Water Wise

Why drought tolerant perennials? Growers want to save time and money on watering. Garden centers and homeowners want the same. Ever worked in a garden center in July? How much fun was it to water the perennials? It was miserable, wasn’t it? Once these perennials are settled into their new growing environment - whether it’s a 50-cell tray or a new garden, you’ll see how little water they need. Many growers are capturing and reusing water for less impact on the land, and many homeowners live in areas where watering restrictions are common.

Here’s eleven of my favorite drought-tolerant perennials.

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little blue stem will grow perfectly well in a roadside ditch. It likes really awful, dry, infertile garden soil. It’s the perfect plant for highway medians -- especially some of the newer, more compact selections like ‘Prairie Munchkin’ that will be out in 2013 from Plants Nouveau.

• Height: 2-4 feet
• Width: 1½-2 feet
• Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9

Heuchera ‘Caramel’ - One of the few heucheras on the market right now that will thrive in dry shade. Dry shade is such a terrible spot for gardeners. This caramel-colored coral bell looks nice all season. The other selection I love for dry shade is our ‘Stainless Steel.’ It mixes well with ‘Caramel’ and makes for a colorful, shady spot.

• Height: 1 foot
• Width: 1-2 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 4-8

Sporobolus heterolepis - Prairie dropseed is the most wonderful, delicately textured, clumping (or tussocking) grass on the market. It blooms in June and July and the plumes smell like buttered movie popcorn. It makes such a wonderful addition to a hot, dry perennial border or roadside municipal planting.

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Width: 2-3 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 3-9

Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ - This is usually seen in moist, shady gardens, but once established, it can take full sun and dry shade. It’s amazingly versatile and it brightens up dry shade gardens so nicely.

• Height: 10-14 inches
• Width: 18 inches
• Hardiness: Zones 5-9

Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’ - This is one of the prettiest iron weeds on the market right now. It does not spread like the species, and the foliage has such a delicate texture. It fits right into cutting gardens, perennial borders and drought-tolerant plantings.

• Height: 30-36 inches
• Width: 30-26 inches
• Hardiness: Zones 4-9.

Sedum ternatum ‘Larinem Park’ - A drought tolerant, white flowering groundcover sedum for dry shade. What more could you ask for?

• Height: 6 inches
• Width: 12-18 inches
• Hardiness: Zones 3-9

Polystichum polyblepharum - One of the most drought tolerant, ornamental ferns on the market. The tassel fern looks plastic and will not skip a beat in dry shade.

• Height: 1½-2 feet
• Width: 1½-2 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 5-8

Echinacea pallida - Any of the echinaceas are drought tolerant, but my favorite species has to be pallida with its wispy, pale pink ray petals that flutter in the wind. My favorite of the new selections on the market has to be our ‘Hot Papaya’. The color is amazing, the drought tolerance is terrific and the butterflies love it.

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Width: 1-1½ feet
• Hardiness: Zones 3-10

Lavendula x intermedia ‘Provence’ - Proven hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6, this lavender, if kept dry, will live well and perform year after year in the driest, sunniest spots. Plant this with other herbs like thyme and rosemary for a truly Mediterranean, no-water-needed garden.

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Width: 2-3 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 5-8

Silphium connatum - This plant likes to walk around a little, but it is easy to remove. This is a pass-over-the-fence plant. Share it with your neighbors. Children love the cup plants because they can grow up to 1 foot a week in the spring. The “cups” capture water from rains for insects to drink. It’s a really cool plant, for sure.

• Height: 8-10 feet
• Width: 4-5 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 4-8

Baptisia australis ‘Purple Smoke’ - Once planted, don’t move your baptisia and it will perform well in clay, infertile, dry soils for many, many years. ‘Purple Smoke’ is nice because it’s the perfect middle of the perennial border plant. The species is just as drought tolerant, but this is a nice, softer color. 

• Height: 2-3 feet
• Width: 2 feet
• Hardiness: Zones 4-8

Angela Treadwell-Palmer is cofounder of Plants Nouveau, a company that introduces new plants to the market; www.plantsnouveau.com.