Drought and Wet Tolerant Perennials

Posted by Aaron Barton on Mar 4th 2023

Drought and Wet Tolerant Perennials

Though many gardeners dream of a landscape of rich, well-drained, evenly moist soil and perfect sun fit for perennials to thrive, the reality of gardening is one that involves planting across a range of site conditions including chronically dry or wet soils. Like any other area of the landscape, it is important to select the correct plant for dry or wet sites to ensure that your perennials not only survive, but thrive in your space. Wet and dry spaces offer gardeners a chance to get creative and utilize unique drought or wet tolerant plants, with many beautiful options to choose from for both sunny and shady sites.

Drought Tolerant

Full Sun (6+ Hours Direct Sun)

  • Achillea (Yarrow)
  • Agastache (Anise Hyssop)
  • Allium (Ornamental Onion)
  • Andropogon (Big Bluestem)
  • Antennaria (Field Pussytoes)
  • Arctostaphylos (Kinnikinnick/Bearberry)*
  • Armeria (Thrift)
  • Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed)
  • Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
  • Baptisia (False Indigo)
  • Bouteloua (Sideoats Grama)
  • Ceanothus (New Jersey Tea/Redroot)*
  • Cotinus (Smokebush/Smoketree)*
  • Dalea (Prairie Clover)
  • Delosperma (Ice Plant)
  • Dianthus (Pinks)
  • Echinacea (Coneflower)
  • Echinops (Globe Thistle)
  • Eragrostis (Purple Love Grass)
  • Eryngium (Rattlesnake Master/Sea Holly)
  • Euphorbia (Cushion Spurge)
  • Festuca (Fescue)
  • Forsythia (Goldenbells)*
  • Fragaria virginiana (Wild Strawberry)
  • Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
  • Geranium (Cranesbill)
  • Geum (Avens/Prairie Smoke)
  • Ginkgo (Maidenhair Tree)*
  • Heliopsis (False/Oxeye Sunflower)
  • Hemerocallis (Daylily)
  • Iberis (Candytuft)
  • Iris germanica (Bearded Iris)
  • Juniperus spp. (Juniper)*
  • Lewisia (Siskiyou Lewisia/Bitterroot)
  • Liatris (Blazing Star/Gayfeather)
  • Microbiota (Siberian/Russian Cypress)
  • Nepeta (Catmint)
  • Panicum (Switch Grass)
  • Perovskia (Russian Sage)
  • Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
  • Potentilla (Cinquefoil)*
  • Pulsatilla (Eastern Pasqueflower/Cutleaf Anemone)
  • Ratibida (Prairie/Gray-Headed Coneflower)
  • Rhus (Sumac)*
  • Salvia (Woodland/Meadow Sage)
  • Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
  • Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem)
  • Sedum (Stonecrop)
  • Sempervivum (Hen and Chicks)
  • Solidago (Goldenrod)
  • Sorghastrum (Yellow Prairie Grass)
  • Sporobolus (Prairie Dropseed)
  • Syringa (Lilac)*
  • Weigela*
  • Yucca (Adam’s Needle)

Note: Many of these plants will grow in part sun exposure but will bloom best in full sun.

Part Sun/Shade (0-6 Hours Direct Sun)

  • Carex (Sedge)
  • Diervilla (Northern Bush Honeysuckle)*
  • Epimedium (Barrenwort)
  • Eurybia (Large-Leaved Aster)
  • Pachysandra (Japanese Spurge)
  • Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal)
  • Polystichum (Christmas Fern)

Note: Many of these plants will grow in shady conditions but will bloom best in part sun.

* Woody tree or shrub

Wet Tolerant

Full Sun (6+ Hours Direct Sun)

  • Acorus (Sweet Flag)
  • Anemone (Windflower)
  • Aronia (Black Chokeberry)*
  • Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
  • Astrantia (Masterwort)
  • Betula nigra (River Birch)*
  • Cephalanthus (Buttonbush)*
  • Clethra (Summersweet)*
  • Cornus (Dogwood)*
  • Deschampsia (Tufted Hairgrass)
  • Eutrochium (Joe Pye Weed)            
  • Filipendula rubra (Queen of the Prairie)
  • Hibiscus (Hardy Hibiscus)
  • Ilex (Winterberry)*
  • Iris ensata (Japanese Water Iris)
  • Iris versicolor (Northern Blue Flag Iris)
  • Lobelia (Cardinal Flower/Great Blue)
  • Physocarpus (Ninebark)*
  • Physotegia (Obedient Plant)
  • Quercus bicolor (Swamp White/Bicolor Oak)*
  • Salix (Willow)*
  • Sanguisorba (Burnet)
  • Tradescantia (Spiderwort)
  • Trollius (Globe Flower)
  • Vernonia (Common Ironweed)
  • Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root)
  • Zizia (Golden Alexander)

Note: Many of these plants will grow in part sun exposure but will bloom best in full sun.

Part Sun/Shade (0-6 Hours Direct Sun)

  • Adiantum (Northern Maidenhair Fern)
  • Arisaema (Jack-in-the-Pulpit)
  • Aruncus (Goatsbeard)
  • Asarum (Wild Ginger)
  • Astilbe (False Goatsbeard)
  • Athyrium (Lady/Painted Fern)
  • Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss/False Forget-Me-Not)
  • Chasmanthium (Northern Sea Oats)
  • Chelone (Turtlehead)
  • Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
  • Dryopteris (Autumn/Male Fern)
  • Ligularia (Ragwort)
  • Matteuccia (Ostrich Fern)
  • Onoclea (Sensitive Fern)
  • Osmunda (Cinnamon/Royal Fern)

Note: Many of these plants will grow in shady conditions but will bloom best in part sun.

* Woody tree or shrub

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