Smart, Colorful Home Gardens

Designing the Garden

What makes a drought-tolerant plant? Plants have evolved some clever ways of adapting to dry conditions and even extended periods of drought. They are fairly easy to identify if you know what to look for.

And you will be pleased to find that the list of potential candidates is quite long and colorful.

Shown here: butterfly weed (Asclepias)

It's All in the Leaves

Plants such as stonecrop (Sedum) and hens and chicks (Sempervivum) have evolved fleshy leaves (same strategy as cacti) to help them retain water during periods of drought. They are the camels of the plant world.

Other plants have evolved a waxy, whitish coating (glaucous) on the leaves. Still others have leaves that are leathery or finely cut to help prevent water loss.

Shown here: hens and chicks (Sempervivum)

Soft Surfaces

Other plants have evolved hairy or wooly surfaces to help conserve moisture. A favorite for children is lamb's ears (Stachys byzantine).

Shown here: lamb's ears (Stachys byzantine)

Foliage That Reflects

Plants with fine hairs are easy to identify in the garden. They have grey or silver foliage that reflects light and heat.

Lavender (Lavandula) is one of my personal favorites. Wormwood (Artemisia), yarrow (Achillea), and culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) are other examples. These plants need full sun and good drainage to survive.

Shown here: yarrow (Achillea)

Deeply Rooted

Many prairie plants have deep tap roots. The advantage of these tap roots is twofold: to help the plant rejuvenate when consumed by grazing animals and to help them survive dry spells. Plants with deep roots systems dry out less quickly than those with shallow roots.

A notable grassland species is false blue indigo (Baptisia); an example of a coastal plant is sea holly (Eryngium). Site and space these plants with care so that you don't have to move them once they have settled in.

Shown here: sea holly (Eryngium)

Green Gardening

This resource offers numerous cause-and-effect scenarios of the environmental consequences of seemingly minor lifestyle changes. For instance, if U.S. gardeners collectively watered early in the morning instead of in the midday sun, the nation would save at least 700 billion gallons of water annually.

The Green Gardener's Guide
$16.95
Available at NYBG Shop

Extra Benefits

In addition to conserving water, there are many reasons why drought-tolerant plants are desirable for the garden.

Many, such as tickseed (Coreopsis), ornamental sage (Salvia), and calamint (Calamintha) are long-blooming. Others, such as sea holly (Eryngium) and butterfly weed (Asclepias), make excellent, long-lasting cut flowers.

Shown here: tickseed (Coreopsis)

Tools and Tips

First, plan your garden by grouping plants with similar cultural requirements. Place drought-loving plants together to create a low-watering zone in your garden. A trowel is great for planting and transplanting small plants.

Stainless Steel Trowel
$24
Available at NYBG Shop

Organic Matters

Make sure you amend your soil with good organic matter, such as compost, before you plant to retain moisture.

When working with your soil, try using a soil scoop, which is an ingenious variation of the trowel. When held with the point down, the tool becomes a natural extension of your hand as you dig, weed, or make furrows. It is also great for scooping soil out of bags, pots, and containers.

Comfort Grip Soil Scoop
$20
Available at NYBG Shop

Experiment!

Have fun designing with drought-tolerant plants. They come in all shapes and sizes and offer a nice selection of textures and colors to experiment with in the garden.

Shown here: zinnia (Zinnia)

--Sonia Uyterhoeven, garden expert,The New York Botanical Garden