Flowering Plants for Dry Areas
 (Read 50+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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The one thing I noticed while traveling in the western part of the United States was how incredibly dry it was. Being from the north-east corner I’ve been spoiled by sufficient rain. I never had to worry about finding plants for dry conditions but out west they most certainly do.
I visited several botanical garden and realized that wasn’t really a problem for them. The gardens were beautifully rich in variety, replete with abundant flowers, many hued and quite pretty. These are a few of the better flowering plants I found for dry-garden schemes.
Coreopsis- This is a wildflower which is seen growing in every part of the US and possibly the world. There hasn’t been a Botanical garden that I’ve visited which hasn’t had some type of Coreopsis. The most drought tolerant is the Lanceolata, a perennial which grows 1-2 feet high with bright yellow, double blossoms one and a half to two inches across. Wonderful as a cut flower. Coreopsis verticillata is a nice perennial growing 2 ½ to 3 feet high and half as wide. It is a variety readily available at any garden center worth their salt (or should I say soil?) “Moonbeam” with pale yellow flowers and “Zegreb” with golden yellow blooms (both with almost feathery leaves) are two cultivars in particular good for dry regions.
Perovskia- More commonly known as Russian Sage, this shrubby perennial can grow 3-4 feet high and wide with the typical sage-green foliage and a mass of tiny lavender-blue flowers giving it a hazy appearance from a distance. Great for the back of a perennial border or for defining garden spaces.
Yucca- This is a wide ranging group with varying needs for water. The most drought tolerant is the “Baccata” and “Rostrata”. They are of the Agave family with thick, stiff, sword shaped leaves in a dull green color, between 2-4 feet long. “Rostrata” grows 2 feet tall spires with white flowers and “Baccata” has reddish-brown blooms and produce edible fruits. “Elata” also called the Soaptree Yucca can slowly get 6-20 feet tall with leaves 4 feet long and with white flowers.
Red-Hot Poker- This is a beautiful and unusual flower. Also called Torch-lily, it has long, narrow leaves (3-6 feet depending on variety) and the flower can be yellow, orange and red all together sort of like a multi-colored ice-pop, only don’t eat them! They look great in flower arrangements.
Rosemary- Yes, the herb Italians can’t do without. Rosemary grows as a shrub and where temperatures stay moderate they remain evergreen. 3-4 feet tall plants can be sheared to any shape and have tiny pale blue flowers in spring. Needle-like leaves are glossy green on top and gray or white underneath.
Rosa Rugosa- Who says you can’t have a rose without tons of water? This is quite willing to bloom with little extra water. 3-8 feet tall, a vigorous grower with tons of thorns and flowers in single or double forms and in pure white, creamy yellow, bright pink or magenta red. It produces huge bright red rosehips or “Tomatoes” (which explains it’s common name “Sea Tomato”). They are seedy but are used to make vitamin-C rich preserves and the birds love them. Makes a fantastic almost impenetrable hedge.
Silverlace Vine- Fast growing with long, heart-shaped, glossy, green leaves and a huge mass of tiny cream-colored flowers forming a cloud make this plant a must-have to quickly cover (up to 100 square feet in a season) a fence, arbor or even to use as a ground cover on a sloping bank on the seashore. Needs very little water.
Achillea- Yarrow is the common name for this “Everlasting”plant which is often used in dried flower arrangements. Comes in many pastel colors with white and yellow being the most widely available and which retain their color best when dried.
Evening Primrose- Pretty 1-2 ft high perennial growing four petaled flowers in pink, yellow and white. Spreads swiftly and looks great in rock gardens or as a tall ground cover for rocky slopes.
Gaillardia- Also called Blanket flower because its colors call to mind those colorful woven serapes of Mexican fame. Daisy-like flowers are mostly multi-colored in bight yellow, bronze and red. “Grandiflora” is a 2-4 ft tall perennial with 3-4 inch wide flowers. Very long bloom time, very drought tolerant, self-sows readily, great cut flower and is excessively pretty.
Liatris- Also known as the Gayfeather this perennial has tall (depending on variety 3-5 feet) narrow plumes of fluffy white or purple flowers sticking out of grass-like leaf-clusters. Blooms from top to bottom, is a great cut flower and tolerates heat, dry conditions and poor soil.
Flax- Botanically known as Linum and from which linseed oil is derived, this 1-2 ft tall self-sowing annual or short-lived perennial blooms continuously from late spring to summer and even into fall depending on cultivar. Flowers come in ruby red, light blue, golden yellow or white and all have wiry stems and slender greyish-green leaves.
Sedum- “Dragon’s blood” and “Golden” Sedum are low growing succulents, barely 6 inches high but bloom bright red and yellow respectively. “Autumn Joy”, taller at 1-2 feet high have flat topped flower clusters which start off pale pink turn rosy then end up brown. Fascinating to watch it change as it ages. Great for rock gardens and as ground covers.
Zinnia- There are many varieties of Zinnias but it is the “Grandiflora” which is tolerant of dry conditions once well established. A perennial in warm areas this 10 inch tall plant bears flowers one and a half inches wide of a bright yellow color with orange eyes. Spreads by runners or seeds.
Tithonia- The Mexican Sunflower as it is known, this 6 ft. tall and multi-branching beauty will self-sow and bring tons of hummingbirds, bumble bees and butterflies to your garden. Flowers are 3-4 inched across in bright orange-yellow with tufted centers. Makes a wonderful temporary hedge or backdrop. Tolerates high heat, poor soil and dry conditions.
With all these wonderful flowering plants to choose from, and many more I couldn’t get to, you can see dry conditions need not be a deterrent to having a beautiful garden. Run along to your garden center and look these pretties up and then take a picture of your lovely, new arid garden. I’d love to see it.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 To find more on gardening visit
http://www.helium.com/user/show/32782
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