Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021
Disclaimer: Product stock and prices are subject to change after blog publish date.
Even though we have had a lot of rainfall this summer, we are often asked to recommend low maintenance perennials that can handle hot and dry conditions.
Here are some of our favourite drought tolerant perennials that will add colour and texture to your garden!
Please note that all newly planted perennials, including those that are considered drought tolerant, will need to be watered regularly until their root system is established.
The perennials featured in this blog post are available in-store while quantities last.
Dwarf Hummingbird Mint (Agastache ‘Kudos Mandarin’)
Dwarf Hummingbird Mint is very easy to grow and flowers nonstop from midsummer well into autumn. It forms a low, bushy mound bearing upright spikes of bright orange, fragrant plumes. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!
Exposure: Full sun
Height: 16-18”
Spread: 14-16”
Bloom Time: Summer – fall
Price: $16.99 (1 gallon pot)
Other Varieties: Agastache ‘Kudos Red’ ($14.99 in a 1 gallon pot)
This plant is most often used as a groundcover or an edging plant along the front of a border. Foliage makes a low green mound through the summer, bursting into colour in August when blue starry flowers appear. As fall approaches the whole plant turns maroon and scarlet.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Height: 8-12”
Spread: 18-24”
Bloom Time: Summer – fall
Price: $9.99 (1 gallon pot)
Blue Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
Hybrid Coreopsis (Coreopsis hybrida ‘Super Star’)
A hybrid variety of coreopsis with the largest flowers to date! This plant forms a compact clump of dark green leaves and has upright stems that hold large, yellow daisies with dark burgundy centers. Blooming starts in late spring and continues for many weeks if faded flowers are removed.
Exposure: Full sun
Height: 14-16”
Spread: 16-18”
Bloom Time: Late spring – early fall
Price: $14.99 (1 gallon pot)
Other Varieties: Coreopsis hybrida ‘Golden Stardust’ ($14.99 in a 1 gallon pot), Coreopsis Uptick Gold & Bronze ($19.99 in a 2 gallon pot), Coreopsis ‘Razzle Dazzle’ ($16.99 in a 1 gallon pot), Coreopsis Sizzle & Spice ‘Crazy Cayenne’ ($19.99 in a 2 gallon pot)
Seduction Yarrows are midsized and upright. This variety has clusters of rich strawberry red flowers, each with a tiny yellow eye. Excellent for cut flowers!
Exposure: Full sun
Height: 18-18”
Spread: 18-24”
Bloom Time: Summer – early fall
Price: $19.99 (2 gallon pot)
Other Varieties: Achillea ‘Sunny Seduction’ ($19.99 in a 2 gallon pot), Achillea millefolium Desert Eve Terracotta ($9.99 in a 1 gallon pot)
Seduction Yarrow (Achillea ‘Strawberry Seduction’)
Autumn Charm Frosted Fire Sedum (Sedum ‘Frosted Fire’)
Striking in the landscape, this upright growing sedum has thick, succulent, variegated leaves. In late summer, dense clusters of rosy pink flowers that attract pollinators appear.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Height: 12-15”
Spread: 18”
Bloom Time: Summer – fall
Price: $25.99 (2 gallon pot)
Other Varieties: Sedum Autumn Joy ($12.99 in a 1 gallon pot)
A terrific low groundcover for a sunny area! This plant forms a trailing mat of succulent golden yellow leaves that turn bronze in the cooler months. Clusters of yellow starry flowers appear during the summer.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Height: 4-6”
Spread: 12-24”
Bloom Time: Summer – fall
Price: $12.99 (1 gallon pot)
Angelina Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’)
Sunsparkler Dazzleberry Stonecrop (Sedum ‘Dazzleberry’)
In midsummer, this groundcover sedum produces broad clusters of bright raspberry pink flowers that stand upright on strong stems. The smoky blue leaves mature to a dark purple colour.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Height: 8”
Spread: 15-18”
Bloom Time: Late summer
Price: $8.99 (5″ pot), $22.99 (2 gallon pot)
Among the easiest plants to grow, Hens and Chicks tolerate heat and drought with style. Useful in rock gardens, container gardens, rock walls, as well as rooftop and vertical gardens. Hundreds of varieties exist! All varieties have tiny new plants that appear in a circle around the mother in the middle. This specific variety is known for its succulent green foliage that is washed with a deep, ruby red.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Height: 2-4”
Spread: 6-8”
Bloom Time: Summer
Price: $5.99 (4″ pot)
Other Varieties: Sempervivum ‘Silverine’, Sempervivum ‘Purple Beauty’, Sempervivum ‘Pacific Blue Ice’, Sempervivum ‘Magnificum’, Sempervivum ‘Silver King’, Sempervivum ‘Thunder’, etc. ($5.99 in a 4″ pot)
Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum ‘Red Heart’)
If you would like some more information about what other drought tolerant perennial options we have for your garden, feel free to stop in and speak with one of our perennial experts today!