Drought Tolerant Native Plants

Written By Kate O'Neil

In New England, we have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.” The steady roll of the lush green hills here in the Berkshires are due to steady rainfall; but even still there are moments of drought. All over, there are pockets of soil that are well drained and drought tolerant plants will thrive. Here is a list of Drought Tolerant Native Plants that will work! 

*note: the term Native is relative to the Northeast, further research will provide answers to native to Massachusetts or New England.

 

Perennials

  • Hay Scented Fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula

  • Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii

  • Purple Lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis

  • Hairgrass Muhlenbergia capillaris

  • Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

  • Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis

  • Purple Milkweed Asclepias incarnata

  • Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa

  • Blue False Indigo Baptisia australis

  • Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

  • Tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata

  • Prairie Coneflower Echinacea pallida

  • Prairie Gentian Gentiana puberulenta

  • Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum

  • Blue Lupine Lupinus perennis

  • Bergamot Monarda fistulosa

  • Sundrops Oenothera fruticosa

  • Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia humifusa 

  • Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus

  • Moss Phlox Phlox subulata

  • Brown Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

  • Goldenrods Solidago spp. 

  • Violets Viola species

Trees & Shrubs

  • Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

  • Sweet Fern Comptonia peregrina

  • Shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum

  • Junipers Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, Juniperus virginiana

  • Bayberry Myrica pensylvanica

  • Ironwood Ostrya virginiana

  • Eastern Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius

  • Pitch Pine Pinus rigida

  • Beach Plum Prunus maritima

  • Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica

  • Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina

  • Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum

  • Nannyberry Viburnum lentago

  • American Cranberry Bush Viburnum trilobum

  • Concolor Fir Abies concolor

  • Red Maple Acer rubrum

  • Sugar Maple Acer saccharum

  • Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora

  • Red Buckeye Aesculus pavia

  • Shadbush Amelanchier spp.

  • River Birch Betula nigra

  • American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana

  • New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus

  • Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis

  • Fringetree Chionanthus virginicus

  • Yellowwood Cladrastis kentucky

  • Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia

  • Fothergilla Fothergilla gardenii, F. major

  • White Ash Fraxinus americana

  • Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica

  • Carolina Silverbell Halesia tetraptera

  • Common Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana

  • Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia

  • Inkberry Ilex glabra

  • American Holly Ilex opaca

  • Sweetspire Itea virginica

  • Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia

  • Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua

  • Tulip Tree Liriodendron tulipifera

  • Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana 

  • Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum

  • White Pine Pinus strobus

  • Hoptree Ptelea trifoliata

  • Oaks Quercus spp.

  • Flame Azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum

  • Pink Azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides

  • Rosa Rosa carolina, R. virginiana

  • Eastern Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis

  • Basswood Tillia americana

  • Blueberry Vaccinium spp.

 

Sources: Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation by Donald J. Leopold copyright 2005 Timber Press; UMass Extension https://www.cns.umass.edu

Further reading: The Northeast Native Plant Primer by Uli Lorimer copyright 2022 Timber Press; Deer Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper copyright 2021 Timber Press

Kate O'Neil
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