What is meant by "dry soil"? As a definition for this article it means dry to slightly moist soil that is well drained and has some nutrients. To check for well-drained soil, dig a hole where you want to plant and fill the hole with water. If the water drains within 24 hours or less then it is well drained. To be sure that the planting soil has some nutrients, it should be amended at planting time with compost or peat moss. So that the plants on this list have a good start in life they must be watered on a regular basis for the first year or two after planting. After that, the plants should be watered during periods of drought - see my Maintenance page. If these guidelines are followed, then these plants should perform very well during dry periods such as we have had in the past and I'm sure we'll continue to experience in the future. The plants should be placed in an area that receives at least six hours of sun each day.
In the beginning, this list was much longer, but I've deleted many plants that require frequent division. There are some plants, though, that I couldn't delete even though they require more work than others: Bearded Iris and Hemerocallis or daylilies, for instance. I've also noted the mature width in feet in parentheses after the plant's name. You should allow at least this much room in the bed for the plant.
Botanical Name - Width (ft) | Common Name | Clay Soil Tolerant |
---|---|---|
Asclepias tuberosa (2) | Butterfly Weed | yes |
Baptisia australis (4) | False Indigo | yes |
Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy' (2.5) | Crimson Pygmy Barberry | yes |
Calamagrostis x acutiflora (2) | Feather Reed Grass | yes |
Caryopteris x clandonensis (4) | Bluebeard | yes |
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (1.5) | Plumbago | yes |
Cornus racemosa (3 or 4) | Shrub Dogwood | |
Crocus (.5) | Crocus | yes |
Dianthus (1.5) | Pinks | yes |
Echinacea (2) | Coneflower | yes |
Echinops (2) | Globe Thistle | |
Erianthus ravennae (4) | Ravenna grass | |
Eryngium (3) | Sea Holly | |
Euphorbia (2) | Spurge | yes - some |
Helictotrichon sempervirens (2.5) | Blue Oat Grass | yes |
Hemerocallis (same width as height) | Daylily | yes |
Iberis sempervirens (2) | Candytuft | yes |
Iris Hybrids (1) | Bearded Iris | yes |
Juniperus (depends on cultivar) | Juniper | yes |
Knautia macedonica (2) | Knautia | yes |
Lavandula (2) | Lavender | yes - some |
Liatris (1.5) | Gayfeather | |
Lilium hybrids (1) | Lilies | yes |
Lilium regale (1) | Regal Lily | yes |
Limonium latifolium (2.5) | Statice | |
Liriope (2) | Lily-turf | yes |
Nepeta (2 or 3) | Catmint | yes |
Origanum vulgare 'Aureum' (2) | Yellow Oregano | |
Panicum (2) | Switch Grass | |
Pennisetum (3 or 4) | Fountain Grass | |
Perovskia (4 or 5) | Russian Sage | |
Philadelphus (Depends on cultivar) | Mockorange | yes |
Phlox subulata (1.5) | Moss Phlox | yes |
Platycodon grandiflorus (1.5) | Balloon Flower | yes |
Potentilla (2) | Cinquefoil | yes |
Rudbeckia (2) | Black-eyed Susan | yes |
Ruta graveolens (3 or 4) | Rue | |
Salvia (2) | Sage | yes |
Scilla siberica (.5) | Siberian Squill | yes |
Sedum (2) | Stonecrop | yes - some |
Spiraea all species except thunbergii (3 or 4) | Spirea | yes |
Syringa (5+) | Lilac | yes |
Taxus (4+) | Yew | yes |
Thymus (1) | Thyme | yes |
Tulipa (1) | Tulip | yes |
Veronicastrum virginicum (2) | Ironweed | yes |
Yucca (3) | Adam's Needle |