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Plants for Sun and Dry Soil
What is meant by "dry soil"? As a definition for this article it means dry to slightly moist soil
that is well drained and has some nutrients. To check for well-drained soil, dig a hole where you
want to plant and fill the hole with water. If the water drains within 24 hours or less then it is
well drained. To be sure that the planting soil has some nutrients, it should be amended at
planting time with compost or peat moss. So that the plants on this list have a good start in life
they must be watered on a regular basis for the first year after planting. After the first year, the
plants should be watered during long periods of drought, perhaps after three or four weeks of no
rain. If these guidelines are followed, then these plants should perform very well during dry
periods such as we have had in the past and I'm sure we'll continue to experience in the future.
The plants should be placed in an area that receives at least six hours of sun each day.
In the beginning, this list was much longer, but I've deleted many plants that require frequent
division. There are some plants, though, that I couldn't delete even though they require more
work than others: Bearded Iris and Hemerocallis or daylilies, for instance. I've
also noted the mature width in feet in parentheses after the plant's name. You should allow at
least this much room in the bed for the plant.
| Botanical Name
| Common Name |
Clay Soil Tolerant |
| Asclepias tuberosa (2) |
Butterfly Weed |
yes |
| Baptisia australis (4) |
False Indigo |
yes |
| Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy' (2.5) |
Crimson Pygmy Barberry |
yes |
| Calamagrostis x acutiflora (2) |
Feather Reed Grass |
yes |
| Calamintha grandiflora 'Variegata' (1.5) |
Variegated Calamint |
no |
| Caryopteris x clandonensis (4) |
Bluebeard |
yes |
| Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (1.5) |
Plumbago |
yes |
| Coreopsis (2) |
Tickseed |
|
| Cornus racemosa (3 or 4) |
Shrub Dogwood |
|
| Crocus (.5) |
Crocus |
yes |
| Dianthus (1.5) |
Pinks |
yes |
| Echinacea (2) |
Coneflower |
yes |
| Echinops (2) |
Globe Thistle |
|
| Erianthus ravennae (4) |
Ravenna grass |
|
| Eryngium (3) |
Sea Holly |
|
| Euphorbia (2) |
Spurge |
yes - some |
| Gaura lindheimeri (3) |
White Gaura |
no |
| Helictotrichon sempervirens (2.5) |
Blue Oat Grass |
yes |
| Hemerocallis (same width as height) |
Daylily |
yes |
| Iberis sempervirens (2) |
Candytuft |
yes |
| Iris Hybrids (1) |
Bearded Iris |
yes |
| Juniperus (depends on cultivar) |
Juniper |
yes |
| Knautia macedonica (2) |
Knautia |
yes |
| Lavandula (2) |
Lavender |
yes - some |
| Liatris (1.5) |
Gayfeather |
|
| Lilium hybrids (1) |
Lilies |
yes |
| Lilium regale (1) |
Regal Lily |
yes |
| Limonium latifolium (2.5) |
Statice |
|
| Linum perenne (1.5) |
Flax |
no |
| Liriope (2) |
Lily-turf |
yes |
| Nepeta (2 or 3) |
Catmint |
yes |
| Origanum vulgare 'Aureum' (2) |
Yellow Oregano |
|
| Panicum (2) |
Switch Grass |
|
| Pennisetum (3 or 4) |
Fountain Grass |
|
| Perovskia (4 or 5) |
Russian Sage |
|
| Philadelphus (Depends on cultivar) |
Mockorange |
yes |
| Phlox subulata (1.5) |
Moss Phlox |
yes |
| Platycodon grandiflorus (1.5) |
Balloon Flower |
yes |
| Potentilla (2) |
Cinquefoil |
yes |
| Rudbeckia (2) |
Black-eyed Susan |
yes |
| Ruta graveolens (3 or 4) |
Rue |
|
| Salvia (2) |
Sage |
yes |
| Scilla siberica (.5) |
Siberian Squill |
yes |
| Sedum (2) |
Stonecrop |
yes - some |
| Spiraea all species except thunbergii (3 or 4) |
Spirea |
yes |
| Syringa (5+) |
Lilac |
yes |
| Taxus (4+) |
Yew |
yes |
| Thymus (1) |
Thyme |
yes |
| Tulipa (1) |
Tulip |
yes |
| Veronicastrum virginicum (2) |
Ironweed |
yes |
| Yucca (3) |
Adam's Needle |
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I've included a column regarding clay soil tolerance. In many instances I tried growing the plant but the rabbits ate the plant before any determination could be made.
Even with this shortened list, lovely garden pictures can be developed that will give long lasting
beauty with reduced maintenance. The plants are mostly perennials, but there are some bulbs
and small shrubs that work well with the perennials. It's most important to group plants with like
cultural requirements together in a design. There are enough differences in the plants in this
listing that many interesting designs can be made. And you have the added benefit of not having to worry
about too little water or too much water required for individual specimens.
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