Top 15 Low-water Plants
These plants grow effortlessly in low-water conditions and bloom in an array of colors.
Blanket flower
Blanket flower (Gaillardia) features gorgeous golden tips and requires moderate water.
Kangaroo paw
Velvety kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos 'Orange Cross' and Bush Gems series) add spicy color against golden grasses in a garden in Tiburon, California, designed by Arterra Landscape Architects (arterrallp.com). The plants tolerate drought but flower best with some water in summer and excellent drainage in light sandy soil.
African daisy
African daisy (Arctotis), with blooms that can range from brilliant orange to cool purply-white, needs moderate water.
Fairy duster
The shrub attracts hummingbirds with its brilliant red stamens that resemble powder puffs. Use it as an accent in front of a living ocotillo fence or as a backdrop for small blue agaves. Needs minimal water.
Pride of Madeira
Actually from Madeira, this plant produces wonderful spikes of blue-purple flowers along the coast in poor soil and with practically no extra water. Bees love it.
Dalea
Clusters of rose-purple flowers cover this shrub in fall. Needs minimal to moderate watering.
Grevillea
Large, colorful flowers fleck this unthirsty shrub all summer long.
Crape myrtle
This is the signature plant for many hot-summer regions. It's hard to beat the showy summer flowers, beautiful bark, and brilliant fall color.
Heavenly bamboo
Leaves emerge pinkish and bronzy red, then turn to soft light green; they take on purple and bronze tints in fall and often turn fiery crimson in winter, especially in a sunny location and with some frost.
Yellow bells
This heat-tolerant shrub sports trumpet-shaped flowers in a variety of orange-yellow-red hues and leaves that divide featherwise into many leaflets.
Coreopsis
Fluffy blooms in a wide variety of brilliant colors atop tall stems are the signature of this easy-to-grow flower.
Red Hot Poker
Flowering stems resemble glowing torches--or pokers (hence the name).
Sage
Leaves of this shrubby perennial are flavorful and aromatic, which makes them a favorite for cooking.
Agave
These succulents' sculptural shapes make them perfect candidates for bold, contemporary gardens.
Manzanita
It can vary from creeping groundcover to a treelike shrub, but all types have small white or pink flowers, usually in late winter to early spring, followed by berrylike red or brown fruits that attract birds.
If you like these ideas, read our Water-Wise Garden Design Guide for more hints on designing a garden that's easy on the earth's resources, or read about 5 easy water-saving tips. Also, check out our guide to what you should be planting now to ensure a vibrant garden come springtime. Before you plant, make sure that your chosen blooms will grow well in your zone with our Plant Finder. Not sure what climate zone you're in? Look it up here.
