Four Fantastic Drought Tolerant Annual Plants

Last year we had three months of drought in my gardening zone. Not ordinary drought, but Sahara Desert Drought with a hint of fire from the burning depths of hell. I ran out of rain barrel water before June was finished and could not fill up again until late August. 2012 was such a dry year that some of my seeds never sprouted and annuals begged me for water like little lost chihuahua’s. Finding drought tolerant, or at least drought resistant, annual flowers for your containers would be a wise thing to do in case we have more drought conditions. Below are four Proven Winners super star performers from in the hot and dry garden. They still need water, of course, but they do fantastic in tough conditions.

 Diamond Frost Euphorbia

Gorgeous, continuous blooms of airy white flowers blooming all season long (above left). No dead-heading and deer resistant, this shining little star in the garden lasts even during the hottest of Midwestern summer days. Great as a stand-alone or in a mixed container. One of my all time favorites!

Senorita Rosalita

These tall annual cleomes are filled with colorful blooms that smell delicious from spring to frost. No dead-heading, deer resistant, and super heat tolerant; these annuals are truly a work horse in your garden.

Senorita Rosalita, loveliest of the taller annual flowers (right), comes complete with a legendary story which you can watch on the video below.

Soprano Osteospermum

Osteospermum (right)  is usually known as an exclusive spring and fall flower, but in my experience, this variety can handle more heat, particularly if planted in part-shade, so therefore might last a little longer into the season. I love the wide-eyed daisy like flower.

While you do not have to dead-head this plant, I do to keep it looking neat. I love that the flower makes a big impact in container gardens – it’s truly a plant that blends and combines with all other annuals for a gorgeous look on the patio.

Luscious Lantana

Long lasting blooms with lots of impact in both beds and containers; the Luscious Lantana series comes in as one of my all time favorite annual flowers with heat and drought tolerance. Below you see “Chiffon” in all it’s yellow glory.

There are many color combinations for Luscious Lantana and, as far as I can tell, each variety offers the same powerful long lasting strength in hot, dry, or neglectful conditions.  In fact, the Lantana I had this season didn’t make a punch until the other plants were in full “hot as hell suffer mode”. I love this plant!

Plan your garden out this winter to include some drought tolerant varieties and you will have less watering and more flowering success with annual plants in case there is a drought. Smart planning equals a successful garden!

Special Note – Proven Winners did not sponsor any of these plants for me in the garden – I just wanted to write about them.  I have used the varieties myself and found them quite reliable, particularly under temporary drought conditions. Credits for the photos go to the Proven Winners website. All opinions are my own. Duh.