Drought resisting plants

Gardening in hot, dry, sunny beds, borders or whole gardens can be a challenge. Full sun and a fast-drying soil may mean relying on drought-resisting plants for success.

Problems with sunny spots

Plants may dry out very quickly and may need regular, thorough watering during summer. If the soil is very sandy, it drains very quickly and plants dry out even quicker.

The leaves of foliage plants – especially those with large or thin leaves – may dry out very quickly, become scorched or burnt, shrivel up and die. Lack of water can also lead to very few flowers or fruits on trees and plants.

Hot, dry, sunny sites

While having a garden with no shade and being open to the sun all day long may seem idyllic for us, it isn’t always that friendly for plants.

Being in full sun for most or all of the daylight hours and for days on end means that plants have to have access to a constant supply of water for their roots to absorb. If water shortage occurs, plant growth slows down or stops, flowering may be reduced or stop altogether, plants start to shrivel up, their leaves die and eventually the whole plant dies.

Luckily, there are a large number of plants that have developed various survival methods to cope with sunny, hot, dry conditions. The vast majority of these are regarded as being “drought resisting”.

Watering

Plants that aren’t drought resisting will need regular, thorough watering throughout summer. Always aim to water directly onto the soil, rather than over the leaves.
Sunny gardens on sandy soils are even more prone to drying out than those on clay soils.

Water first thing in the morning, or in the cool of the evening to allow the water to be absorbed rather than evaporating. Adding organic matter to your soil such as compost or manure will retain the water for longer.

Planting for success

Applying a 7.5-10cm (3-4in) deep mulch of organic matter, or a 1-2in (2.5-5cm) deep mulch of gravel will help insulate the roots from hot, sunny conditions, maintain soil moisture levels and keep weeds at bay. It is important to apply the mulch to already moist soil; adding it to dry soil will make the situation worse. Planting membranes also help to maintain soil moisture levels, as do adding water-retention gel to the soil or compost.

Wherever possible, plant in autumn so plants can start to establish before the really dry weather arrives. Plants not reliably hardy or that naturally grow in Mediterranean and other warm areas are best planted in early spring.

Before planting, thoroughly soak the roots in a bucket of water for 20-30 minutes.

Our favourite plants for sun-baked gardens

When buying plants, always look out for drought resistors. Good indictors of drought tolerance include fleshy, hairy or waxy leaves, silvery or grey leaves, thin grass-like or other reduced leaves and scented foliage.

The following are particularly regarded as being suitable for hot, sunny positions.

Trees
Betula
Cercis siliquastrum
Crataegus monogyna
Eucalyptus
Sorbus aria
Taxus baccata

Shrubs
Brachyglottis (Senecio) ‘Sunshine’
Buddleia davidii
Caryopteris clandonensis
Ceanothus
Cistus
Convolvulus cneorum
Dorycnium
Hebe
Hibiscus
Lavandula
Osmanthus
Perovskia
Phormium
Pittosporum
Rosmarinus officinalis
Salvia
Santolina
Vinca
Yucca