Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers

Drought tolerant plants for pots and containers is not a knee jerk reaction article to the summer of 2022. On the contrary I‘ve been observing how: –

Newly planted clients’ gardens, ie planted this year, have been coping
Planting designs, planted in the last couple of years are responding
My own plants in pots – some of these have been in pots for 18 months or more due to the house move
Other family, friends and clients who have many potted plants for various reasons – moving house, balcony garden, etc

There are of course variables, most obviously: –

Where in the British Isles the potted plants and gardens are
And also including aspect, for example, southerly facing patio, shady balcony
How much attention has been given to the plants
The variations in care – frequency of watering, etc
And which type and variety of plants they are

This observation is something which I will be continuing with over the winter and into next year at the very least. I’m also hoping to garner information from gardens and borders designed and planted longer ago (is that a phrase?!) if I want to continue designing and inspiring you to create and enjoy resilient gardens, I need to know what I’m suggesting is likely to work!

These suggestions for drought tolerant plants are for those that are intended to grow in pots and containers for at least three years. A permanent planting rather than a temporary solution. Look out for a further blog on ideas for winter bedding plants and summer bedding plants, although some of the links below will be useful too.

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Ornamental Shrubs

Really large shrubs can be grown in containers of suitable proportions, but medium and small sized plants are understandably more popular. If you are able to donate or pass on a shrub when it gets too big for your potted garden and would like some ideas for these, then do get in touch.

Artemisia abrotanum, lads love, feathery aromatic grey foliage

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, feathery aromatic grey foliage

Callistemon citrinus, bottle brush plant

Cistus, various

Oleander

Santolina chamaecyparissus, cotton lavender

Senecio cineraria, Jacobaea maritima

Santolina chamaecyparissus, evergreen silver leaved shrub, aromatic foliage

southernwood, artemisia arbrotan, raised bed, hardwick hall herb garden, derbyshire

bottle brush plant, callistemon, sub tropical glasshouse, hall place

roof garden, oleander, Mediterranean style garden

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Palms and Grasses

Cordyline australis

Stipa tenuissima

Trachycarpus fortunei

You could also try some of the dwarf varieties of pampas grass, Cordateria

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Climbers

Obviously, these will need to be placed against a wall or have a trellis included in the container. These are all vigorous climbers, so you may prefer to grow annual climbers instead. (and yes, I’ll write you a blog ready for next spring on this topic!)

Jasmine, Jasminum officinale, both the green leaved and variegated forms

Solanum crispum, potato vine

Trachelospermum jasminoides

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Herbaceous Perennials and Small Perennials

There are a surprising number of drought tolerant herbaceous perennials and small perennials which we already grow in our gardens. Think silver-grey foliage, fleshy leaves and furry surfaces for the most drought tolerant types.

Dahlia, for all they’re thirsty, they seem to flower well in the heat when well-watered

Erigeron karvinskianus, needs watering until established, after which it seems able to cope well

Eryngium ‘blue hobbit’

Hylotelephium spectabile, lately Sedum spectabile, fleshy leaves

Lampranthus, fleshy leaves, hardy in milder areas

Mirabilis jalapa, four o’clock plant, pride of Peru, tuberous perennial

Nemesia, most varieties have a sweet scent too

Osteospernum, likely to be tender in more northerly and exposed areas

Pelargonium, pot geranium, a tender perennial in the majority of the United Kingdom, so take cuttings in late summer, or keep in a frost free place overwinter

Sempervivum, houseleeks and other small succulents and semi- succulents we use for rockeries and sink gardens

Stachys byzantina, better in a larger pot, bee friendly flowers

Mirabilis jalapa - four o'clock plant - pride of peru

Reepicheep, stachys byzantina, garden path, granite setts,tabby cat

Nemesia 'confetti' and Heuchera 'obsidian', herbaceous perennials, planting design

Dahlia Linda, dahlietta dahlia, peach orange flower, tuberous perennial, tender perennial

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Edible Trees, Shrubs and Small Perennials

Apricot, Peach and Nectarine trees should all be available on a dwarfing rootstock making them excellent fruit trees for a container. You may also be able to find ‘patio’ versions of the Citrus trees and Quince tree.

Apricot

Citrus – Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit in all their various cultivars. With the possible exception of lemon, they will all need to be kept frost free and warm overwinter.

Grape vine, you will need a larger container and dessert grapes will need to be frost free overwinter in most of the country

Kiwi, a vigorous climber, it can be kept smaller with pruning

Nectarine

Olive, Olea europea, ripe olives have even been seen this year!

Peach

Quince

Strawberries

lemon tree, terracotta pot, fallen lemon, borghese gardens, rome

OUDRY, Orange Tree, 1740, commissioned by Marquis de Beringhen, Château d'Ivry

quince tree in a bucket, RHS Chelsea flower show, edible gardens

alpine strawberries in pot, container planting, fruit

Drought Tolerant Plants for Pots and Containers – Herbs

There are plenty of annual herbs which relish the heat, too, Basil for example. And others such as parsley which prefer a bit more shade. Check out the herb category on Plews Potting Shed for some tips.

Hyssop, bee friendly flowers too

Lavender, recently planted lavender, or that which is outgrowing its pot does not seem to cope as well in dry conditions. There doesn’t seem to be any notable difference between Lavendula angustofilia, English lavender, and Lavendula stoechas French lavender.

Rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus, Rosmarinus officinalis, the ones I’ve been able to observe or ask about, coped much better than the lavender in the heat. My initial thought is it might be to do with the higher proportion of oil in the foliage.

Tarragon, Artemsia dracunculus, French tarragon

Thyme, as most seem to be in the ground, I have instead been considering my own collection of thymes, all of which are still in pots and have been for about two years. Apart from those few that were already struggling, they have positively thrived in the heat.

Winter Savory

ginger rosemary flowers aromatic culinary herb

caraway thyme, herba barona, evergreen herb, ground cover, aromatic foliage

Common Carder Bee, Bombus pascuorum, on Hyssop, Hyssopus Officinalis, https:/commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bourdon_Vip%C3%A9rine_Verri%C3%A8res_2.jpg

lavender stoechas, grey pot, granite patio, planting design, edible ornamental garden, cottage garden planting, contemporary patio

A Few Care Notes

Firstly, the containers themselves. If you’re buying new containers and pots, terracotta, ceramic, concrete and stone are usually the best materials. These are heavy and therefore not suitable for balconies and roof gardens. Try resin, bamboo and recycled plastic pots instead. There are pros and cons to all these materials, for example: –

Unglazed terracotta pots are porous so may take water for the soil and therefore the plant. Bamboo pots are also porous.
Plastic containers, particularly darkly coloured pots, can heat up quickly in summer. However, plastic is less porous than terracotta.

Secondly, remember that drought tolerant plants for pots and containers do still need looking after. They are dependent on you for water and nutrients. Plants in pots can dry out quickly especially when: –

they’re in small pots
there are a lot of plants in the pot
they’re recently planted

However, standing pots in a tray of water when they’re drought tolerant should only be a short-term measure. I know that sounds obvious, and it is tempting to do so in order to reduce the chore of watering. But the whole point is that they are drought resilient plants, so they won’t be happy with soggy roots. I do recommend saucers and trays underneath the pots when you’re applying a liquid feed so that none is wasted.

Thirdly, soil, aka growing media. Getting the right mix is crucial to ensure your drought tolerant plants for pots and containers thrive. You’ll need peat free potting compost, with extras added in such as grit for drainage if its nota loose mix.

How else can we inspire and help you?

The plan is to increase my “these should work” lists for plants that will tolerate the unreliable and extremes of weather that we are likely to be seeing. Of necessity it will be mainly empirically based evidence and heavily reliant on the garden owners, but I feel it is worth doing. Although I have always aimed to design and plant sustainable and organic gardens, both edible and ornamental, over the last twenty years or more, there have been climate changes, more noticeably in the last ten, that have affected my thinking and designing. But then gardens, gardeners and gardening never were a static fixed point, and perhaps by being flexible and sustainable we can help the wider environment as well as our own gardens. And whilst quick, short term solutions are fine, we do need to consider the medium and longer term and plan accordingly.

If you would like help with drought tolerant planting designs for your garden, why not get in touch for a discussion and perhaps an initial planting design meeting? Or you could ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden and learn how to create and manage your own garden that’s resilient to both drought and flooding.

And for further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too!