Popularity, clearly labeled

The Most Popular Drought-Tolerant Plants

Among plants catalog-rated for drought tolerance, these are the genera Sow gardeners save most. Drought performance still depends on establishment, soil, climate, and the exact variety.

Ranked by gardener saves
  1. Coneflower

    Coneflower

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 190 varieties. Prominent cones support pollinators, then leave seed heads that feed birds.

  2. Milkweed

    Milkweed

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 15 varieties. Milkweeds are essential monarch host plants as well as rich nectar sources.

  3. Muhly Grass

    Muhly Grass

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 13 varieties. Airy pink or cream seed heads create a luminous cloud above fine foliage.

  4. Sage

    Sage

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 176 varieties. Aromatic leaves and upright nectar-rich flowers perform through heat and lean soil.

  5. Black-eyed Susan

    Black-eyed Susan

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 31 varieties. Dark-centered gold daisies create a durable bridge from summer into fall.

  6. Catmint

    Catmint

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 27 varieties. Aromatic gray foliage and blue flower haze make an easy, billowing edge.

  7. Hollyhock

    Hollyhock

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 29 varieties. Towering flower spires bring cottage-garden height without demanding much ground space.

  8. Butterfly Bush

    Butterfly Bush

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 80 varieties. Long, fragrant flower panicles become busy landing strips for butterflies.

  9. Zinnia

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 17 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.

  10. Blanket Flower

    Blanket Flower

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 24 varieties. Warm, banded daisies keep flowering through heat that slows many perennials.

  11. Phlox

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 132 varieties. From creeping mats to tall fragrant panicles, phlox fills several garden layers.

  12. American Aster

    American Aster

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 24 varieties. North American asters provide essential late nectar in clouds of small daisies.

  13. False Indigo

    False Indigo

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 38 varieties. Shrub-like clumps carry lupine-shaped flowers, then ornamental charcoal seedpods.

  14. Honeysuckle

    Honeysuckle

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 19 varieties. Tubular, often fragrant flowers turn fences into nectar-rich habitat.

  15. Lupine

    Lupine

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 40 varieties. Palm-shaped leaves and dense flower spires bring bold meadow structure.

  16. Feather Reed Grass

    Feather Reed Grass

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 12 varieties. Early, upright plumes provide structure without the bulk of larger grasses.

  17. Boxwood

    Boxwood

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 28 varieties. Its representative is notable for being dry-spell tolerant and usually passed over by deer.

  18. Beardtongue

    Beardtongue

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 49 varieties. Tubular flowers rise above tidy foliage and supply nectar in lean, sunny soil.

  19. Blue Milkweed

    Blue Milkweed

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 3 varieties. Its representative is notable for being dry-spell tolerant and late spring flowering.

  20. Coral Bells

    Coral Bells

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 180 varieties. Scalloped foliage supplies season-long color in shades few perennials can match.

About this list

How was this the most popular drought-tolerant plants list ranked?

A plant must first match the catalog filters named in the title. Each genus is represented and ranked by its most-saved matching variety, so genera with many cultivars do not receive an automatic advantage.

Do drought-tolerant plants need any watering?

Yes — in their first season. Water deeply and infrequently while roots establish; most reach true drought tolerance in their second year.

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