Drought Loving Plants

We have used the plants from these lists in making the Gravel Garden. Many small and low-growing plants for hot, dry conditions can easily be overgrown, so Beth Chatto has designed a Scree Garden for them, a series of slightly raised beds over the same gravel sub soil as we have in the Gravel Garden. In these beds are used the smaller plants below.

The following lists contain plants, which in our experience stand long periods of drought and full sun without dying. Most require well-drained soil; they will not survive being waterlogged in winter. Plants destined for very poor sand or gravel soils will be grateful for additional humus, either when planting or as a mulch. An additional mulch of weed-free material overall will help prevent excessive evaporation and suppress weed seedlings. In good garden soil all these plants will flourish like weeds. All tolerate lime.

Small and low growing plants for hot, dry conditions:

Acaena

Achillea (dwarf forms)

Allium (dwarf forms)

Alyssum

Anemone fulgens

Anemone pavonina

Freesia laxa

Antennaria

Anthemis (dwarf forms)

Arabis

Armeria

Artemisia (dwarf forms)

Asperula aristata

Aubretia

Aurinia

Belamcanda

Buglossoides purpurocaerulea

Calamintha

Cerastium

Chamaemelum

Convolvulus sabatius

Coreopsis

Cotula lineariloba

Dianthus

Diascia

Draba aizoides

Erigeron

Eriophyllum

Erodium

Euphorbia cyparissias

Euphorbia myrsinites

Gladiolus tristis

Gypsophila (dwarf forms)

Haplopappus

Helianthemum

Hypericum (dwarf forms)

Iberis

Ipheion

Iris unguicularis

Iris “Green Spot”

Leptinella squalida

Libertia peregrinans

Melissa

Oenothera

Origanum

Ornithogalum pyrenaicum

Osteospermum

Phlox douglasii

Potentilla calabra

Ranunculus illyricus

Raoulia

Rhodanthemum hosmariense

Sagina

Salvia patens

Santolina chamaecyparissus Nana

Scilla peruviana “Alba”

Saponaria

Sedum (dwarf forms)

Sempervivum

Serratula seoaneii

Sideritis

Silene uniflora

Stachys (grey-leafed forms)

Thymus

Tulbaghia violacea

Tulipa sprengeri

Verbena “La France”

Zauschneria

Grasses to use with some of the plants listed above:

Elymus magellanicus

Festuca

Holcus mollis

Koeleria glauca

Pennisetum

Stipa tenuissima

Medium to large plants for hot, dry conditions:

Acanthus

Agapanthus

Allium

Alstromeria Ligtu hybrids

Anaphalis margaritacea

Anthemis “Tetworth”

Anthemis tinctoria

Anthericum ramosum

Artemisia

Asphodeline

Asphodelus

Ballota

Bupleurum falcatum

Centaurea

Centranthus

Cestrum

Cichorium

Cistus

Commelina

Convolvulus cneorum

Crambe

Crinum

Crocosmia

Cynara

Dictamnus

Dierama

Echinops

Eryngium

Euphorbia characias subsp. Wulfenii

Euphorbia corallioides

Euphorbia polychroma

Euphorbia p. “Major”

Ferula communis

Foeniculum

Gaura

Gladiolus papilo

Glaucium

Grindelia

Gypsophilia “Flamingo”

X Halimiocistus

Hermodactylus

Iris (bearded forms)

Lavandula

Libertia grandiflora

Linaria

Linum

Lychnis coronaria

Nectaroscordum sicilum subsp. Bulgaricum

Nepeta “Dawn to Dusk”

Nepeta nuda

Nepeta sibirica

Nepeta “Six Hills Giant”

Onopordum

Othonna

Parahebe perfoliata

Penstemon

Perovskia

Phlomis

Salvia

Santolina

Sedum

Senecio

Stachys

Verbascum