeks in summer. Year three onward: most drought tolerant plants need little to no supplemental water in average rainfall years.

What is the difference between drought tolerant and xeriscape?

Drought tolerant describes a plant. Xeriscape describes a whole landscape design that combines drought tolerant plants with mulch, drainage, smart irrigation, and grouped water needs. A drought tolerant plant can fit any garden style. A xeriscape is the full system.

Are hydrangeas drought tolerant?

No. Hydrangeas need consistently moist soil and wilt quickly under heat or drought. They are often misclassified, but they belong in the regular-watering category, not the drought tolerant one.

How much water does a drought tolerant garden save?

A mature drought tolerant garden uses 50 to 70 percent less water than a traditional perennial bed once plants are established (year three onward). EPA WaterSense estimates show municipal water savings of 33 to 60 percent for landscapes converted to native and drought tolerant plants.