These plants are living proof that a beautiful garden does not have to be a water intensive one.
After a blistering summer followed by a winter that seemed to drag its feet to cool us down, I thought it necessary to ask a few of our foremost plant peeps for their top three picks that have withstood continuously dry weather.
Now in its sixth year, the seemingly never-ending drought reminds us just how important a hardy, well-adapted garden is. If you’re having trouble figuring out what can withstand San Antonio’s weather, let us help plant a few ideas in your head.
Karen Guz, Conservation queen bee and plant wise VP
Perennial shrimp plant
: An evergreen shrub almost anyone can recognize. If you don’t remember it by name, you’ll certainly know it by appearance. With gorgeous salmon bracts that hold white flowers, it grows to heights of up to 39 inches. “This remained a blooming ‘plant bully’ in the deep shade of my backyard, taking over more grass and growing right over a few less hardy plants,” she said. “It’s OK because it looked great and never got water.”
Pride of Barbados: This gorgeous shrub is a member of the pea family and the national flower of Barbados — and for good reason. The striking blooms come in yellow, red and orange. It’s a little slow to take off in spring as it loves heat, but once it does it blooms all summer, attracting butterflies, she noted. It grows about 6 feet tall (or more) and is a great contrast to blue salvia or yellow bells esperanza (Tecoma stans).
Yaupon holly: An evergreen most known for the vibrant bright red berries it displays during the winter, it’s a source of food for birds during an otherwise scarce time of year. Guz said this evergreen understory shrub/tree thrived in a no-watering area when other shrubs gave up during this drought. While not a disciplined hedge, it is Texas tough and has red berries.
Nathan Riggs, Conservation manager who squashes garden bugs (and technical ones too).
Autumn sage: A beloved classic in the conservation department, it comes in a variety of colors. This adaptable evergreen shows up and shows out time and again during these tough Texas droughts. Hummingbirds love it and the flowers are even edible.
Fall aster: Like the name suggests, this gorgeous nearly evergreen plant boasts purple and yellow blooms in (you guessed it) fall. With fragrant foliage, it attracts birds, butterflies and other pollinators too. If you’re a fan of daisies, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how similar these two plants look.
Cenizo: An evergreen shrub that stands the test of time, its eye-catching silvery foliage and pink flowers make a special appearance during times of rain. This plant is a proven soldier when it comes to survival.
Sasha Kodet, Planner with a year-round garden of the month
Blue grama: A bunchgrass usually included with native turf mixes, when fully grown it can tolerate drought even better than buffalo grass. It’s versatile in that it can be used as a substitute for your typical turf but can also stand alone as an accent for borders.
Red yucca: While not a true yucca, it’s certainly a stunner. Flowers — a favorite of hummingbirds — can come in red or yellow and provide a wonderful contrast to its green foliage and seed pods, which provide food for birds.
White mistflower: Another favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, white mistflower can adapt to most well drained soils and even rewards your efforts with a beautiful fragrance. Flowers come in white to pale pink.
Kevin Pride, cool consultant and native plant afficionado
Buffalo grass: Another alternative to typical turfgrass on Texas lawns that provides a beautiful flowy look, though it doesn’t appreciate too much foot traffic. It can tolerate long periods with little water quite well.
Damianita: A tiny-but-mighty shrub with a camphor-like smell, evergreen leaves and tiny yellow flowers. This plant has no trouble tolerating anything Texas weather throws at it, so long as it has good drainage. It’s said that the only thing more indestructible than damianita is a plastic plant. “Planted in June and watered about four times and it never showed signs of stress,” said Pride.
Texas mountain laurel: A Texas favorite in the pea family that we all recognize by the gorgeous fragrance many liken to grape-flavored treats, and those beautiful purple flower clusters. This hardy tree doesn’t need much from you at all when it’s established. It may be slow growing, but few things outlast this drought superstar, even in winter. With zero supplemental water, it continued to look great, noted Pride. “And it continues to make little mountain laurel babies, so I’ve selected a few to avoid with the mower for the next generation!”
Juan Soulas, outdoor aesthetic expert and perceptive planner
Turk’s cap: Both pink and red varieties did well. You may recognize the small flowers that resemble hibiscus blooms that have yet to unravel. (They’re in the same family, after all.) Turk’s cap continuously performs well in San Antonio.
Hackberry: A common shade tree that provides much needed comfort from the blazing Texas sun — for people as well as songbirds and other wildlife. The berries are edible too! It does tend to wander, so be prepared.
Hill Country penstemon: Don’t be fooled by the thin nature of this plant — it’s a gorgeous bloomer once it gets going in spring. Flowers come in pairs and give this plant the consideration of being one of the most beautiful species in the genus.
Brad Wier, personable planner and hummingbird herald
Skeletonleaf goldeneye: “has never ‘needed’ anything from me after first planting it five years ago,” he said. It doesn’t ask to be pruned, watered, fussed over or cut back after freezing. And it’s been pretty much evergreen throughout the long drought and big freeze, and blooms when it feels like it. In San Antonio it’s used as a WaterSaver plant, but in South Texas and Rio Grande Valley, it’s grown and hedged like a boxwood along pathways and highway rest stops, so it can tolerate both the abuses of weather and landscape crews.
Texas persimmon: “One of the drought-hardiest trees around, Texas persimmon doesn’t beg for attention, but it deserves a shout out,” said Wier. It was so hot and dry in 2023 that some of its fruits were found sun-dried on the tree, but except for that this tree faces freeze, heat and drought unblinkingly and still manages to be nearly evergreen, small and pretty.
Also a fan of Turk’s cap, Wier had a lot to say about this stupendous selection.
“Maybe it’s the perpetually crinkled leaves that always make it look like it’s saying “harrumph” to whatever conditions are outside, but Turk’s cap has pulled through the drought in such perpetual bloom that as a workhorse it’s outdone even the salvias the past few summers.” While the flowers get a little smaller during the worst months of summer, they keep blooming and still are today, despite all the February freezes.
Cleveland Powell, native grass expert and mindful planner
Gregg’s honeysuckle: A lovely groundcover that pairs well with another favorite of ours, horseherb. These two do well together and can often be found in the same place, but Gregg’s honeysuckle can actually outperform its partner when it comes to surviving the scorching Texas sun. Flowers come in white, purple, or pink.
Bush sunflower: An extremely drought tolerant plant that provides food for some of our most important pollinator friends. Nectar for butterflies and seeds for songbirds. This member of the aster family has blooms that come in yellow and orange, and if you look closely, you will notice how unique the flowers are.
Pink thoroughwort: This mistflower is an interesting case because of its tendency to change behavior based on what’s around it. Left on its own, it will sprawl out on the ground. But if you plant it by other plants or near other surfaces, it will climb (loosely). This plant is also enjoyed by bees and butterflies.
Gail Dugelby, fan favorite conservation consultant
Esperanza: A shrub that loves the sun like no other, it’s recognizable by the trumpet flowers that typically come in yellow, but orange and red varieties stun too. This plant blooms through the summer, caring little about drought or rain. Freezes will take it back down to the roots, but it’ll be back like it never left.
Rock rose: With a long blooming period and flowers that resemble mini hibiscus, this plant is a true butterfly magnet. You’ll enjoy these petite pink blooms from late spring through fall, and while it only lives about three to six years, it reseeds easily.
Inland sea oats: The gorgeous seedheads on this shade tolerant bunchgrass attract a variety of wildlife that are looking for a tasty snack. It prefers part sun/shade. In the fall, those vibrant green seedheads will turn a toasty brown and provide a gorgeous color contrast to your garden — and give it texture.
These plants picked by our staff as drought superstars are living proof that a beautiful garden does not have to be a water intensive one. If you find yourself frustrated with how your landscape did after a brutal summer, liberate yourself and consider our WaterSaver Landscape Coupon!
And remember — not everything has to look perky and perfect. Some plants wilt and wither as a drought survival mechanism.
