Low-Water/Drought-Resistant Plans

Low-Water/Drought Resistant Plants 

This list is a good representation of low-water consuming plants that are easily available. Please check with your local nursery for their suggestions about what is best suited to your area.

Flowering Plants

  • Achillea (yarrow)
  • Aloe
  • Callistemon citrinus (lemon bottlebrush)
  • Cassia artemisioides (feathery cassia)
  • Centranthus Tuber (red valerian)
  • Cistus (rockrose)
  • Convolvulus cneorum (bush morning glory)
  • Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass)
  • Coreopsis verticillata
  • Cotinus coggygria (smoke tree)
  • Cytisus and spartium (broom)
  • Echium fastuosum(pride of Madeira)
  • Escallonia
  • Eriogonum (buckwheat)
  • Fremontodendrom (fremontia)
  • Garrya elliptica
  • Kniphofia uvaria (red-hot poker)
  • Lantana
  • Lavandula (lavender)
  • Lemonium perezii (sea lavender)
  • Nerium oleander (oleander)
  • Ochna serrulata (Mickey Mouse plant)
  • Pennisetum setaceum (fountain grass)
  • Plumbago auriculatta (cape plumbago)
  • Poinciana gilliesii (bird of paradise bush)
  • Romneya coulteri (Matilija poppy)
  • Satureja montana (winter savory)
  • Teucrium fruticans (bush germander)

Foliage Plants

  • Agave
  • Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree)
  • Artemisia (wormwood)
  • Atriplex (saltbush)
  • Centaurea gymnocarpa
  • Dodonaea viscosa (hopseed bush)
  • Elaeagnus
  • Pittosporum (some species)
  • Portulacaria afra (elephant's food)
  • Prunus lyoni, P. ilicifolia, P. caroliniana
  • Rhamnus alaternus, R. crocea ilicifolia
  • Rhus ovata (sugar bush)
  • Senecio cineraria (dusty miller)
  • Xylosma congestum
  • Yucca

Trees

  • Acacia (certain species)
  • Casaurina (Beefwood)
  • Cedrus deodara
  • Certonia siliqua (carob)
  • Cercis occidentalis (western redbud)
  • Cercidium (palo verde)
  • Cupressus glabra (Arizona cypress)
  • Eriobotrya japonica (loquat)
  • Eucalyptus
  • Geijera parvifolia
  • Hakea (tree types)
  • Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
  • Juglans hindsii (California black walnut)
  • Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius (Catalina ironwood)
  • Melaleuca linarifolia, M. styphelioides
  • Olea europaea (olive)
  • Palms
  • Parkinsonia aculeata (Mexican palo verde)
  • Pinus (pines)
  • Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache)
  • Quercus (oaks)
  • Rhusiancea
  • Robinia (locust)
  • Schinus molle (California pepper)
  • Sequoiadendron gigantrum (big tree)
  • Tamarix apliylla (salt cedar)

Vines

  • Bougainvillea
  • Campsis (trumpet creeper)
  • Solanum hartwegii (cup-of-gold vine)
  • Solanum jasminoides (potato vine)
  • Tecomaria capensis (cape honeysuckle)
  • Vitis vinifera (wine grape)
  • Wisteria

Ground Cover

  • Baccharis pilularis (dwarf coyote brush)
  • Gazania
  • Hypericum calycinum (creeping St. Johnswort)
  • Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
  • Santolina chamaecyparissus

Many Forms

  • Ceanothus
  • Cotoneaster
  • Grevillea
  • Juniperus (juniper)