10 Heat and Drought Tolerant Plants for Landscaping

There are a lot of houseplants which you can grow depending on the function that you want to achieve.

Not all houseplants can be cared for through generic ways. Some are more hardy than others, some are better kept indoors while some could tolerate harsher conditions like heat and drought and freezing cold weathers.

Speaking of harsher conditions, do you know that there are plants that could tolerate heat and drought that are good for landscaping? If you want to explore this, we will give you a rundown of some plants that are heat and drought tolerant but are perfect for landscaping.

Do heat and drought tolerant plants really not need water at all?

Of course they do. All plants do, specifically during the active growth phase. It is a special case for heat and drought tolerant plants though because they do not require supplemental water.

Once you water them for the week, they can withstand the heat for the next two. But it depends on the heat and drought level though. At times when it is super hot and dry, these plants will have to be watered weekly especially those with shallow roots.

When should you consider heat and drought tolerant plants for landscaping?

If you are into water conservation mechanisms but love gardening and taking care of many plants, you can tap on heat and drought tolerant plants for landscaping. They are good for edges, center pieces because of their flowers and most of all they are easy maintenance houseplants.

Heat and drought tolerant plants for landscaping

1. Gerbera (Transvaal daisy)

This plant is also called the African daisy. Some misconceptions about this plant is that they wilt and die during drought but actually, they don’t die and wither at all once its roots are established.

What happens during heavy drought is dormancy phase only and after this phase, expect bright pink flowers from the gerbera. They are good in edge landscaping and as accents to the garden.

2. BeardTongues

It is also called a penstemon and guess what, the more you neglect it, the more it will survive. It has small, bulb-like blooms that will thrive in a waterless soil. All you need to do for this plant is to just leave it be and it will just grow on its own.

3. Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta)

They are not sunflowers but they surely look like one but unlike the sunflowers, they are more drought resistant than the famed sunflowers.

They love dry and arid landscapes and they will bloom bright yellow flowers during the drought. So if you need to turn that dehydrated soil bed into an Eden, this is exactly one of the plants that you should be planting.

4. Ajuga (Bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed, carpet bugleweed)

This plant is also called as Blazing Stars because of its upward elongated shape. This is a very hardy plant since it can survive both long droughts and winter.

It will bloom bright purple flowers that will really look good in your garden during harsh weather conditions.

5. Bougainvillea

We will never get enough of the bougainvillea especially when it is adorning Mediterranean or Spanish architectures.

Aside from its color variants of orange, red orange, purple, yellow and white, this plant could thrive in drought or in dry landscapes. You can prune it to make shapes or images and can make an arc out of it if you want to. This is a real head turner if you can take care of it properly.

6. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Its scientific name is Asclepias tuberosa and it is called as butterfly weed because it is a favorite of hummingbirds and of course, butterflies and by weed, we mean, it can basically thrive on arid and dry soil beds.

Specifically, it is the favorite of Monarch butterflies so even when it is surviving on dry landscapes, this plant is still supporting the balance of the ecosystem.

7. Cleome (spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants)

It is an English native flowering plant that can survive in heavy droughts. It will add life and color in a dry soil bed due to its light to bright pink color contrasted with its wispy shape. It does not need that much water and it can fairly survive on its own so it will make a good accent in a dry garden.

8. Cardinal Climbers (Cypress vine)

If you are looking for heat and drought plants that will be good for fences and arbors, the cardinal climber is a perfect choice. It has red and orange blooms that will add character to your trellis or fence. Its beauty will be greatly emphasized in a wide garden. It does not need water and is very easy to take care of.

9. Mexican Creeper (Antigonon leptopus, Coralita, bee bush or San Miguelito vine)

This plant is also called as the coral vine and it shines in a dry garden because of its bright pink blooms. Sometimes, it even blooms white tube-shape flowers along with the pink blooms.

Like the cardinal climbers, this vine will look good on trellises, arbors and fences. They can be planted through seeds and can be propagated through tubers. This vine is not only heat and drought tolerant but it is also winter hardy too so you can actually depend on it all year.

10. Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)

Its scientific name is Adenium obesum and is basically one of the most familiar, go-to plants for dry soil beds and arid gardens. Its foliage will shed off during heavy drought and winter but in exchange, its pink blooms will flourish with grace. So if you are looking for a good edger for your garden, the desert rose is always a good choice.

Conclusion

As you can see, gardening is a year round hobby and nothing, not even changing climates and seasons could stop you from growing your plants. In the case of these heat and drought tolerant plants, they are not that dependent on water and they are very easy to care for. All they need would be dry soil beds, a sprinkle of water once in a while and they could still give you beautiful blooms regardless of the heat and drought.