Best Drought-Tolerant Plants

Tough, water-wise plants that shrug off dry spells once established.

Showing the top 30 of 744 matching plants, ranked by nursery availability, then native status. The Plant Finder searches all 744.

1. 
   alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanusZone 2+ · part shade · 15 ft · native
2. 
   alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilisZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
3. 
   alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoidesZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
4. 
   aloe yucca Yucca aloifoliaZone 6+ · part shade · 15 ft · native
5. 
   alpine aster Aster alpinusZone 4+ · part shade · 0.3 ft · native
6. 
   alpine bluegrass Poa alpinaZone 3+ · part shade · 1.7 ft · native
7. 
   American beachgrass Ammophila breviligulataZone 7+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
8. 
   American beautyberry Callicarpa americanaZone 7+ · part shade · 9 ft · native
9. 
   American beech Fagus grandifoliaZone 2+ · shade · 80 ft · native
10. 
    American bittersweet Celastrus scandensZone 3+ · shade · 15 ft · native
11. 
    American black elderberry Sambucus nigraZone 4+ · full sun · 7 ft · native
12. 
    American dunegrass Leymus mollisZone 7+ · full sun · 4 ft · native
13. 
    American elm Ulmus americanaZone 2+ · part shade · 120 ft · native
14. 
    American hazelnut Corylus americanaZone 3+ · part shade · 10 ft · native
15. 
    American holly Ilex opacaZone 5+ · shade · 40 ft · native
16. 
    annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioidesZone 12+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
17. 
    antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentataZone 2+ · part shade · 6 ft · native
18. 
    Antilles calophyllum Calophyllum antillanumZone 10+ · part shade · 65 ft · native
19. 
    Arizona cypress Hesperocyparis arizonicaZone 4+ · shade · 50 ft · native
20. 
    Arizona fescue Festuca arizonicaZone 4+ · full sun · 2 ft · native
21. 
    Arizona sycamore Platanus wrightiiZone 6+ · full sun · 80 ft · native
22. 
    Arnold hawthorn Crataegus ×anomalaZone 2+ · full sun · 30 ft · native
23. 
    arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittataZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
24. 
    Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoidesZone 3+ · part shade · 50 ft · native
25. 
    basin big sagebrush Artemisia tridentataZone 5+ · full sun · 9 ft · native
26. 
    basin wildrye Leymus cinereusZone 2+ · full sun · 5 ft · native
27. 
    bayhops Ipomoea pes-capraeZone 8+ · part shade · 1 ft · native
28. 
    beach naupaka Scaevola sericeaZone 10+ · part shade · 10 ft · native
29. 
    beach pine Pinus contortaZone 4+ · full sun · 50 ft · native
30. 
    beach plum Prunus maritimaZone 6+ · full sun · 12 ft · native

Every plant here is drawn from the USDA PLANTS database; the traits behind this list are quoted from it, not estimated. See data & sources.

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