Our Top Ten Drought Tolerant Plants
Wow, we’ve certainly had some summer weather over the past few weeks here in Yorkshire! It’s been extremely hot and dry recently and, if you’ve noticed the need to water your garden plants more frequently now that the sun is shining, Carl our plant manager at Tingley Garden Centre has put together his top ten favourite plants for drought. So, no matter how hot it gets this summer you can guarantee these plants will thrive in your garden and won’t need a daily water!
Ps…despite the following plants being drought lovers, it’s important to note that with all young and freshly potted up plants, we recommend a good water to help get them established. Then, once they have settled into their new space, you’ll notice they don’t require a frequent water.
Lavender
Lavender has to be one of our favourite drought tolerant plants! This hardy shrub is able to withstand high temperatures and dry soil whilst still producing beautiful heavily scented flowers.
Buxus
When planted in the ground, buxus plants rarely need a water. Buxus are ideal for creating structure in your garden beds, pots or borders. Tolerant of shade, drought, shaping and overcrowding, we think every garden should have a buxus!
Nandina
A great plant for interest across all the seasons. In autumn and winter enjoy deep red berries and bright red foliage followed by delicate white flowers and redish purple leaves in spring and summer. Water sparingly throughout the seasons.
Salvias
A real magnet for bees and butterflies, the foliage of salvias is perhaps what sets it apart from other flowering plants as that’s what carries the scent. Place this plant in full sun and watch it bloom all summer!
Sedums
With fleshy leaves that act as water storage vessels, Sedums can go weeks without a water! Spreading like a mat, they originate in rocky locations so are well accustomed to dry conditions.
Buddleja
Also known as the butterfly bush, the sweetly scented flowers are an ideal nectar source for our pollinators. We love buddleja as they are a low maintenance plant that really pack a punch.
Achillea
Available in an array of colours, Achillea is a beautiful herbaceous plant that will thrive in full sun or semi shady areas. Be sure not to plant your Achillea in soil that can become waterlogged as they do not like wet conditions.
Echinacea
The flowers of the Echinacea are extremely long lasting, flowering from early summer through to autumn, these beautiful plants are ideal for British gardens that often experience dry spells.
Geums
These beautiful orange, red and yellow flowers are ideal for shady, dry areas of your garden! For informal planting, place them between tall grasses to add injections of colour into your borders!
Agastache
Bees love the long spires of the Agastache! Bringing pale pink and purple colour to your borders in summer, these plants are usually grown as annuals in the UK and love free draining soil.
