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Low Maintenance and Drought Tolerant Plants

Drought tolerant and low-maintenance plants are the most sought-after plants at garden centers. Remember that there is no such thing as “no-maintenance” if you want to keep your gardens looking nice all season.

The plants listed here will thrive with little care, but it is always helpful to look in on them from time to time, especially during the hot summer months!

Don’t forget to water sometimes, even if it is listed as drought tolerant. Perennials are generally only tolerant of dry spells once they are established after the first or second year of growth.

Midwest Natives

(click images to enlarge)
Butterfly Milkweed in full bloom with clusters of bright orange flowers

Butterfly Weed

Common Milkweed with pinkish-purple flower clusters and broad green leaves

Common Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed

Whorled Milkweed

Green Milkweed flower cluster with pale green petals and purple centers

Green Milkweed

Spikes of indigo-blue flowers of Blue Wild Indigo blooming above blue-green foliage in a native garden

False Indigo

Variegated Carex sedge with arching green and cream-bladed foliage

Sedge

Monarch on Coneflower

Pale Coneflower

Eastern Blazing Star with tall purple flower spikes in bloom

Eastern Blazing Star

Cardinal Flower

Pink bee balm flowers blooming in a cluster with lush green leaves

Bee Palm

Missouri Primrose with bright yellow blooms and variegated foliage

Missouri Primrose

White tubular blooms of Foxglove Beardtongue clustered on upright stems in a meadow

Beardtongue

Mountain Mint

Blue Sage Salvia azurea with upright spikes of soft blue flowers in bloom

Salvia Azurea

Tall spikes of bright yellow Showy Goldenrod flowers blooming in a native garden

Showy Goldenrod

Prairie Dropseed ornamental grass with fine-textured green blades

Prairie Dropseed

Aromatic Aster covered in purple daisy-like blooms in a garden setting

Aromatic Aster

Curlytop Ironweed with bright red-violet flower clusters blooming on tall stems in a natural prairie setting

Curly Top Ironweed

Drought Tolerant Perennials

Clusters of pink, red, and yellow Milly Rock Trio Yarrow flowers

Achillea

Agastache flowers with vibrant coral-pink tubular blooms and green foliage

Agastache

Allium in full bloom with round purple flower heads and upright green foliage

Allium

Armeria

Artemisia

Bachelor’s Button

Red and white coreopsis flowers blooming in a garden

Coreopsis

Delosperma

Colorful Dianthus blooms in shades of pink, red, and white

Dianthus

Delicate pink Epimedium Barrenwort flowers with heart-shaped leaves

Epimedium

Eryngium

Euphorbia spurge plant with green and yellow variegated foliage and pinkish tips

Euphorbia

Bright yellow Blanket Flower Gaillardia blooms with green foliage

Gaillardia

Gentiana

Gypsophila

Helleborus

Close-up of white Candytuft Iberis flowers in full bloom

Iberis

Iris

Kniphofia with vibrant orange flower spikes and grassy foliage in a garden setting

Kniphofia

Close-up of blooming lavender flowers with silvery-green foliage

Lavender

Liriope with variegated foliage and purple flower spikes

Liriope

Nepeta Calamint with dense clusters of soft lavender-blue flowers

Nepeta

Christmas Velvet Red Peony with bold, double red blooms and lush green foliage

Peony

Tall spikes of purple-blue Russian Sage flowers with silvery-green foliage

Perovskia

Sedum with rounded pink flower clusters and green foliage

Sedum

Stachys Lamb's Ear with soft silver-green foliage and lavender flower spikes

Stachys

Stokesia

Spikes of bright pink Veronica Speedwell flowers in bloom

Veronica

Adam’s Needle Yucca with tall white flower spikes and sword-like green and yellow leaves

Yucca

Low Maintenance Annuals

Ageratum with fluffy blue-purple flower clusters

Ageratum

Alyssum

Celosia

Cleome

Cosmos

Gazania

Deep red Geranium flower in bloom with ruffled petals and green foliage

Geranium

Close-up of Beacon Bright Red Impatiens flower with dark green leaves

Impatiens

Lisianthus

Marguerite daisy

Fireball French marigolds blooming in shades of red, orange, and yellow in a ceramic pot

Marigold

Petunias

Pink and purple Salvia blooming in a garden bed

Salvia

Scaevola

Bright yellow Zinnia flowers in full bloom

Zinnia

Drought Tolerant Annuals

Angelonia

Bidens

Cuphea

English Ivy with glossy, lobed green leaves

English Ivy

Euphorbia spurge plant with green and yellow variegated foliage and pinkish tips

Euphorbia

Deep red Geranium flower in bloom with ruffled petals and green foliage

Geranium

Globe Amaranth

Lantana flowers in vibrant yellow, pink, and orange clusters

Lantana

Licorice Plant

Persian shield

Petunia

Pink and purple Salvia blooming in a garden bed

Salvia

Scaevola

Strawflower

Cluster of bright magenta verbena flowers in full bloom

Verbena

Lavender Vinca Minor Myrtle flowers with glossy green foliage

Vinca

Bright yellow Zinnia flowers in full bloom

Zinnia

Grass

Big Bluestem grass with upright green foliage and turkey claw-shaped flower heads

Big Bluestem

Blue Fescue

Blue Grama Grass with curved seed heads and fine blue-gray foliage

Blue Grama

Fountain Grass

Karl Foerster

Little Bluestem grass with upright blades and pinkish-red fall color

Little Bluestem

Maiden

Prairie Dropseed ornamental grass with fine-textured green blades

Prairie Dropseed

Switch Grass with tall, upright green blades and airy pink-tinged flower plumes

Switch

Vince & Groundcover

Trumpet Vine

Bittersweet

English Ivy with glossy, lobed green leaves

English Ivy

Hops

Honeysuckle

Boston Ivy

Passion Flower

Purple wisteria flowers cascading from a vine in full bloom

Wisteria

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