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Drought-Tolerant Plant Finder
Search 84 proven low-water plants for xeriscapes across the American West. Filter by USDA hardiness zone, sun, how much water a plant needs once established, plant type, and features like pollinator value, deer resistance, native status and evergreen foliage.
Every plant here is drought tolerant once established, and every hardiness range was checked against Plant Select, university extension services and botanic-garden plant databases. Each plant page covers how to establish it, how to prune it, the soil it wants, plants that pair well with it, and where to buy it.
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Matching plants

Catmint
Nepeta × faassenii
Zones 3–8 Low water
- Pollinator
- Deer-resistant
- Fragrant

Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Zones 3–9 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Deer-resistant
- Native

Salvia 'May Night'
Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht'
Zones 4–8 Low water
- Pollinator
- Deer-resistant

Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Zones 4–9 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Hummingbird
- Native

Sunset Hyssop
Agastache rupestris
Zones 4–10 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Hummingbird
- Fragrant

Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
Zones 3–8 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Zones 3–8 Low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Russian Sage
Salvia yangii
Zones 4–9 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Deer-resistant
- Fragrant

English Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Zones 5–9 Low water
- Pollinator
- Fragrant
- Deer-resistant

Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Zones 4–9 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Fragrant
- Native

Mexican Evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa
Zones 5–8 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Groundcover

Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia uvaria
Zones 5–9 Low water
- Pollinator
- Hummingbird
- Evergreen

Whirling Butterflies Gaura
Oenothera lindheimeri
Zones 5–9 Low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Zones 3–9 Low water
- Pollinator
- Deer-resistant

Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Zones 3–10 Very low water
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Zones 3–9 Very low water
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
Zones 4–9 Low water
- Deer-resistant

Blue Oat Grass
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Zones 4–8 Low water
- Evergreen
- Deer-resistant

Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Zones 4–9 Low water
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Zones 3–9 Very low water
- Native
- Fragrant
- Deer-resistant

Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
Zones 4–9 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Deer-resistant

Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Zones 4–8 Very low water
- Native
- Deer-resistant
- Pollinator

Fernbush
Chamaebatiaria millefolium
Zones 4–8 Very low water
- Pollinator
- Native
- Fragrant

Panchito Manzanita
Arctostaphylos × coloradensis 'Panchito'
Zones 4–8 Very low water
- Evergreen
- Native
- Pollinator
Browse all plants by type
Drought-tolerant perennials (23)
- Catmint Nepeta × faassenii
- Yarrow Achillea millefolium
- Salvia 'May Night' Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht'
- Rocky Mountain Penstemon Penstemon strictus
- Sunset Hyssop Agastache rupestris
- Blanket Flower Gaillardia aristata
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Russian Sage Salvia yangii
- English Lavender Lavandula angustifolia
- Chocolate Flower Berlandiera lyrata
- Mexican Evening Primrose Oenothera speciosa
- Red Hot Poker Kniphofia uvaria
- Whirling Butterflies Gaura Oenothera lindheimeri
- Red Rocks Penstemon Penstemon × mexicali 'P008S' (RED ROCKS®)
- Pikes Peak Purple Penstemon Penstemon × mexicali 'P007S' (PIKES PEAK PURPLE®)
- Missouri Evening Primrose Oenothera macrocarpa
- Threadleaf Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
- Firecracker Penstemon Penstemon eatonii
- California Fuchsia Epilobium canum
- Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea
- Narbonne Blue Flax Linum narbonense
- Damianita Chrysactinia mexicana
- Desert Four O'Clock Mirabilis multiflora
Ornamental grasses (7)
- Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
- Blue Oat Grass Helictotrichon sempervirens
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis
- Undaunted Ruby Muhly Muhlenbergia reverchonii 'PUND01S' (UNDAUNTED®)
Low-water shrubs (19)
- Rubber Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa
- Apache Plume Fallugia paradoxa
- Fernbush Chamaebatiaria millefolium
- Panchito Manzanita Arctostaphylos × coloradensis 'Panchito'
- Three-Leaf Sumac Rhus trilobata
- Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata
- Texas Sage (Cenizo) Leucophyllum frutescens
- Blueblossom Ceanothus Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
- Common Manzanita Arctostaphylos manzanita
- Autumn Sage Salvia greggii
- Blue Mist Spirea Caryopteris × clandonensis
- Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia
- Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius
- Cliffrose Purshia stansburiana
- Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus montanus
- Orchid Rockrose Cistus × purpureus
- Shrubby Cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa
- Mormon Tea Ephedra viridis
- Russian Hawthorn Crataegus ambigua
Low-water trees (21)
- Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis
- Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis
- Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa
- Pinyon Pine Pinus edulis
- Blue Palo Verde Parkinsonia florida
- 'Desert Museum' Palo Verde Parkinsonia 'Desert Museum'
- Netleaf Hackberry Celtis reticulata
- Kentucky Coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus
- Chinquapin Oak Quercus muehlenbergii
- Cedar Elm Ulmus crassifolia
- Western Redbud Cercis occidentalis
- Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinensis
- Gambel Oak Quercus gambelii
- Arizona Cypress Hesperocyparis arizonica
- Texas Red Oak Quercus buckleyi
- Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa
- Bigtooth Maple Acer grandidentatum
- Chitalpa × Chitalpa tashkentensis
- Rocky Mountain Juniper Juniperus scopulorum
- New Mexico Privet Forestiera pubescens
- Oneseed Juniper Juniperus monosperma
Groundcovers (7)
- Hardy Ice Plant Delosperma cooperi
- Sulphur Buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum
- Turkish Veronica Veronica liwanensis
- Trailing Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus Prostratus Group
- Fire Spinner Ice Plant Delosperma 'P001S' (FIRE SPINNER®)
- Colorado Gold Gazania Gazania linearis 'P004S' (COLORADO GOLD®)
- Bath's Pink Dianthus Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink'
Succulents and cactus (7)
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
- Hens-and-Chicks Sempervivum tectorum
- Claret Cup Cactus Echinocereus triglochidiatus
- Plains Prickly Pear Opuntia polyacantha
- Red Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora
- Havard Agave Agave havardiana
- Adam's Needle Yucca Yucca filamentosa
Photos are credited on each plant page and on our photo credits page.