Drought Tolerant Plants: Best Plants, Shrubs & Ground Covers

Drought-tolerant plants let you keep a garden alive and beautiful through dry spells with far less watering — once they are established. This is a selection guide: a shortlist of genuinely tough plants for different garden roles (flowers, shrubs, trees, ground covers, climbers and succulents), with the practical caveats that decide whether each will actually thrive with you. It is not a promise that any of these can be planted and never watered.

What “drought tolerant” actually means

The single most important thing to understand: drought tolerant does not mean “never needs water.” It means a plant can cope with dry conditions after it has established a deep root system — usually over its first one to two growing seasons. Getting this wrong is the number-one reason drought-tolerant plants die.

Establishment watering — every plant, however tough, needs regular water for its first season or two while roots grow down. A newly planted lavender left dry will simply die.
Mature drought tolerance — once established, these plants ride out normal dry spells on their own root reserves.
Seasonal vs prolonged drought — most tolerate a normal dry summer; very few survive months of extreme drought with no water at all.
Container vs in-ground — a pot has a tiny water reserve and dries out fast, so even a drought-tolerant plant needs regular watering in a container. “Drought tolerant” really applies to plants growing in open ground.

How to choose the right one

Tolerating drought is only one requirement. A plant can be bone-dry-tough and still fail in the wrong conditions, so match these too:

Sun & drainage — almost all drought-tolerant plants want full sun and sharp drainage. Most die faster in cold, wet winter soil than in summer drought.
Climate & cold tolerance — many toughest choices (bougainvillea, oleander, adenium, golden shower) are frost-tender warm-climate plants; others (yarrow, sempervivum, thyme) are fully cold-hardy. Check hardiness before buying.
Mature size & role — pick the right plant for the job: a ground cover, a shrub, a shade tree, a climber.
Soil — poor, gritty, alkaline soil suits most of them; rich, heavy, wet soil does not. See choosing the right soil.

Drought-tolerant flowering plants & perennials

Sun-loving perennials that flower well on little water once settled — the backbone of a dry border:

Lavender — the classic; needs sharp drainage and full sun, hates wet feet.
Rosemary — evergreen, aromatic, drought- and heat-proof once established.
Salvia (ornamental sage) — long-flowering and very tough in sun.
Echinacea (coneflower) — prairie perennial with deep roots; cold-hardy.
Yarrow (Achillea) — extremely tough, hardy, and good for poor soils.
Gaillardia (blanket flower) — heat-loving and long-blooming.
Verbena bonariensis — airy, self-seeding, drought-proof in sun.
Gaura — delicate flowers on a genuinely tough, wiry plant.
Penstemon — many species thrive on lean, dry, sunny sites.
Santolina (cotton lavender) — silver evergreen mound for hot, dry spots.

Silver or grey foliage (lavender, santolina) is a good field sign of drought adaptation — the reflective hairs reduce water loss.

Drought-tolerant shrubs

Shrubs give a dry garden its structure. These earn their place by shrugging off summer drought once established — most want full sun and free-draining soil:

Cistus (rock rose) — Mediterranean shrub built for hot, dry, poor soil; crepe-paper flowers.
Oleander (Nerium) — exceptionally tough and long-flowering in warm climates. Note: all parts are highly toxic — site with care around children and pets.
Phlomis (Jerusalem sage) — grey-felted evergreen with whorls of yellow flowers.
Teucrium fruticans (tree germander) — silvery, wind- and drought-hardy, good for coastal gardens.
Bottlebrush (Callistemon) — tough evergreen with brush flowers; heat- and drought-hardy.
Buddleja (butterfly bush) — fast, forgiving and drought-proof once established.
Plumbago — sky-blue flowers on a heat- and drought-tolerant scrambling shrub (frost-tender).

Drought-tolerant trees

Established trees are naturally more drought-resilient than young ones, but these species are especially suited to hot, dry gardens:

Olive — the definitive drought-tolerant tree for Mediterranean and mild climates.
Pomegranate — heat- and drought-loving, with flowers, fruit and autumn colour.
Carob — a true dry-climate evergreen once established.
Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) — evergreen, tolerant of drought and poor soil.
Acacia — fast-growing and extremely drought-hardy in warm climates.
Golden shower tree (Cassia fistula) — spectacular in hot, frost-free climates.

Drought-tolerant ground covers

Low, spreading plants that hold hot, dry banks and gaps where a lawn would struggle:

Creeping thyme — fragrant, walkable, and thrives in poor, dry, sunny soil.
Delosperma (ice plant) — succulent mat with dazzling flowers; superb on dry banks.
Gazania — brilliant daisy flowers that love heat and dry, sandy soil.
Elephant bush (Portulacaria afra) — a resilient succulent for hot, dry, low plantings and pots.
Trailing lantana — spreads over hot ground and flowers for months (frost-tender).

Drought-tolerant climbers

Fewer climbers are truly drought-tough, but these cope well once their roots are down:

Bougainvillea — the icon of hot, dry walls; flowers best when kept fairly dry (frost-tender).
Trumpet vine (Campsis) — vigorous and drought-hardy once established (give it space).
Star jasmine (Trachelospermum) — fragrant, evergreen and tolerant of dry spells in sun or part shade.

Succulents & desert-adapted plants

The ultimate water-storers. Most demand sharp drainage and full sun; hardiness varies a lot, from fully cold-hardy to strictly frost-tender:

Agave — architectural rosettes that store water for months.
Aloe — sculptural, water-storing and easy in warm, bright, dry conditions.
Yucca — bold, spiky and among the most cold-hardy desert plants.
Sempervivum (houseleek) — tiny, tough, and fully cold-hardy for dry walls and troughs.
Echeveria — beautiful rosettes for pots and dry beds (frost-tender).
Prickly pear (Opuntia) — extremely drought-proof; some are surprisingly cold-hardy.
Desert rose (Adenium) — a water-storing caudex plant for hot, dry, frost-free conditions.

How to establish drought-tolerant plants

Getting them through the first year is everything:

Plant in autumn or early spring where possible, so roots grow before the heat.
Improve drainage, not richness — add grit to heavy soil; most of these plants hate a rich, water-holding bed.
Water deeply but infrequently through the first season or two — deep soakings encourage deep roots, unlike frequent light sprinkles.
Then wean them off — gradually reduce watering once established, so they rely on their own roots.
Mulch with gravel or grit to keep roots cool and cut evaporation (avoid moisture-holding mulch against the stems of Mediterranean plants).

Common mistakes that kill drought-tolerant plants

Never watering after planting — “drought tolerant” applies to established plants, not new ones.
Wet, heavy soil — more of these plants die from winter wet and root rot than from drought.
Growing them in pots and forgetting them — containers dry out fast and need regular water regardless.
Ignoring cold tolerance — a frost-tender plant that shrugs off drought will still die in a hard freeze.
Too much shade — nearly all want full sun; in shade they grow weak and sparse. See heat and sun guidance for the reverse extreme.

Quick questions

Do drought-tolerant plants ever need watering? Yes — always through establishment (the first season or two), and in containers throughout their life. After that, in open ground, they cope with normal dry spells on their own.

What are the best drought-tolerant plants for pots? Succulents (echeveria, sempervivum, aloe), lavender and rosemary do well — but remember any pot needs regular watering; the container, not the plant, sets the limit.

Which are best for a hot, dry bank? Ground covers like creeping thyme, delosperma and gazania, plus tough shrubs like cistus and phlomis.

Are drought-tolerant plants also cold-hardy? Not necessarily. Yarrow, thyme, sempervivum and yucca are hardy; bougainvillea, oleander, adenium and golden shower are frost-tender. Match the plant to your winter, not just your summer.

Related guides

Improve soil drainage · choosing soil · heat & sun stress · more plant lists & comparisons · browse all drought-tolerant plants

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