Drought Tolerant Perennials

The summer of 2012 was challenging. Record high temperatures and extreme drought punished gardeners and farmers throughout the region. Here in the Milwaukee area we finally began to receive some much needed moisture at the end of the season but not before many of our garden plants have suffered severely. Only time will tell what the long term effects will be. In the future area gardeners may consider drought tolerance more seriously when selecting perennials. Following find a list of perennials that exhibit drought tolerance (note: native prairie plants, with their deep & extensive root systems,  are particularly well adapted to drought conditions).                     

**=Native

Achillea (Yarrow)   

Amsonia (Blue Stars)**     

Artemesia

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)**

Baptisia (False Indigo)**

Cacalia (Indian Plantain)**

Calamintha (Calamint)

Cassia (Wild Senna)**

Echinops (GlobeThistle)

Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)**

Eryngium (Sea Holly/Rattlesnake Master**)

Euphorbia myrsinites (Donkeytail Spurge)

Gaillardia (Blanketflower)

Grasses, especially native (Panicum, Andropogon, Schizachyrium**)

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

Hosta

Knautia

Lamium & Lamiastrum (Dead Nettle/Archangel)

Lavendula (Lavender)

Nepeta (Catmint)

Oenothera missouriensis/macrarpa (Missouri Sundrops)

Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus)**

Penstemon (Beard Tongue)**

Perovskia (Russian Sage)

Platycodon (Balloon Flower)

Ruellia humilis (Prairie Petunia)**

Salvia (Sage)

Sedum

Sempervivum (Hens & Chicks)

Solidago (Goldenrod)**

Stachys (Lamb’s Ear)