Drought Tolerant
Plants that keep performing when the rain doesn’t come. This tag gathers our guides for genuinely drought-tolerant species — lavender, sedums and succulents, ornamental grasses, bougainvillea and other deep-rooted or water-storing plants — that need watering only while establishing, then largely look after themselves. They’re the backbone of water-wise gardens in the southwestern US, dry Indian summers and anywhere hosepipe bans happen. Each guide notes the establishment period (drought-tolerant doesn’t mean drought-proof on day one) and the few care moments that matter.
Water these deeply and rarely rather than lightly and often. Shallow sprinkles keep roots near the surface, which is precisely what makes a plant helpless in a heatwave. A long soak once a fortnight in the first season builds roots that go looking for their own water afterwards.
