Popularity, clearly labeled
The Most Popular Drought-Tolerant Plants
The three most-saved drought-tolerant plants are Coneflower, Milkweed and Muhly Grass. 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.

Coneflower
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 187 varieties. Prominent cones support pollinators, then leave seed heads that feed birds.
Zones 4–9All 187 varieties →
Milkweed
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 27 varieties. Milkweeds are essential monarch host plants as well as rich nectar sources.
Zones 4–9All 27 varieties →
Muhly Grass
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 18 varieties. Airy pink or cream seed heads create a luminous cloud above fine foliage.
Zones 5–10All 18 varieties →
Sage
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 217 varieties. Aromatic leaves and upright nectar-rich flowers perform through heat and lean soil.
Zones 4–9All 217 varieties →
Catmint
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 26 varieties. Aromatic gray foliage and blue flower haze make an easy, billowing edge.
Zones 4–8All 26 varieties →
Black-eyed Susan
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 34 varieties. Dark-centered gold daisies create a durable bridge from summer into fall.
Zones 4–10All 34 varieties →
Butterfly Bush
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 86 varieties. Long, fragrant flower panicles become busy landing strips for butterflies.
Zones 5–9All 86 varieties →
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 21 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.
Zones 5–10All 21 varieties →
Hollyhock
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 27 varieties. Towering flower spires bring cottage-garden height without demanding much ground space.
Zones 4–9All 27 varieties →
Blanket Flower
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 26 varieties. Warm, banded daisies keep flowering through heat that slows many perennials.
Zones 4–10All 26 varieties →
American Aster
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 37 varieties. North American asters provide essential late nectar in clouds of small daisies.
Zones 4–8All 37 varieties →
12Phlox
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 134 varieties. From creeping mats to tall fragrant panicles, phlox fills several garden layers.
Zones 4–9All 134 varieties →
13Buxus
Boxwood
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 31 varieties. Its representative is notable for being dry-spell tolerant and usually passed over by deer.
Zones 4–9All 31 varieties →
Feather Reed Grass
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 16 varieties. Early, upright plumes provide structure without the bulk of larger grasses.
Zones 4–9All 16 varieties →
15Baptisia
False Indigo
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 40 varieties. Shrub-like clumps carry lupine-shaped flowers, then ornamental charcoal seedpods.
Zones 5–8All 40 varieties →
16Lonicera
Honeysuckle
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 36 varieties. Tubular, often fragrant flowers turn fences into nectar-rich habitat.
Zones 4–10All 36 varieties →
17Lupinus
Lupine
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 47 varieties. Palm-shaped leaves and dense flower spires bring bold meadow structure.
Zones 4–9All 47 varieties →
Beardtongue
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 88 varieties. Tubular flowers rise above tidy foliage and supply nectar in lean, sunny soil.
Zones 4–9All 88 varieties →
Daylily
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 135 varieties. Each flower lasts a day, but succession from many buds sustains the display.
Zones 4–10All 135 varieties →
Ice Plant
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 25 varieties. Jewel-bright daisies open over a water-storing mat in hot, dry ground.
Zones 5–10All 25 varieties →
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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