Drought tolerant gardening means growing plants that cope with little water, and designing a garden that needs little watering. It is for dry climates, for gardens with no mains water, for gardeners who want lower water bills, and for anyone who has watched a garden struggle through a dry summer and decided to plan for the next one.
A drought tolerant garden is not a bare garden. It can be full of colour, scent and wildlife — lavender, rosemary, sedums, ornamental grasses, California poppies and salvias all flower for months on little water. The key is to choose the right plants, prepare the soil so it holds moisture, mulch thickly, water deeply and rarely, and accept that a drought tolerant garden looks different from a thirsty one — and that is its beauty. If you are unsure which plants suit your climate and soil, check your local extension service for local recommendations.
What drought tolerant means
Drought tolerant does not mean a plant never needs water. It means a plant can survive a dry spell with little or no watering once it is established, usually after its first year. Most drought tolerant plants need regular water while their roots establish, and they need water in a severe drought, but they need far less than ordinary garden plants. They cope in different ways: some have small, grey or hairy leaves that lose little water; some have deep roots that reach moisture far down; some store water in thick, fleshy leaves; and some simply go dormant in dry weather and regrow when rain returns. Understanding how a plant copes helps you place it: deep-rooted plants need deep soil, succulents need sharp drainage, and grey-leaved Mediterranean plants need sun and poor soil. Our xeriscaping guide covers the design principles, and desert gardening covers the extreme case.
Best drought-tolerant plants
The best drought tolerant plants are those that evolved in dry places. Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano are classic choices — they love sun, poor soil and little water, and they smell wonderful. See growing lavender, growing rosemary and growing sage. Succulents such as sedum, sempervivum, agave and aloe store water in their leaves and thrive in gravel. Ornamental grasses such as blue fescue, feather grass and miscanthus add movement and need almost no water. Flowers such as California poppies, coneflowers, yarrow, gaillardia, salvia and verbena flower for months on little water. Shrubs such as rock rose, cistus, oleander and yucca cope with heat and drought. Avoid thirsty plants such as hydrangeas, hostas, impatiens and lawn grasses in a drought tolerant garden — they will demand constant water and still struggle. Choose plants for your climate, not just for their looks.
Soil and mulch for dry gardens
Soil is the water store in a dry garden, so prepare it well. Dig in compost before planting, so the soil holds moisture around the roots, and keep adding compost each year. On sandy soil, compost is essential, because sand drains fast — see our sandy soil improvement guide. On clay soil, compost improves drainage and structure — see our clay soil improvement guide. Then mulch thickly: a 5–8 centimetre layer of gravel, bark or compost stops evaporation, keeps roots cool and suppresses weeds. Gravel suits Mediterranean and desert-style planting and never rots, but it heats up in sun, so keep it away from young plant crowns. Bark suits shrubs and holds moisture well, but it needs topping up each year. Our mulch types guide compares the options, and the mulch calculator works out how much you need. Do not use plastic sheeting under mulch — it stops rain soaking in and starves the soil.
Watering a drought tolerant garden
Water deeply and rarely, so roots grow down to where the soil stays moist, rather than little and often, which keeps roots shallow and dependent. Water new plants regularly for their first year, then cut back gradually so they learn to cope. Water in the early morning, when evaporation is lowest, and never water in the heat of the day. Drip irrigation is ideal: it delivers water slowly to the root zone with almost no waste — see our drip irrigation guide. Group plants by water need, so you are not watering a lavender as often as a rose. Collect rainwater in a butt where you can — see our rain barrels guide — and check local watering rules, because hosepipe restrictions may apply in dry periods. The watering calculator helps you estimate needs. Once established, many drought tolerant plants need watering only in long dry spells, and some need none at all in a suitable climate.
Designing a drought tolerant garden
Design a drought tolerant garden around sun, stone and structure. Use evergreen shrubs and ornamental grasses for year-round shape, and fill around them with flowering perennials that peak in summer. Use gravel paths, stone walls and terracotta pots as permanent features that look good with no water at all. Keep any lawn small, or replace it with a gravel seating area planted with creeping thyme. Group plants with similar water needs together, and put the thirstiest plants nearest the house, where they are easiest to water. Think about colour through the year: spring bulbs, summer salvias and poppies, autumn sedums and grasses. Leave room for plants to grow — drought tolerant plants often spread, and a garden planted too tightly will be a tangle within a year. A drought tolerant garden designed well looks intentional and beautiful, not neglected, and it needs less mowing, less feeding and less watering than a thirsty garden.
Drought tolerant vegetables and fruit
Vegetables need more water than ornamental drought tolerant plants, but some cope better than others. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano need little water once established. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, okra, chillies, peppers, squash and beans cope with heat and moderate drought better than lettuce and peas — see growing sweet potatoes and growing bell peppers. Fruit such as figs, grapes, pomegranates and olives are famously drought tolerant once established. Grow vegetables in raised beds with good compost and thick mulch, water them deeply, and harvest regularly. Use shade cloth over salads in a heatwave, and grow leafy crops in the cooler months where summers are hot and dry. A drought tolerant garden can still feed you, as long as you choose the right crops and water them well — the water you save on ornamentals can go to the vegetables that need it.
Common mistakes to avoid
The biggest mistake is planting drought tolerant plants in rich, wet soil and watering them like bedding plants — most will rot or grow soft and leggy. The second is abandoning new plants in their first summer: drought tolerant plants need regular water until their roots establish, usually for the first year. The third is mixing thirsty and drought tolerant plants in the same bed, so one group is always either drowned or thirsty. The fourth is using a thin scatter of mulch instead of a proper layer, which does nothing to stop evaporation. The fifth is laying plastic sheeting under gravel, which stops rain soaking in. The sixth is over-feeding, which produces soft, thirsty growth. Finally, do not expect a drought tolerant garden to look like a traditional English garden — it has its own beauty, with silver foliage, grasses and bright flowers, and it is worth enjoying on its own terms. If plants keep dying, check your local extension service rather than watering more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most drought-tolerant plant?
There is no single answer, because it depends on your climate and soil, but lavender, rosemary, sedum, sempervivum, ornamental grasses and California poppies are among the toughest in most temperate gardens. Choose plants that suit your local conditions, and ask your local extension service for recommendations.
Do drought-tolerant plants need any water?
Yes in the first year, while roots establish, and in long dry spells after that. Most need far less than ordinary plants, and many need none at all once established in a suitable climate. Water deeply and rarely, in the early morning.
Can I grow vegetables in a drought tolerant garden?
Yes, with care. Choose heat- and drought-tolerant crops such as sweet potatoes, okra, chillies, peppers, squash and beans, grow them in raised beds with compost and mulch, and water them deeply. Leafy crops are best grown in the cooler months where summers are hot and dry.
Is gravel or bark mulch better for a dry garden?
Gravel suits Mediterranean and desert-style planting, lasts for years, and does not blow away. Bark holds moisture well and suits shrubs, but it needs topping up each year. Use a layer 5–8 centimetres deep, keep it off plant stems, and avoid plastic sheeting underneath.
How do I convert a thirsty garden to a drought tolerant one?
Start by replacing the thirstiest plants — large lawns, bedding annuals and hydrangeas — with drought-tolerant alternatives, a bed at a time. Improve the soil with compost, mulch thickly, group plants by water need, and install drip irrigation. It is a gradual change, not an overnight one, and the garden will improve each year.