Drought Resistant Plants

A short explanation of drought resistance/tolerance in plants and the plants that often qualify as drought resistant.

There had been interest in information on drought tolerant/resistant plants in the Proven Winners portfolio, the table below is a listing of many of these plants. All the plants listed have drought tolerant potential both from results in trials and what is inherent in the genetics. Remember that Florida drought and Arizona drought are different animals. Dry air with drought is different from humid air with drought; this terminology is relative to your location, so use caution when using this information.  Please also note that no plant is truly drought resistant in a pot.  All plants in pots are likely to need regular supplemental water, some succulents and cacti may be exceptions to this rule.

 Please note some common definitions:

• ALL plants need at least 2 weeks of regular frequent watering to become well established in the landscape, longer for larger pots and shrub lines.   Woody plants will generally need a year of extra water to become well established.  NONE of our plants will do well watered once at planting and never watered again.
• XERISCAPE & XERISCAPING are terms used to outline a landscaping style that employs drought-resistant plants to help conserve water.
• DROUGHT RESISTANT as a definition varies by location, it means the plant can (once established) survive on natural precipitation with infrequent watering, or withstands dry periods. Used interchangeably with drought tolerance though they don’t truly mean the same thing. Drought tolerant means the plant deals with severe drought on a regular basis, and recovers from repeated wilting.
• Water-Wise has come to mean a plant that does well in a landscape that manages water sensibly, using moisture zones and managing water use. Includes other aspects such as mulching, reduction of turf grass, etc.

o         Drought avoidance Does not mean the plant runs away, but that it has developed storage capacity or other characteristics that enable it to weather severe drought without wilting, such as Cacti, Succulents, etc.

Drought Resistant Proven Winners plants

 These plants are also listed as well as all Proven Selections with drought tolerance on the Proven Winners website by searching under characteristic ‘Drought Tolerance.’