Drought Tolerant Native Plants
In New England, we have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.” The steady roll of the lush green hills here in the Berkshires are due to steady rainfall; but even still there are moments of drought. All over, there are pockets of soil that are well drained and drought tolerant plants will thrive. Here is a list of Drought Tolerant Native Plants that will work!
*note: the term Native is relative to the Northeast, further research will provide answers to native to Massachusetts or New England.
Perennials
- Hay Scented Fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Purple Lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis
- Hairgrass Muhlenbergia capillaris
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis
- Purple Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Blue False Indigo Baptisia australis
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia
- Tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata
- Prairie Coneflower Echinacea pallida
- Prairie Gentian Gentiana puberulenta
- Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum
- Blue Lupine Lupinus perennis
- Bergamot Monarda fistulosa
- Sundrops Oenothera fruticosa
- Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia humifusa
- Hairy Beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
- Moss Phlox Phlox subulata
- Brown Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Goldenrods Solidago spp.
- Violets Viola species
Trees & Shrubs
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Sweet Fern Comptonia peregrina
- Shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum
- Junipers Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, Juniperus virginiana
- Bayberry Myrica pensylvanica
- Ironwood Ostrya virginiana
- Eastern Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius
- Pitch Pine Pinus rigida
- Beach Plum Prunus maritima
- Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica
- Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina
- Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
- Nannyberry Viburnum lentago
- American Cranberry Bush Viburnum trilobum
- Concolor Fir Abies concolor
- Red Maple Acer rubrum
- Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
- Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora
- Red Buckeye Aesculus pavia
- Shadbush Amelanchier spp.
- River Birch Betula nigra
- American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana
- New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus
- Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis
- Fringetree Chionanthus virginicus
- Yellowwood Cladrastis kentucky
- Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia
- Fothergilla Fothergilla gardenii, F. major
- White Ash Fraxinus americana
- Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
- Carolina Silverbell Halesia tetraptera
- Common Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana
- Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
- Inkberry Ilex glabra
- American Holly Ilex opaca
- Sweetspire Itea virginica
- Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia
- Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua
- Tulip Tree Liriodendron tulipifera
- Sweetbay Magnolia Magnolia virginiana
- Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum
- White Pine Pinus strobus
- Hoptree Ptelea trifoliata
- Oaks Quercus spp.
- Flame Azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- Pink Azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides
- Rosa Rosa carolina, R. virginiana
- Eastern Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis
- Basswood Tillia americana
- Blueberry Vaccinium spp.
sources: Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation by Donald J. Leopold copyright 2005 Timber Press; UMass Extension https://www.cns.umass.edu
further reading: The Northeast Native Plant Primer by Uli Lorimer copyright 2022 Timber Press; Deer Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper copyright 2021 Timber Press