Advice
RHS Help & Advice
Drought-resisting plants
Below is a list of plants that can resist drought. These plants only become drought resisting once they are established, and will need careful watering until they do so. Also, bear in mind that the smaller the plant the more drought resisting it is; so always plant small specimens rather than more mature ones.
Key
* Evergreen or semi-evergreen
◊ Lime hating; needs acid soil conditions
? Tender plants; need warm, sheltered wall-side situation except in mildest coastal areas
AGM Plant which has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit for ordinary garden use and good constitution
(W) Shrub/shrubby plant suitable for wall training or needing some wall protection
Trees (small - medium)
Acacia dealbata AGM ? *Acer negundo
Arbutus x andrachnoides AGM
Betula (B. papyrifera; B. pendula AGM; B. populifolia)
Celtis (C. australis; C. occidentalis)
Cercis siliquastrum AGM
Cladrastis lutea AGM
Crataegus (C. laevigata [inc 'Paul's Scarlet' AGM]; C. persimilis 'Prunifolia' AGM; C. phaenopyrum)
Eucalyptus (E. cinerea ?; E. nicholii; E. pauciflora; E. pauciflora var. niphophila AGM) *
Genista aetnensis AGM
Gleditschia triacanthos (inc 'Sunburst' AGM)
Koelreuteria paniculata AGM
Ligustrum lucidum AGM *
Maclura pomifera
Populus tremula AGM
Prunus lusitanica
Ptelea trifoliata
Rhus hirta
Robinia pseudoacacia (inc 'Frisia' AGM)
Sophora japonica AGM
Trees (large)
Ailanthus altissima AGM
Eucalyptus * (E. gunnii AGM; E. viminalis)
Liquidambar styraciflua ◊
Conifers (small - medium) (all *)
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Cupressus (C. arizonica; C. sempervirens)
Juniperus (inc J. chinensis; J. scopulorum; J. virginiana [upright habits]; J. conferta; J. horizontalis; J. x pfitzeriana [low growing/spreading])
Pinus (P. cembra AGM; P. contorta; P. halepensis; P. jeffreyi AGM; P. mugo; P. peuce; P. pinea AGM; P. thunbergii)
Taxus (T. baccata AGM; T. x media 'Hicksii' AGM)
Thuja orientalis
Conifers (large) (all *)
Many cultivars of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Ginkgo biloba AGM
Pinus (P. coulteri AGM; P. ponderosa AGM)
Palms and similar trees
Cordyline australis AGM ? *
Trachycarpus fortunei AGM *
Shrubs (small - medium)
Artemisia (A. abrotanum AGM; A. absinthium 'Powis Castle' AGM; A. arborescens)
Ballota pseudodictamnus
Brachyglottis (B. monroi AGM; 'Sunshine' AGM) *
Caryopteris x clandonensis
Centaurea cineraria AGM ? *
Ceratostigma willmottianum AGM
Cistus *
Convolvulus cneorum AGM *
Coronilla valentina ssp. glauca AGM
Cotoneaster (C. conspicuus 'Decorus' * AGM; C. dammeri * AGM; C. horizontalis AGM)
Erinacea anthyllis AGM
Euonymus fortunei (inc 'Silver Queen' AGM) *
Genista
x Halimiocistus (inc x H. sahucii AGM) *
Halimium (inc H. lasianthum AGM) *
Hebe (inc H.armstrongii; H. pinguifolia 'Pagei' AGM; 'Youngii' AGM) *
Hedysarum multijugum
Helichrysum (H. italicum AGM; H. thianschanicum) *
Hypericum (deciduous and evergreen)
Lavandula *
Lespedeza thunbergii AGM
Lonicera pileata *
Mahonia (M. aquifolium; M. repens) *
Nandina domestica AGM *
Olearia x haastii *
Osteospermum ecklonis *
Ozothamnus ledifolius AGM *
Perovskia (P. atriplicifolia AGM; 'Blue Spire' AGM)
Phlomis (P. fruticosa AGM; P. italica) *
Phygelius capensis AGM *
Potentilla fruticosa
Prunus laurocerasus ('Otto Luyken' AGM; 'Zabeliana') *
Rosa pimpinellifolia
Rosmarinus officinalis Prostratus Group AGM *
Ruscus aculeatus *
Ruta graveolens 'Jackman's Blue' AGM *
Salvia (inc S. fulgans AGM ?; S. involucrata AGM; S. officinalis) *
Santolina (S. chamaecyparissus AGM; S. rosmarinifolia) *
Spiraea japonica (inc 'Gold Flame' AGM)
Symphoricarpus (S. x chenaultii; S. doorenbosii)
Teucrium (T. x lucidrys; T. fruticans ?)
Ulex europaeus 'Flore Pleno' AGM
Vinca minor *
Yucca (Y. filamentosa AGM; Y. gloriosa AGM; Y. recurvifolia AGM) *
Shrubs (medium - large)
Abelia x grandiflora AGM
Aralia elata AGM
Arbutus unedo AGM *
Atriplex halimus *
Aucuba japonica (inc 'Crotonifolia' AGM) *
Berberis (deciduous and evergreen)
Buddleja (B. crispa; B. davidii; B. globosa AGM)
Buxus sempervirens AGM *
Callistemon citrinus (inc 'Splendens' AGM) ?
Caragana arborescens (inc 'Lorbergii' AGM)
Ceanothus (deciduous and evergreen) ?
Ceratonia siliqua
Choisya ternata *
Colutea (C. arborescens; C. x media)
Cotoneaster (C. glaucophyllus; C. lacteus AGM; C. salicifolius; C. simonsii AGM) *
Cytisus scoparius
Elaeagnus (E. angustifolia AGM; E. x ebbingei *; E. pungens *)
Escallonia *
Euonymus (E. alatus AGM; E. japonicus *)
Genista tenera 'Golden Showers' AGM
Griselinia littoralis AGM ? *
Hippocrepis emerus
Hippophae rhamnoides
Ilex (I. x altaclerensis; I. aquifolium AGM) *
Indigofera
Laurus nobilis AGM *
Lavatera thuringiaca
Lespedeza bicolor
Ligustrum japonicum *
Lupinus arboreus AGM
Lycium chinense
Myrtus communis AGM ? *
Olearia (O. macrodonta AGM; O. phlogopappa ?) *
Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius (inc 'Silver Jubilee' AGM) *
Paliurus spina-christi
Photinia (P. x fraseri, inc. 'Red Robin' AGM; P. serratifolia) *
Pittosporum tobira AGM ? *
Poncirus trifoliata
Prunus (P. laurocerasus AGM; P. lusitanica AGM) *
Pyracantha *
Rhamnus alaternus (inc 'Argenteovariegata' AGM) *
Rhus glabra (inc 'Laciniata' AGM)
Romneya
Rosa (R. rugosa; R. virginia AGM; R. wichuriana)
Rosmarinus officinalis *
Sambucus (S. nigra; S. racemosa)
Spartium junceum AGM
Spiraea x billardii
Symphoricarpus (S. albus; S. orbiculatus)
Tamarix
Viburnum tinus *
Vitex agnus-castus
Climbers/wall-trained shrubs
Abutilon (A. megapotamicum AGM; A. x suntense; A. vitifolium) ? (W)
Acacia (A. baileyana AGM; A. dealbata AGM; A. longifolia; A. retinodes AGM) ? * (W)
Caesalpinia gillesii ? (W)
Campsis
Cotoneaster horizontalis AGM (W)
Eccremocarpus scaber AGM ? *
Eriobotrya japonica AGM * (W)
Erythrina crista-galli AGM ? (W)
Euonymus fortunei 'Silver Queen' AGM *
Fallopia baldschuanicum AGM
Fremontodendron (inc 'California Glory' AGM) ? * (W)
Garrya elliptica (inc 'James Roof' AGM) * (W)
Hedera *
Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris AGM
Jasminum
Lathyrus latifolius AGM
Lonicera japonica (inc 'Halliana' AGM) *
Lycium barbarum (W)
Parthenocissus tricuspidata AGM
Passiflora caerulea (inc 'Constance Elliot' AGM)
Punica granatum ? (W)
Pyracantha * (W)
Rosa banksiae (inc 'Luteum' AGM) (W)
Solanum (S. crispum; S. jasminoides ?)
Sophora tetraptera AGM ? * (W)
Vitis vinifera
Wisteria (W. floribunda; W. sinensis AGM)
Herbaceous perennials
Achillea (A. filipendulina; A. millefolium; A. ptarmica; A. tomentosa AGM)
Alchemilla mollis AGM
Anaphalis (A. margaritacea; A. triplinervis AGM)
Asphodeline lutea
Baptisia autralis AGM
Carlina acaulis
Catananche caerulea
Centaurea cineraria AGM
Centranthus ruber
Cerastium tomentosum
Crambe cordifolia
Crepis incana
Cynara cardunculus
Dianthus (border carnations; pinks)
Echinops
Erodium
Eryngium
Euphorbia
Geranium (G. endressii AGM; G. macrorrhizum; G. x oxonianum; G. x riversleaianum; G. sanguineum)
Gypsophila paniculata
Heuchera
Linum perenne
Liriope (L. muscari AGM; L. spicata) *
Marrubium vulgare
Melissa officinalis
Nepeta (N. x faassenii; N. nervosa; 'Six Hills Giant')
Oenothera (O. fruticosa; O. macrocarpa AGM)
Oreganum (O. laevigatum; O. vulgare)
Osteospermum jucundum AGM ?
Papaver orientale
Phuopsis stylosa
Sedum (S. spectabile AGM; S. spurium; S. telephium)
Stachys byzantina
Symphytum (S. ibericum; 'Hidcote Blue')
Tanacetum parthenium
Verbascum
Veronica prostrata
Ornamental grasses
Cortaderia selloana
Festuca glauca (inc 'Blaufuchs' AGM)
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Panicum virgatum
Pennisetum (P. alopecuroides; P. setaceum AGM)
Phalaris arundinacea
Pseudosasa japonica AGM
Stipa (S. calamagrostis; S. gigantea AGM)
Annuals & bedding
Alcea
Alyssum
Amaranthus
Brachycombe
Calendula
Cosmos
Eschscholzia
Felicia
Gazania
Lunaria annua
Mesembryanthemum
Papaver somniferum
Portulaca
Salvia farinacea
Ground cover
Brachyglottis 'Sunshine' *
Cotoneaster (C. conspicuus 'Decorus' AGM; C. dammeri AGM) *
Cytisus decumbens
Duchesnea indica
Genista (G. hispanica; G. pilosa)
Hedera (H. colchica AGM; H. helix AGM; H. hibernica AGM) *
Hypericum calycinum *
Juniperus (J. conferta; J. horizontalis [inc 'Wiltonii' AGM]) *
Liriope (L. muscari AGM; L. spicata) *
Melissa officinalis
Nepeta (N. x faassenii; N. nervosa)
Oreganum vulgare (inc 'Aureum' AGM)
Osteospermum ecklonis *
Pachysandra terminalis AGM * ◊
Santolina chamaecyparissus AGM *
Stachys byzantina
Teucrium x lucidrys *
Vinca minor *