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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 Weed

Common Milkweed

Swamp Milkweed

Whorled Milkweed

Green-Milkweed

Green Milkweed

False Indigo

Sedge

Monarch on Coneflower

Pale Coneflower

Eastern Blazing Star

Cardinal Flower

Bee Palm

Missouri Primrose

Beardtongue

Mountain Mint

Salvia Azurea

Showy Goldenrod

Prairie Dropseed

Aromatic Aster

Curly Top Ironweed

Drought Tolerant Perennials

yellow, pink, and red blooms of Milly Rock yarrows.

Achillea

Agastache

Allium

Armeria

Artemisia

Bachelor’s Button

Coreopsis

Delosperma

Dianthus

Epimedium

Eryngium

Euphorbia

Gaillardia

Gentiana

Gypsophila

Helleborus

Iberis

Iris

Kniphofia

Lavender

Liriope

Nepeta

Christmas Velvet Red peony in full bloom

Peony

Perovskia

Sedum

Stachys

Stokesia

Veronica

Yucca

Low Maintenance Annuals

Ageratum

Alyssum

Celosia

Cleome

Cosmos

Gazania

Geranium

Impatiens

Lisianthus

Marguerite daisy

Marigold

Petunias

Salvia

Scaevola

Zinnia

Drought Tolerant Annuals

Angelonia

Bidens

Cuphea

English Ivy

Euphorbia

Geranium

Globe Amaranth

Lantana

Licorice Plant

Persian shield

Petunia

Salvia

Scaevola

Strawflower

Verbena

Vinca

Zinnia

Grass

Big Bluestem

Blue Fescue

Blue Grama

Fountain Grass

Karl Foerster

Little Bluestem

Maiden

Prairie Dropseed

Switch

Vince & Groundcover

Trumpet Vine

Bittersweet

English Ivy

Hops

Honeysuckle

Boston Ivy

Passion Flower

Wisteria

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