Drought-Tolerant Perennials

No water? No problem.

Here are some of our favorite perennials that tolerate dry conditions. Drought-tolerance varies from one region to the other, so be sure to get advice from good gardeners in your area. For more ideas, check with your local Cooperative Extension office.

Drought-tolerant echinacea

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) tolerates dry conditions.

  • Achillea millefolium (yarrow)
  • Anthemis tinctoria (golden marguerite)
  • Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
  • Aurinia saxatilis (basket-of-gold)
  • Baptisia (false indigo)
  • Calamintha nepeta (catmint)
  • Coreopsis verticillata (threadleaf coreopsis)
  • Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
  • Echinops ritro (globe thistle)
  • Euphorbia polychroma (cushion spurge)
  • Gypsophila paniculata (baby's-breath)
  • Helianthus angustifolius (sunflower)
  • Hemerocallis (daylilies)
  • Lavandula angustifolia (lavender)
  • Liatris spicata (gayfeather)
  • Limonium latifolium (sea lavender)
  • Malva sylvestris (mallow, zebra malva)
  • Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage)
  • Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower)
  • Santolina chamaecyparissus (lavender cotton)
  • Sedum (stonecrop)
  • Stachys byzantina (lamb's-ears)
  • Solidago (goldenrod)
  • Thymus (thyme)
  • Yucca

Last updated: 06/29/2023