Water-Wise Plants: Color, Texture, and Fragrance for Dry Gardens

Unthirsty Color

• Aster A. x frikartii ‘Mönch’ – lavender-blue flowers, 2 ft, zones 2b-24.
• Coreopsis – C. verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ (pale yellow, 2-3 ft) and C. tinctoria (annual, 3 ft), zones 1-24.
• Gaillardia x grandiflora – daisylike golden yellows, reds, bicolors, 2-4 ft, zones 1-24, H1, H2.
• Garden penstemon (P. x gloxinioides) – firecracker red, deep purple, pale pink spikes, 2-4 ft, perennial zones 6-9, 14-24.
• Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’) – lavender-pink, 4 ft, zones 1-3, 10-13.
• Rudbeckia – ‘Goldsturm’ (golden yellow, 3 ft) and R. hirta (winter annual, 3-4 ft), zones 1-24.
• Sneezeweed (Helenium hybrids) – coppery red ‘Moerheim Beauty’, 3-5 ft, zones 1-24.
• Sunrose (Helianthemum nummularium) – flame red to white, 6-8 in tall, spreads 3 ft, zones 2b-9, 14-24.
• Verbena – Tapien hybrids (4 in, 1-1.5 ft wide, purple to pink) and V. lilacina ‘De La Mina’ (3 ft mound, deep purple), zones 12-24.
• Yarrow (Achillea) – salmon, rusty red, ‘Coronation Gold’ yellow, 4 ft, zones A1-A3, 1-24.
• Zauschneria californica latifolia ‘Arizonica’ – mounding to 3 ft, bright orange, zones 2-11, 14-24.

Unthirsty Texture

• Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) – lavender-blue, 1 ft, zones 1-24.
• Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) – A. flavidus 5 ft, yellow-green; smaller hybrids 1.5-3 ft, zones 15-24.
• Russian sage (Perovskia) – velvety lavender-blue, 3-4 ft, zones 2-24.
• Santolina – S. rosmarinifolia (green, yellow flowers) and S. chamaecyparissus (gray leaves, yellow), 2 ft tall, 3 ft wide, zones 2-24.
• Sea lavender (Limonium perezii) – 3 ft, rich purple blooms, zones 13, 15-17, 20-24.
• Thyme – creeping (3 in, 3 ft wide) and common (1 ft, 2 ft wide), zones 1-24.

Unthirsty Fragrance

• Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) – lavender flowers, 6+ ft, zones 2-24, H1.
• Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis) – fragrant blue-violet clusters, zones 3-24.
• Lavender – English (L. angustifolia) 3.5 ft, ‘Hidcote’/‘Munstead’ 2 ft, zones 2-24.
• Rosemary – ‘Prostratus’ 2 ft with 4 ft spread, trails down walls, zones 4-24, H1, H2.

Drought Strategies

• Limit turf—it needs more water.
• Group plants with similar water needs.
• Irrigate efficiently (drip, sprinklers, soaker hoses matched to situation).
• Plant trees for shade and reduced moisture loss.
• Improve soil with organic amendments.
• Add 3-5 inch mulch layer to conserve water.