Shop all drought tolerant plants
Drought tolerant plants are becoming more important than ever before with the continuation of climate change, summers getting dried and water becoming ever more precious. Some plants will naturally grow better in drier conditions, making them well suited to gardens with sandy soils that are prone to drying out, spots in full sun with no shade throughout the day or simply gardens in the south of England that are generally hotter and drier. Buddleia plants, commonly known as butterfly bushes, are lovers of dry shade and will reward you with long, arching stems, an open growth habit and fabulous long flower spikes in shades of whites, blues, purples and yellows. Alternatively, cistus plants aka rock roses are drought tolerant evergreens producing beautiful flowers in vibrant or pastel colours with crisp, papery petals, well-loved for their ability to reveal fresh new flowers daily throughout summer. Lavender plants are perhaps the most archetypal drought resistant shrubs with their narrow, silvery-grey aromatic foliage and distinctive, heavily perfumed towers of fragrant flowers on long, upright stems.
A general tip is to tease out any roots circling around edge of the rootball before planting. This will help release any tangles and encourage the roots to spread further into the surrounding soil, increasing the area they can draw on for scarce moisture and nutrients. We recommend improving the soil around your plants with well-rotted organic matter such as compost or manure, which will aid water retention and reduce the need to water. Mulching also helps retain moisture by reducing surface evaporation and suppressing weeds that compete with your plants for water and nutrients. Try to collect rainwater in water butts to reduce demand on the mains supply, where possible.