Drought Tolerant Annuals

Drought Tolerant Annuals

Garden Clippings for May 31, 2025

Someday, someday, we will put away our sweaters and jackets and put on our shorts and flip-flops. And when that day comes, we will complain about the heat. We will drag out the garden hose and do battle with the drought.

If you are anything like me, more than once you will forget the daily watering of containers only to discover wilting flowers the following day. Two consecutive days of water neglect and your annual flowers will be cooked.

Move over Geraniums and Petunias and make way for beat-the-heat flowers that will survive in drought and will allow you to go away for the weekend without asking your neighbour to give the containers a drink.

Your best bet for flowers in containers that survive the hot dry sun are Portulacas, sometimes called Purslane or Moss Rose. Yes, they are cousins to the Purslane crawling weed that appears in vegetable gardens in July and August.

Portulacas are not the brightest and boldest of flowers. Instead, they are sneaky delights that should be tucked into those hard-to-grow corners. In our backyard we’ve planted Portulacas in three shallow bowls and placed them in spots that are hot and sunny. In a few weeks they will be covered in pink and yellow flowers that open wide in daytime but close up as the sun goes down.

Portulacas are water misers and will forgive you if you neglect them. They are the perfect choice for that south or west-facing gap between the sidewalk and garage.

Sedums or Stonecrop are a large family of succulent plants that thrive in hot and dry places. They are the industry standard for rooftop gardens where they can survive in shallow soil and where they may go for weeks without water. Sedums’ thick waxy leaves store water for days and weeks, making them an obvious choice for container gardening.

Sedum Angelina ‘Teacup’ is a bright chartreuse coloured succulent that makes a stunning show in a shallow bowl. The plant is not grown for its flowers, but has tiny leaves that quickly form a dense mound of foliage. When growing Sedum in containers, be sure to use soil that drains easily, in containers with drainage holes. Water sparingly.

For a flower with a more traditional bloom, consider Gazania, a little-known annual plant that rocks a solid punch without requiring much maintenance. Also known as African Daisy, Gazanias need warm weather and sun to perform. Plant them early in spring and they will sit idle until temperatures warm up.

For years, we’ve planted Gazanias in the crevice of an old log sitting at the edge of our sunny patio. Their vibrant blooms, mostly in yellow and orange, are long-lasting and are notorious for attracting butterflies. When planting Gazanias in containers, use a light growing medium that drains quickly. Water only when dry.

Other annual flowering plants that would manage quite well if you forgot to water are Marigold, Lantana, Globe Amaranth, Osteospermum, and Zinnia.