15 Best Drought Tolerant Plants that can handle Driest Weather Conditions

My garden used to look dreadful during the summer due to harsh weather conditions, but not anymore. Want to know how? All thanks to my friend’s brilliant idea of suggesting some of the best drought-tolerant plants. Trust me, it’s the perfect solution to keeping your garden vibrant even in the driest conditions.

Don’t worry about which flowers to select; I’ve made it easier for you by shortening a list of drought-tolerant plants.”

But don’t stop reading here; below, I’ve listed some of the best drought-tolerant plants that thrive even in the driest weather conditions. Let’s make our garden beautiful.

Key takeaways:

The best drought tolerant plants that can handle driest weayher conditions are:

• Agave
• Coneflower
• Desert rose
• Euphorbia
• Jade plant
• Ice plant
• Geranium
• Rosemary
• Aloe Vera: 
• Living Stones (Lithops):
• Portulaca
• Prickly Pear (Opuntia)
• Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Best Drought Tolerant Plants

Agave

• Common species: Agave americana
• Other names: Century plant 
• Mostly found in the arid zone having tropical conditions
• Hardy zone: 9-10
• Roots are rhizomatous which helps them absorb water pretty well at drop-level
• Leaves can store the maximum amount of water that a plant needs to survive. Leaves are sharp from the margin and have spiky spines
• Rarely, do they show flowers if the conditions force them to.

Bougainvillea

• Family: Four o’clock (Nyctaginaceae)
• Have Showy flowers
• Perfect ornamental vines or bushes
• Height can reach from 1 to 12 meters. Bougainvillea has sharp turns that help them cling to others.
• Usda hardy zone- 9 to 10
• Perfect drought-tolerant plants bloom and shine in bright sunlight. Need well-drained soil.
• Flowers come in beautiful shades like peach, red, purple, and pink.

Coneflower

• Varieties of colors available
• Do well with almost all soil types, should have proper drainage 
• Usda hardy zones: 4-9
• Have the ability to come back every year as they get dormant in the winter season
• Coneflowers need full sun and can survive without water as well

Desert rose

• Scientific name: Adenium obesum
• Common name: Saby star, Impala Lily
• Grows well in bright full sunlight 
• USDA hardy zone: 11 to 12 
• The flowers are tubular in the shade of red or pink with a whitish portion on the inner side of the petals
• Popular houseplants but can also be poisonous 

Euphorbia

• Common name: Spurge
• Known for aesthetic appearance
• Available in woody shrubs, herbs, and trees. They love the sunny position. They are annual, biennial, or perennial
• Flowers are tiny and available in various colors and shapes. Sometimes the flowers appear clustering looking like one big flower. 
• They usually have a false flower, as they do not properly have petals or sepals. Sometimes they do attract some pollinators or insects.

For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, 17 Easy Flowering Plants For Pots

Fountain grass

• Scientific name: Pennisetum setaceum
• Genus: Pennisetum
• Usda hardy zone: 5 through 10
• A beautiful ornamental grass that looks like a fountain forming clumps of thin elongated stems like spikes having flowers at the end
• annual  and perennial 
• The plant is versatile and drought-resistant
• Have shades like purple or red 

Geranium

• Botanical name: Pelargonium 
• Common name: Cranesbills
• Hardy zone: 
• Can survive high degrees of temperature, and low rainfall
• Have medicinal benefits too, its oil is used for skin treatment
• Plants release soothing aroma
• Bloom beautiful flowers perfect for bordering as well, they are the gardener’s personal favorite 

Harebell

• Botanical name: Campanula rotundifolia
• Common name: Bluebell
• Hardy zone: 
• Flowers are bell-like and are arranged in clumps and face downwards
• Leaves of harebell are often used in salads as a dosage of vitamin c 
• Thrive in good sunlight, are perennial

Ice plant

• Scientific name: Delosperma cooperi
• Hardy zone: 5 to 9
• Known for the minute hairs present on the plant that shine in bright light like ice’s edgy crystals
• They are hardy plants that yield beautiful daisy-like flowers in various shades of purple, pink or yellow
• They’re known to form beautiful groundcovers as well

Jade plant

• Scientific name: Crassula ovata
• Common name: money tree, money plant, lucky plant
• USDA hardy zone: 10 to 11
• This succulent plant thrives best in daylight that is bright and too hot.
• They are awesome gifts so they look like beautiful tiny trees. 
• They serve to be a perfect indoor plant

Lavender

• Scientific name: Lavandula spp.
• USDA hardy zone: 5 t 8
• Lavender originated in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, which clearly shows how much they love sunlight and heat
• The beautiful purple fragrant spikes glaze in this sunny location

Rosemary

• Scientific name: Salvia rosmarinus
• Common name: Compass weed, polar plant
• USDA hardy zone: 6 to 10
• This perennial herb has needle-like leaves with white, pink, purple, and blue flowers
• Have an addictive fragrance and is used for culinary purposes, perfumes, etc
• Thrive well in full sunlight and loamy, sandy, and well-drained soil

Verbena

• Another name: Vervain 
• Family: Verbenaceae
• USDA Hardy zone: 9 to 11
• The verbena plants are heat tolerant and bloom beautiful summer flowers
• Annual or perennial flowers bloom for a long period
• Soil should be well-drained

Yucca

• Other names: Cassava 
• Family: Asparagaceae
• USDA hardy zone: 5 to 10
• They live in severe heat, drought-like conditions
• Yucca can be used in food as well, having many health benefits. The leaves are sword-like and look like asparagus
• The flowers appear on yucca at a particular age, the bloom is pretty and on long spikes clustered longitudinally

Zinnia

• Scientific name: Zinnia spp. 
• Other name: common zinnia, elegant zinnia
• USDA Hardy zone: 9 to 11
• The flowers appear at the end of springtime. The flowers are showy and super elegant looking. They attract a lot of useful pollinators to the garden
• This annual plant is easy to grow and thrives well in sunlight but partial shade is also needed in the afternoon

Aloe Vera: 

• Aloe vera is a plant that is native to the Arabian Peninsula.
• They can survive easily in arid and semi-arid conditions. 
• They grow best in tropical climates.
• They are used to grow in thick and fleshy leaves which are capable of storing water.
• They grow best in hot and dry areas and are also able to survive in grasslands and coastal regions.
• You can use them to grow for agriculture and medicinal purposes. 
• These plants are also used as a key ingredient in body oils, hair shampoo, bathing soap detergent, etc. 

Living Stones (Lithops):

• These are some of the best plants to survive in drought conditions. 
• They are used to grow best in hardiness zones from 9 to 12. 
• If you are going to put them in a container then you need to bring them inside if it is cold outside. 

Portulaca:

• They are also called moss roses. 
• These plants can grow in dry soil. It is native to Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. 
• They can survive in dry conditions because of their leaves and deep-growing roots. 
• These plants used to bloom with charming flowers. 

Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

• These are the plants that bloom in beautiful white yellow or red flowers during the spring season. 
• You can eat both fruits and leaves. 
• These are the plants that grow best in dry conditions by storing in the water in their leaves. 
• They can grow best in the hardiness zone from 4 to 9.

Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris):

• Pink muhly grass is used to grow like wisps of cotton candy-colored grass which adds an ethereal vibe. 
• You would like them to be planted in groups of 3 Or 5 plants together. 
• They also used to grow in burgundy plumes that add interest to them during the cool season. 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium):

• This is the plant that grows best during May and June. 
• You can add them to give the garden a seasonal color as they do Bloom and with different colors like pink, purple, or yellow. 
• They can grow best in hot conditions and you can also grow them in high-elevation

Sage (Salvia officinalis):

• You can add sage as a vegetable garden crop.
• It will give a great landscape addition to your garden.
• They do have many types such as Bush sage, meadow sage, and Russian sage which come under flowering perennial plants that are good drought tolerant. 
• By adding them to the garden it does add interest to your garden. 
• Growing them will help to provide food for the pollinated such as Hummingbird etc.

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