35. DROUGHT TOLERANT—WHAT THAT MEANS

In dry seasons or dry areas, watering flowers can be a chore. More important, it can be a waste of water, which is a precious resource. The solution to this dilemma is to plant drought-tolerant flowers. Notice I didn’t say drought-proof or drought resistant, because all plants need some water. But there are certain flowers that can survive a short-term lack of moisture better than others. In fact, some drought-tolerant flowers prefer to be on the dry side and do not appreciate too much water. If water is scarce, select annual and perennial flowers that don’t mind drought stress.

When you plant with drought tolerance in mind, you are saving water and practicing water-wise gardening. This means you should choose flowers that do not need additional water and can survive in the heat of summer—using plants that have lower supplemental water needs. To save on maintenance time you can group plants by their water needs. Water-wise gardeners are leading the way into the 21st century. Look for drought-tolerant flowers when you select which ones to grow in your garden.

Many drought-tolerant flowers need sun, but some flowers can handle both shade and dry conditions. Dry shade is one of the most difficult planting sites, and it is hard to find flowers suitable for this condition. Some perennial flowers that are dry shade tolerant include hellebore, foamflower, and perennial geranium, such as Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s Variety.’ The last example flourishes for years. It is also one of the best ground covers that I have found for dry shady areas.

Portulaca, also known as moss rose, is a great drought-tolerant annual flower. It thrives in dry, poor soil and warm temperatures due to its thick succulent leaves. The cup-shaped flowers come in a variety of vibrant colors. Drought-tolerant perennials include anise hyssop (Agastache), yarrow (Achillea), golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria), and false indigo (Baptisia).