Plants for Dry & Gravel Gardens

Q: What are the best drought-tolerant plants?

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Q: What can I grow on a hot, sunny balcony?

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Q: How often do drought-tolerant plants need watering?

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Q: What soil do dry-garden plants need?

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Q: Are drought-tolerant plants hardy?

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Drought-tolerant plants for UK gravel gardens, dry borders and sunny patios. Hardy agaves, silver-leaved grasses and Mediterranean-style perennials that thrive on neglect and look better with less water, not more.

15 products

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Cabbage Tree

Cussonia spicata

£22.99

1

Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

Agave stricta 'Nana'

£10.99

1

Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

£14.99

1

Blue Fescue

Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue'

£5.49

1

Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

Muehlenbeckia complexa

£6.99

1

Dark Purple Aeonium 'Velours'

Aeonium arboreum 'Velours'

£12.99

1

Blue Fescue

Festuca 'Intense Blue'

£14.99

1

Mexican Feather Grass

Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails'

£5.99

1

Agave 'Shaka Zulu'

£26.99

1

Iron Cross / Good Luck Plant (Lucky Clover)

Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross'

£7.99

1

Green False Shamrock (Lucky Clover / Good Luck Plant)

Oxalis regnellii

£10.99

1

Spanish Dagger

Yucca gloriosa

£59.99

1

Black Mondo Grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

£15.99

1

Lilyturf

Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker'

£14.99

1

European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

Chamaerops humilis

£21.99

1

The GrowTropicals Guide to Drought Tolerant Plants

What are drought-tolerant plants?

Drought-tolerant plants are species that have evolved for hot, dry summers with little rain. Silver leaves, waxy coatings, tiny needle foliage and swollen water-storing bases are all adaptations to conserve moisture. In a UK context that means hardy Agave, blue-leaved Festuca glauca, feathery Stipa, tough sedums and drought-tolerant perennials that positively dislike being watered too often. As UK summers grow hotter and drier, they are also the smartest choice for a low-maintenance sunny border. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

Care essentials for drought-tolerant plants

Position: Full sun. Six or more hours of direct light per day, ideally on free-draining ground.
Soil: Sharp drainage is more important than fertility. Add gravel, grit or sharp sand to heavy soil at planting. Never mulch with wet, water-holding organic matter around crowns.
Hardiness: Individual RHS bands listed on each product page. Most drought-tolerant plants stocked here are H4 or better, with winter wet the bigger risk than winter cold.
Watering: Water in deeply at planting and through the first summer. After that, water only in extended droughts of six weeks or more.
Mulch: A gravel mulch is ideal. It holds soil moisture, suppresses weeds and keeps crowns dry through the UK winter.

Explore the drought-tolerant range

Combine drought-tolerant species with hardy agave and succulents as focal points, ornamental grasses for movement, and other full-sun plants. See the full Hardy Exotics range for companions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best drought-tolerant plants?

Agaves, succulents and many ornamental grasses are among the most drought-tolerant, thriving in sun and free-draining soil with little water. This collection gathers hardy, low-water plants that suit dry borders, gravel gardens and hot pots.

What can I grow on a hot, sunny balcony?

Drought-tolerant plants are perfect for a baking balcony or patio, coping with sharp drainage and the odd missed watering. Agaves, succulents and grasses in free-draining pots give a bold, Mediterranean look with very little fuss.

How often do drought-tolerant plants need watering?

Far less than most plants. Water well while they establish, then only in prolonged dry spells in the ground. In pots, water when the compost has dried out and keep them on the dry side, especially over winter.

What soil do dry-garden plants need?

Very free-draining soil is essential. Dig plenty of grit into heavy ground and add a gravel mulch, or use a gritty, open compost in pots. Good drainage lets these plants take cold and dry spells in their stride.

Are drought-tolerant plants hardy?

Many are surprisingly hardy, coping with frost as long as they stay dry, while a few are more tender. Wet is more dangerous than cold, so sharp drainage is key, and each plant is labelled with its hardiness.

Plants that cope with little water

Hot, dry, free-draining spots used to be a problem. Now they are a chance to grow some of the most striking, low-maintenance plants there are. This collection brings together drought-tolerant plants, from sculptural agaves and succulents to airy grasses, that thrive on sun and neglect and ask for very little water once established.

Perfect for hot patios, sunny balconies and pots

A baking, south-facing patio or balcony is exactly where drought-tolerant plants shine. In pots they cope with the sharp drainage and the odd missed watering far better than thirsty plants, which makes them ideal for busy city gardeners and anyone who forgets the watering can. A single agave in a good pot is a ready-made sculpture.

Gravel gardens and dry borders

In the ground, these plants are the stars of a gravel garden or a hot, dry border. Plant into very free-draining soil, mulch with gravel to keep the necks dry, and combine grasses with succulents for a relaxed, low-water scheme that looks good all summer with minimal effort.

Drainage is everything

The one rule with drought-tolerant plants is drainage. Most cope with surprising cold as long as they are not sitting wet, so grit up heavy soil, raise pots in winter, and water sparingly. Overwatering, not underwatering, is the usual cause of problems.