Drought Tolerant Plants for Cape Cod

We are experiencing severe rainfall shortage in the Northeast right now and we, like the rest of the country have been facing more frequent drastic periods of heavy precipitation and drought over the past few years. If you are currently adding plants to your landscape you may want to consider incorporating plants that can tolerate extensive drought once established. If you plant them in the correct location (on a slight hill or slope for good drainage) and water them regularly for the first full season during periods of drought they will thrive with little to no maintenance.

Below are a few of my favorite drought tolerant plants by category for the Northeast.

Evergreens: Juniper (pictured above) and Boxwood (below)

Flowering Shrubs:

Flowering Shrubs for Spring: Forsythia (left), Spirea, Viburnum and Quince

Flowering Shrubs for Summer: Panicle Hydrangea (right), Smoke Bush, Butterfly Bush, Ninebark, Abelia and St. Johns Wort

Perennials: Russian Sage, Sedum (below center), Catmint, Yarrow, Lavender, Coreopsis, Penstemon, Echinacea (below left), Cranesbill, Black-Eyed Susan (below right) and Hyssop