Aug. 30 column: Drought-tolerant plants

August 30, 2015 Susan

Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Low-water wonders. (or you can read my column lower in this post) The topic is drought-tolerant plants. I felt it would be of interest to anyone dealing with the heat and drought of this summer.

It’s always a good idea to use drought-tolerant plants in our landscapes in order to conserve water. When gardeners hear the words “drought-tolerant,” they think that limits their options. Or perhaps that the plants won’t be very attractive. Fortunately, that’s not the case at all!

I’ve included photos of the various plants I mentioned in my column below. The photo above is of another plant I didn’t have room for. Helenium, more commonly known as Sneezeweed (not the greatest name, I’ll admit!) blooms like crazy and really can take the heat.

I hope you will find this column interesting and useful as you choose plants for your garden.

Drought Tolerant Plants garden column:

by Susan Mulvihill

Is there anything perkier in the garden than a black-eyed Susan? While I’m not crazy about the name for obvious reasons, it’s certainly one of the toughest perennials you can grow.

After marveling at the way they have endured this hot summer, I decided to stroll through the garden to see which perennials and annuals have also done well. If this weather trend continues, drought-tolerant plants should be at the top of our shopping lists.

Drought-tolerant plants options: Black-eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) have yellow flowers with black centers and are hardy to zone 3. Goldsturm is one of the most popular cultivars. Gloriosa daisies are another type of Rudbeckia. They are hardy to zone 5 and come in fabulous colors: some of my favorites are Prairie Sun, Cappuccino, Cherokee Sunset and Cherry Brandy. All are deer-resistant, love the sun and attract butterflies.

Stonecrop (Sedum)

If you’re looking for super-tough perennials, stonecrops (sedum) are a must. They have succulent leaves, come in a variety of heights and have appealing flowers. The best-known stonecrop is Autumn Joy with its pale-green leaves and fall-blooming, pink flower heads that bees find irresistible. SunSparkler Dazzleberry is a new groundcover stonecrop with blue foliage and large raspberry-hued flower heads. Two stonecrop groundcovers that have performed well for me are Kamchatka (S. kamtschaticum) with its cheerful yellow flowers and Angelina (S. rupestre) which features chartreuse needle-like leaves that change color in fall.

Succulents

Succulents are the toughest plants you’ll ever love. Everyone’s heard of hens-and-chicks, right? It’s in the genus Sempervivum and is a very hardy perennial. I’m growing several in some of the most inhospitable parts of my garden and they perform beautifully year after year. In addition, they multiply at a reasonable rate, giving you extra plants to poke into other areas of the garden or for containers and vertical gardens.

Agastache

Hummingbird mint (Agastache) is an excellent, drought-tolerant perennial. As its name implies, hummingbirds adore the nectar-filled flower spikes that bloom in sunset colors. The gray-green foliage is fragrant although deer apparently don’t think so.

Achillea

Two bombproof yarrow (Achillea ) cultivars are Moonshine and Coronation Gold. With their glow-in-the-dark yellow flowers, they’ll provide wonderful accents in your garden. They attract butterflies, are very easy to grow and deer-resistant.

Feather Reed Grass

Even though Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) doesn’t have blossoms, you’ll be very pleased with its performance throughout the spring, summer and fall. The attractive 4-feet-tall leaf blades gently sway and rustle in the breeze. In early summer, golden plumes rise above the foliage, providing interest in the garden.

A few drought-tolerant annuals

I’m crazy about zinnias, and for good reason. This colorful plant loves the sunshine and heat, blooms for a long time and makes a terrific cut flower. Some of my favorites, which are all Z. elegans, include California Giants, cactus-flowered and dahlia-flowered varieties. Three with mounding growth habits that I can’t imagine not having in my garden every year are the Profusion series (Z. hybrida), Zahara (Z. marylandica) and Persian Carpet (Z. haageana).

Another colorful annual is the calendula, or pot marigold. Primarily available in shades of orange or yellow, the calendulas in my garden have put up with this summer’s heat and bloomed their hearts out. Cultivars vary in height from 6 to 24 inches. As long as you haven’t used any chemicals near the plantings, remember that the flowers are edible. In addition, pollinators and butterflies find them irresistible.

I hope this will give you some ideas for outstanding drought-tolerant plants to use in your landscape.