Plants for drought-prone gardens: berries and blooms

Plenty of plants thrive in drought-prone areas, so it’s possible to create a full and attractive border even in these sometimes challenging conditions

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Foliage shapes can be used to create striking effects
Foliage shapes can be used to create striking effects

Quick facts

  • Drought conditions can mean plants struggle to take up moisture
  • Droughts are more likely to occur with climate change
  • Plants that have adapted to dry conditions (such as with silver or hairy leaves) can thrive in these sites
  • Newly planted plants are particularly vulnerable to drought

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The planting plan

James Lawrence, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, has designed this simple, attractive, and most importantly, sustainable border design for you to try at home with plants that are easy to grow, widely available and look good together. 

This planting design provides a range of plants with a yellow and purple theme that, once established, will thrive in an environment that can be low in soil moisture while still providing a variety of interest throughout the year. A simple planting plan helps create depth, interest and good coverage in a border. 

Drought-tolerant plants with berries and blooms

© James Lawrence

Choosing plants for a drought-prone garden

Typical plant adaptations to dry conditions are shown on many of these plants. Glossy foliage, such as that of the Pyracantha, Elaeagnus and Yucca, reduces moisture loss through the leaf surface. Small waxy leaves such as those on the Genista are also adapted to reduce moisture loss. A further adaptation is shown on the Yucca as the thick and slightly fleshy foliage can store moisture in the plant to help sustain it during periods of drought. 

The Salvia forms a groundcover which helps protect the soil surface from erosion and moisture loss associated with bare earth. Covering exposed bare soil will also reduce the ability of unwanted plants seeding into bare patches. 

Additional organic mulching, preferably with homemade compost, can improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression. Mulches should be spread when the soil is already moist, to help trap some of that moisture before it dries out in summer.

1 -  Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Rouge’
2 - Verbena bonariensis
3 - Elaeagnus × submacrophylla ‘Limelight’
 
4 - Yucca flaccida ‘Golden Sword’
5 - Genista 'Porlock'
6 - Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’
1 - Pyracantha ‘Saphyr Rouge’ is an evergreen shrub with glossy, narrow leaves, spiny shoots and clusters of white flowers in early summer, followed by orange-red berries.  

2 - Verbena bonariensis is a tall herbaceous perennial with strong branching stems bearing airy clusters of small, bright purple flowers from summer to autumn. 

3 - Elaeagnus × submacrophylla ‘Limelight’ is an evergreen shrub with spiny brown shoots bearing bright yellow leaves narrowly edged with dark green. Small, fragrant white flowers are produced in autumn. 

4 - Yucca flaccida ‘Golden Sword’ is an evergreen with rosettes of drooping sword-like leaves, which are green with a broad pale yellow stripe down the centre. Spikes of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers are produced in mid- to late summer on tall stems.  

5 - Genista ‘Porlock’ is a semi-evergreen, medium-sized shrub with green stems and small leaves, which becomes covered in fragrant, bright yellow flowers in spring. 

6 - Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ is a semi-evergreen sub-shrub, with small, aromatic, green leaves. Dark maroon-purple flowers in loose terminal clusters, are borne over a long period from late spring to autumn. 

About drought-prone areas

Various factors can cause an area to be prone to drought, including a lack of rainfall locally, the rain shadow created by buildings, excessive runoff, and compaction preventing water from penetrating the soil. Regular addition of organic matter, preferably homemade compost, to the soil can really help with water retention. 

By choosing plants that have adapted to be drought-resistant, you can keep your border looking good and growing well. However, your plants will still need watering for the first year, until they establish and grow new roots down into deep, reliably damp earth. These plants are drought-tolerant, so they will survive periods of drought, but not for an extended time. 
 

The challenge of growing plants in drought prone locations

Sun and wind can increase the rate of moisture loss from soil and from plants, so if you have the space, creating some shade to reduce evaporation from direct sunlight, and/or adding a windbreak to reduce the effect of wind may help. 
 

Why choose a sustainable planting combination?

Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is great for the environment. It helps to avoid waste and the use of products and practices needed to try and help ailing plants, such as applying fertiliser. It also creates robust, long-lived planting that benefits soil health and garden biodiversity. 

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.