Drought-Tolerant Perennials

There is so much to love about coneflowers! These bountiful bloomers provide long-lasting color from July through October. Once established, they handle hot, dry conditions with ease. They’re also deer resistant and make excellent cut flowers for arrangements. Coneflowers are fantastic pollinator plants, attracting all types of bees and butterflies to the landscape! Plus, when their seed heads are left to dry on the plant, they provide valuable seeds for the birds well into fall.

With both upright and groundcover varieties available, there’s so much to choose from when it comes to perennial Sedum! Their succulent-like foliage stores water, making them tolerant of infrequent watering, drought, and hot summer weather. Sedum typically bloom from August through October, providing late-season interest in the landscape when many other perennials have finished blooming. They’re also fantastic for pollinators and they make excellent cut or dried flowers!

Planting butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is one of the best ways to support Monarch butterflies. Its vibrant orange blooms attract pollinators of all types, while the foliage provides an essential food source for monarch caterpillars as they begin their life cycle. Once established, butterfly weed grows well in poor soil conditions and is extremely drought tolerant. A bonus for Northeast Ohio gardeners—this native milkweed is also deer and rabbit resistant!

Most commonly found as spring blooming bulbs, ornamental onions (Allium) are excellent drought-tolerant perennials to add to the landscape. Newer varieties form clumps of upright, green foliage that maintains its color from spring through fall. In late summer, they produce dense clusters of spherical purple blooms. Moisture is stored in its bulbous root system, making them more resilient to heat and drought stress. Their light onion fragrance makes them a great deer and rabbit resistant option for full sun areas of the landscape.

Tickseed (Coreopsis) is one of our favorite perennials to grow in Northeast Ohio. With many native varieties and nativars available, it’s a reliable, easy-care option for sunny spaces. These cheerful bloomers are fantastic for pollinators, deer resistant, and drought tolerant once established. You’ll find them in a wide range of colors, from creamy yellow and soft pink to deep red and even multi-colored blooms. Their long bloom time and low-maintenance habit make them a great choice for landscape plantings and container gardens.

It’s no secret lavender is a fantastic, easy-care perennial to grow in hot, sunny spaces in the landscape. Not only is it extremely drought-tolerant once established, its blooms make fantastic, fragrant cut flowers. It’s deer and rabbit resistant, and with a little deadheading, it will repeat bloom all summer long. Lavender attracts all types of beneficial pollinators, making it a wonderful addition to any drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly garden.

This tough, sun-loving perennial is known for its long-lasting blooms and delicate, fern-like foliage. Once established, it requires very little water, making it an excellent choice for drought-tolerant gardens. Yarrow attracts a wide range of beneficial pollinators and is also a fantastic deer and rabbit resistant option. Its dense clusters of compact blooms are perfect to use in fresh-cut arrangements and their color holds up beautifully when dried—making Yarrow a versatile addition to garden beds and floral arrangements.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) sports wispy silver foliage that adds unique texture to the perennial garden. Its long-lasting lavender-blue blooms provide color from mid-summer well into fall. Deer-resistant and super reliable, it’s a great option for sunny, drought-tolerant landscapes. This tall, graceful perennial makes a beautiful backdrop for bold bloomers like coneflowers and Rudbeckia, and also pairs well with the whimsical texture of ornamental grasses.

Commonly referred to as black-eyed susan, Rudbeckia is another fantastic drought-tolerant perennial once established. Its deep golden blooms are easily recognizable across Northeast Ohio gardens from midsummer into fall. This native perennial is a reliable bloomer that attracts a wide range of pollinators during the season, and when the flowers fade, its seed heads provide food for the birds. Rudbeckia is also deer-resistant, making it a great low-maintenance option for pollinator-friendly plantings.

One of the lesser-used perennials on the list—but every bit as pollinator-friendly and drought-tolerant—is Liatris! This beautiful midsummer bloomer produces tall spikes of purple or white flowers that attract all types of pollinators to the garden. A true native, Liatris (also called Blazing Star or Gayfeather) is extremely tolerant of our poor clay soil in Northeast Ohio, making it a great drought-tolerant option to grow alongside other sun-loving perennials.

Known for its vibrant, daisy-like blooms, Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) is a fantastic option for drought-tolerant plantings. This native perennial thrives in poor soils and requires very little maintenance once established in the garden. It’s a tough plant, perfect for sunny spaces in the landscape. Blanket Flower attracts a variety of pollinators—including butterflies—that appreciate its repeat-blooming habit. Plus, this powerhouse perennial is deer resistant, making it an excellent choice for Northeast Ohio gardens.

Switch Grass, Little Bluestem, Pennisetum, Miscanthus are all reliably drought-tolerant once established in the landscape. These ornamental grasses provide height, structure, and graceful movement in the garden. One of the later perennials to truly shine in the landscape, they provide strong summer texture, beautiful fall color, and unique winter structure when foliage is left to dry on the plant. While not all grasses are drought-tolerant, these four families are reliable for Northeast Ohio gardens, making them an excellent, low-maintenance choice.