Resistant plants for drought-prone conditions

Plenty of plants, of a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, thrive in very dry soil, so it’s perfectly possible to create a full and attractive border even in these sometimes challenging conditions

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Plants for drought conditions
Plants for drought conditions

Quick facts

• Drier soil is great for plants with a Mediterranean origin, once they are established with deep roots
• The addition of plenty of organic matter will help soil retain moisture in the driest months
• If necessary, water the plants deeply, close to each plant at ground level, rather than frequent light showers from above

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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 that, once established, will thrive together in drought conditions to provide a variety of interest throughout the year. A simple planting plan helps to create depth, interest and good coverage in a border.

Drought-tolerant plants

© James Lawrence

Choosing plants for drought conditions

The robust leathery leaves of the Eleagnus and Ozothamnus cope with drought well, and the hairy leaf surface of Nepeta gives the foliage a silver sheen, helping to reduce water loss.

The Nepeta also spreads to provide some groundcover, so will help to reduce soil erosion, suppress weed growth and reduce water loss from the soil surface. Some of these plants will also attract vital pollinators to the garden. 

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

1 - Aucuba japonica f. longifolia ‘Salicifolia’
2 - Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius ‘Silver Jubilee’ 
3 - Nepeta x faassenii ‘Purrsian Blue’
4 - Stipa gigantea
5 - Agapanthus ‘Midnight Star’
  1 - Aucuba japonica f. longifolia ‘Salicifolia’ provides the structural evergreen centrepiece, with its glossy foliage linking it to the flanking plants. In early spring, the shrub bears small purple flowers, barely seen. These develop into clusters of scarlet berries in late summer.

2 - Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius ‘Silver Jubilee’ is an evergreen shrub with rosemary-like, silver-grey leaves and compact clusters of scented white flowerheads opening from red buds in summer.

3 - Nepeta x faassenii ‘Purrsian Blue’ in the foreground, a herbaceous perennial, provides grey-green toothed aromatic leaves and densely-packed blue flowers borne on upright spikes in summer and autumn.

4 - Stipa gigantea provides thin, arching green leaves and large sprays of oat-like purplish flowers, which ripen to gold. Both leaves and flowers move almost constantly in the breeze.

5 - Agapanthus ‘Midnight Star’ has long green strap-like foliage and tall flower stems, which weave around the Stipa and produce rounded heads of electric blue, funnel-shaped flowers in summer.

About drought conditions

Plants grown in sandy soils can be more prone to drought conditions.

By choosing plants which are well-suited to drought conditions, you can keep your border looking good and growing well. If planted in the right place, plants tend to be stronger and more naturally resistant to pests and disease.

Once the plants are established, this will reduce the need for extra inputs that less well-adapted plants would need, such as excessive water and fertiliser.
 

The challenge of growing in drought conditions

Low availability of water in the soil can have a seriously detrimental effect on many plants, often leading to poor performance and possibly failure of plants establishing.

If your plants have adapted to naturally thrive in these conditions, they will grow much better. Drought-tolerant plants are often deep-rooted, have extensive root systems or show other adaptations to cope with dry conditions. They will need to be watered while they establish these roots, before they can cope with drought.
 

Why choose a sustainable planting combination?

Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is a 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.