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Drought Tolerant Plants

Annuals

Ageratum houstonianum floss flower
Amaranthus spp. love-lies-bleeding
Anagallis monellii pimpernel
Arctotis grandis African daisy
Brachycome iberidifolia Swan River daisy
Briza maxima quaking grass
Calendula officinalis pot marigold
Callirhoe pedata poppy mallow
Capsicum spp. ornamental peppers
Catharanthus roseus Madagascar periwinkle
Celosia argentea var. cristata common Cockscomb
Celosia spicata foxtail celosia
Centaurea cyanus bachelor's button
Cimicifuga spp. bugbanes
Cleome hasslerana spider flower
Cosmos bipinnatus cosmos
Cynoglossum amabile Chinese forget-me-not
Dianthus chinensis border pink
Eschscholtzia californica California poppy
Euphorbia marginata snow-on-the-Mountain
Felicia amelloides blue marguerite
Gazania ringens Transvaal daisy
Gomphrena spp. globe amaranth
Gypsophila elegans annual baby's breath
Helianthus spp. annual sunflowers
Helichrysum bracteatum strawflower
Ipomoea spp. morning glory
Lantana camara red sage lantana
Lantana montevidensis trailing lantana
Limonium sinuatum statice
Melampodium paludosum blackfoot daisy
Mirabilis jalapa four-o'clock
Nicotiana spp. flowering tobacco
Nigella damascena love-in-a-mist
Nolana paradoxa Chilean bellflower
Papaver spp. annual poppies
Perilla frutescens perilla
Petunia x hybrida petunia
Phlox drummondii annual phlox
Portulaca grandiflora rose moss
Rudbeckia spp. gloriosa daisy
Salvia spp. annual salvias
Sanvitalia procumbens creeping zinnia
Senecio cineraria dusty miller
Tagetes spp. marigolds
Tithonia rotundifolia Mexican sunflower
Tropaeolum majus nasturtium
Verbena x hybrida garden verbena
Vinca major 'Variegata' greater periwinkle
Zinnia angustifolia narrow-leaved zinnia

Perennials

Achillea spp. garden yarrow
Agastache foeniculum anise hyssop
Agastache cultivars hyssop
Ajuga reptans bugleweed
Amsonia hubrichtii bluestar
Anaphalis margaritacea pearly everlasting
Anemone spp. anemone
Antennaria spp. pusseytoes
Anthemis spp. chamomile
Aquilegia canadensis wild columbine
Arabis spp. cresses
Armeria maritima sea thrift
Artemisia spp. mugworts
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed
Aster divaricatus white wood aster
A. ericoides heath aster
A. laevis smooth aster
A. lateriflorus calico aster
A. novae-angliae New England aster
Baptisia australis false blue indigo
Bergenia cordifolia bergenia
Cassia marilandica wild senna
Cerastium tomentosum snow-in-summer
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides lead-wort
Chrysanthemum cultivars chrysanthemums
Coreopsis spp. tickseeds
Dianthus spp. pinks
Dicentra eximia fringed bleeding heart
Echinacea purpurea purple cone flower
Echinops spp. globe thistles
Epimedium spp. epimediums
Erigeron spp. fleabanes
Eryngium spp. sea hollies
Erysimum spp. Siberian wallflower
Eupatorium spp. Joe-Pye weeds
Euphorbia spp. spurges
Gaillardia spp. blanket flowers
Geranium macchorhizum bigroot geranium
Gypsophila spp. baby's breath
Helianthus spp. sunflowers
Heliopsis helianthoides false sunflower
Helleborus spp. hellebores
Hemerocallis spp. daylilies
Hepatica spp. hepaticas
Heuchera americana alumroot
Hosta spp. plantain lilies
Iberis sempervirens candytuft
Inula spp. inulas
Iris sibirica Siberian iris
Kniphofia uvaria red hot poker
Lamiastrum galeobdolan 'Variegatum' variegated yellow archangel
Lavendula spp. lavenders
Lespedeza spp. bush clovers
Liatris spp. blazing stars
Lilium philadelphicum wood lily
Limonium latifolium statice
Linum spp. flaxes
Liriope spicata lilyturf
Lupinus perennis wild lupine
Lychnis coronaria rose campion
Monarda fistulosa wild bergamot
Nepeta spp. catmints
Oenothera spp. evening primroses
Opuntia humifusa prickly pear
Origanum laevigatum oregano
Pachysandra procumbens Allegheny spurge
Papaver spp. poppies
Penstemon spp. beard-tongues
Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian sage
Phlox caroliniana Carolina phlox
P. divaricata wild blue phlox
P. subulata woodland phlox
Platycodon grandiflorus balloon flower
Polygonatum biflorum small Solomon's seal
Physostegia virginiana obedient plant
Pulsatilla vulgaris pasque flower
Pynanthemum spp. mountain-mints
Rudbeckia spp. cone flowers
Salvia spp. sages
Saxifraga virginiensis early saxifrage
Sedum spp. sedums
Sempervivum tectorum hens-and-chicks
Silene spp. campions
Silphium spp. rosinweed
Sisyrinchium angustifolium blue-eyed grass
Solidago spp. goldenrods
Stachys byzantina lamb's ear
Stokesia laevis Stokes' aster
Telekia speciosa oxeye daisy
Thymus spp. thymes
Verbascum spp. mulleins
Vernonia noveboracensis NY ironweed
Veronica spp. speedwells
Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's root
Viola pedata birdsfoot violet
Waldensteinia fragariodes barren strawberry
Yucca spp. yuccas

Deciduous Trees

Acer buergerianum trident maple
A. campestre hedge maple
A. ginnala Amur maple
A. griseum paperbark maple
A. tataricum Tatarian maple
Amelanchier arborea downy serviceberry
A. laevis Allegheny serviceberry
Betula populifolia gray birch
Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam
Carya ovata shagbark hickory
Celtis occidentalis hackberry
Cornus alternifolia pagoda dogwood
Cornus kousa kousa dogwood
Cotinus obovatus American smoketree
Crataegus spp. hawthorns
Fraxinus pennsylvanica green ash
Ginkgo biloba maidenhair tree
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis thornless honeylocust
Gymnocladus dioicus Kentucky coffeetree
Halesia tetraptera Carolina silverbell
Koelreuteria paniculata goldenrain tree
Liquidamber styraciflua sweetgum
Maackia amurensis Amur maackia
Maclura pomifera osage-orange
Magnolia acuminata cucumbertree magnolia
M. x loebneri Loebner magnolia
Malus spp. crabapples
Ostrya virginiana American hophornbeam
Phellodendron amurense Amur corktree
Platanus x acerifolia London planetree
Prunus x cistena purpleleaf sand cherry
P. pensylvanica pin cherry
P. serotina black cherry
Quercus spp. oaks (most)
Sassafras albidum sassafras
Sophora japonica Japanese pagoda tree
Syringa reticulata Japanese tree lilac
Tilia spp. lindens (most)
Ulmus parvifolia lacebark elm
Zelkova serrata Japanese zelkova

Needled Evergreens

Abies concolor white fir
Cephalotaxus harringtonia Japanese plum yew
Cedrus libani cedar of Lebanon
Chamaecyparis pisifera Sawara false cypress
Juniperus spp. junipers (most)
Picea spp. spruce (most)
Pinus spp. pines (most)
Taxus spp. yews (most)
Thuja occidentalis Eastern arborvitae

Broadleaf Evergreens

Gaylussacia brachycera box huckleberry
Ilex crenata Japanese holly
I. glabra inkberry
I. x meserveae Meserve holly
I. opaca American holly
I. pedunculosa longstalk holly
Mahonia aquifolium Oregon grapeholly
Paxistima canbyi Canby paxistima

Shrubs

Aesculus parvifolia bottlebrush buckeye
Amorpha fruticosa indigobush amorpha
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi bearberry
Aronia spp. chokeberries
Buddleja davidii butterfly bush
Calluna spp. Scots heathers
Caragana arborescens Siberian peashrub
Caryopteris x clandonensis blue-mist shrub
Ceanothus americanus New Jersey tea
Chaenomeles spp. quinces
Clethra alnifolia sweet pepperbush
Comptonia peregrina sweet fern
Cornus mas Cornelian cherry
C. racemosa gray dogwood
Corylus spp. filberts
Cotinus coggygria smoketree
Cotoneaster spp. cotoneasters
Cytisus spp. brooms
Diervilla spp. bush-honeysuckles
Elaeagnus spp. elaeagnus
Erica spp. heath
Exochorda racemosa pearlbush
Forsythia spp. forsythias
Genista spp. woadwaxens
Hamamelis virginiana common witch-hazel
Hydrangea paniculata panicled hydrangea
Hypericum prolificum shrubby St. John's wort
Itea virginica Virginia sweetspire
Kerria japonica Japanese kerria
Kolkwitzia amabilis beautybush
Ligustrum spp. privets
Myrica pensylvanica northern bayberry
Philadelphus coronarius mockorange
Physocarpus opulifolius ninebark
Potentilla fruticosa shrubby cinquefoil
Prinsepia sinensis cherry prinsepia
Prunus maritima beach plum
Rhododendron prinophyllum roseshell azalea
Rhus spp. sumacs (most)
Robinia hispida bristly locust
Rosa carolina Carolina rose
R. glauca redleaf rose
R. nitida shining rose
R. setigera prairie rose
R. rugosa rugose rose
R. virginiana Virginia rose
Salix humilis prairie willow
Santolina chamaecyparissus lavender cotton
Shepherdia spp. buffaloberry
Spiraea spp. spireas
Symphoricarpos alba snowberry
S. orbiculatus coralberry
Syringa spp. lilacs
Vaccinium angustifolium lowbush blueberry
Viburnum dentatum arrowwood
V. lentago nannyberry

Vines

Aristolochia macrophylla Dutchman's pipe
Bougainvillea spp. bougainvilleas (not hardy)
Campsis radicans trumpet creeper
Clematis Montana anemone clematis
C. terniflora sweet autumn clematis
Ipomoea tricolor morning glory (not hardy)
Lonicera sempervirens trumpet honey-suckle
Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia creeper
Plumbago auriculata Cape leadwort (not hardy)
Wisteria frutescens American wisteria

Ornamental Grasses

Alopecurus pratensis foxtail grass
Calamagrostis x acutiflora feather reed grass
Chasmanthium latifolium northern sea oats
Deschampsia caspitosa tufted hair grass
Festuca glauca blue fescue
Helicotrichon sempervirens blue oat grass
Molina caerulea purple moor grass
Panicum virgatum switch grass
Phalaris arundinacea ribbon grass
Schizachyrium scoparium little blue- stem
Sorgastrum nutans Indian grass


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footer:  Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York   (845) 677-5343