Here is a list of SOME of the things I grow here in Okie that survive our droughts (for the most part).

Cameron has researched and come up with an even longer list for her area of drought tolerant and deer resistant plants. Check out her Blog.

So far, my best drought tolerant plants (although in extreme conditions, some of these may not bloom or could be stunted):

Coneflowers

Lamb's Ears

Lavenders

Sages

Rosemary

Sweet William

Dianthus

Coreopsis

Garden Phlox

Daylilies

Iris

Old Garden Roses, Ramblers, Climbers, and Shrub types

All varieties of Spirea

Most Ornamental Grasses (but not all)

Liriope

Monkey Grass

Ivy

Junipers (shrubs and trees)

Salvias

Boxwood

Flowering Almond

Crepe Mrytle

Oregon Grape (surprisingly)

Rose of Sharon

Winter Flowering Jasmine

Artimesia (including annual Sweet Annie)

Mullein

Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina)

Privet (all varieties)

Lilacs

Honeysuckles

Mint

Eponymous (shrub and creeping)

Bamboo (it wilts)

Cane

Creeping Charlie

Creeping Jenny

Creeping Phlox

Flowering Quince

Virginia Creeper

Trumpet Vine

Creeping Vinca

Vinca (mine keeps reseeding and coming back every year)

Forsythia

Red Hot Poker

Photinia (sp?)

Clematis

Asters

Mums

Cannas

Holly (once established)

Beautyberry

Native Dogwood (Red Osier)

Lantana

Black-eyed Susans

Blanket flowers

Yarrow

Goldenrod

Sunflowers

Perennial Sweet Pea (once established)

Some Pines and Firs

Cottonwoods (Poplars of most kinds)

Sweet Gum trees

Willows (surprisingly)

Plane Trees

Hardy Hibiscus

Redbud trees

Native Maples (most native trees)

Bee Balm (may shrivel, but doesn't die)

Soapwort (ditto)

Euphorbia

Dusty Miller

Pyracantha (Firethorn)*

Snowball bush

Elderberry *

Chaste Tree

My simple list of BEST performing flowers that bloom and look good in drought conditions (with watering) are: Daylilies, Phlox, Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Vinca, Lamb's Ears, Black-eyed Susans, Euphorbias, Dianthus, Chaste Tree, Lantana, Yarrow and Ornamental Grasses.

There are many others, of course, but these are among the ones I grow (except the ones with the asterisk *) that survive extreme drought and heat.

Tolerant just means they are less likely to die. However, it does not mean they will look lovely, bloom or make berries in extreme conditions.

Much also depends upon WHERE you live too.

You know it is bad when even the weeds shrivel up and die!!