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Botany, Sustainability, and
Self-Sufficiency - oh my!
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Global droughts are intensifying, posing challenges to gardeners worldwide. While some regions anticipate dry spells, the escalating intensity can be surprising. Unexpectedly arid summers may disrupt the usual gardening cycle.
To safeguard your garden during these dry periods, prioritizing drought-resistant herbs is a smart move.
A plethora of herbs boast an inherent resilience to water scarcity, many of which hail from the Mediterranean climate.
Through careful selection across generations, certain herbs have emerged as champions of water-wise gardening.
These herb varieties are open-pollinated or traditional landraces, empowering you to harvest seeds and enhance your garden's self-reliance.
From aromatic Anise to robust Rosemary, explore this comprehensive list of drought-tolerant herbs. Perfect for arid zones or those wishing to minimize water use, these herbs ensure a lush garden even under the sun's relentless gaze.
1.Anise Hyssop: Agastache foeniculum | Perennial
A wonderfully aromatic plant with a sweet licorice-fennel scent. As a plant from the mediterranean, it adapts well to dry gardens. The tall, purple growth will attract beneficial insects to bring in biodiversity to your low-water landscape. I love adding this to tea blends!
2.Basil - Everleaf Emerald Towers: Ocimum basilicum | Annual
A unique drought-tolerant basil that is known for its resistance to bolting. The reviews share that this basil will produce through a range of temperatures, from mild frosts to extreme heat. Recommended for container gardening. Extend your pesto season!
3.Basil - Mrs. Burns Famous Lemon: Ocimum basilicum | Annual
A bit of a twist on the typical basil flavor, Mrs. Burns offers a zesty tang and scent. For a basil plant, this variety requires less water than its counterparts. Great for making tea or adding to stir-fries.
4.Catmint - Greek: Nepeta parnassica | Perennial
Catmint is from the same Nepeta genus as Catnip, but is a bit more culinary in its use. This Mediterranean herb is drought-resistant, and will put on gorgeous purple flowers in its second year onward. I love adding this to soups, stirfries, and as an addition to pesto. It's kind of like oregano in taste, but more earthy. In my garden the blooms are always full of bumblebees!
5.Catnip: Nepeta cataria | Perennial
While this herb obviously is a winner for the felines in your life, it can also be made into a soothing tea fresh or dried for humans. Pollinators and cats alike will delight in this plant’s scent and flowers. I love the texture of the soft leaves. Grows abundantly in its second year onwards for huge harvests. It’s drought-tolerant nature make this a great choice for sustainable herbalists.
6.Echinacea- Purple Coneflower: Echinacea purpurea | Perennial
While Echinacea will enjoy water as it gets established, it can handle gardens that are on the drier side once leaves are in place. A fantastic plant for the water-wise medicinal herb garden. If you're having trouble starting echinacea from seed, note that it needs cold stratification. It might not bloom until its second year.
7.Flax: Linum usitatissimum | Annual or Linum perenne | Perennial
The delicate blue blooms of flax are a delight in the garden. I have grown this variety in my garden and can attest to its drought tolerance. It’s also really satisfying to harvest and eat homegrown flax seeds!
Buy from Uprising Organics | Buy from Strictly Medicinals
8.Goldenrod - Grayleaf: Solidago nemoralis | Perennial
Goldenrod is a butterfly-magnet in the garden, and offers herbal properties for humans as well. The yellow plumes are gorgeously golden and glisten in the summer sun. A great dry gardening herb to support local ecosystems. See if you can find a locally adapted variety to scatter around your garden or your yard too.
9.Greek Mountain Tea: Sideritis syriaca or S. scardica | Perennial
This soft-textured plant makes a deliciously soothing tea. This herb is hard to find as a tea in stores, so homegrown may be the only way to go. Greek Mountain tea is a hardy, low-input herb. Perfect for xeriscapes and regenerative gardens.
10.Hyssop: Hyssopus officinalis | Perennial
True hyssop is a wonderful addition to a drought-resistant herb garden. The deep purple-blue flowers are quite lovely. Perfect for making tea and attracting beneficial insects.
11.Lavender - Munstead: Lavandula angustifolia | Perennial
It wouldn’t be a list of drought-tolerant plants without mentioning lavender! I've actually had this plant struggle when over-watered. Lavender thrives in dry soils and offers a profusion of fragrant blossoms for flower arrangements.
12.Lavender - Spanish: Lavandula stoechas | Perennial
The butterfly-wing tops of Spanish Lavender make it a more unique visual in the dry garden. Quite hardy through heat and drought once established.
13.Mexican Tarragon Marigold: Tagetes lucida | Prennial
Pretty yellow flowers and a spicy fragrance make Mexican Tarragon a fun addition to a culinary herb garden. It’s quite adaptable to dry growing conditions.
Buy from Strictly Medicinal Seeds
14.Monarda - Lemon Bergamont: Monarda citridoria | Perennial
Plant this purple flower in your garden and you’ll soon see why it’s also known as Bee Balm! A drought-tolerant plant, it thrives in low-water settings once established. Plus, you can make a soothing tea from this plant!
15.Mugwort: Artemisia vulgaris | Perennial
Do not plant mugwort if you live in New York, as it is an invasive species there. In my garden, I harvest mugwort blooms fully from the plant so that it does not go to seed.
Due to its persistence, mugwort offers an interesting focal point for the garden. It grows quite tall and its clusters of numerous flowers look like small white pinheads.
16.Mullein - Phoenician: Verbascum phoeniceum | Perennial
A tall visually interesting plant, mullein will thrive in dry conditions, especially this Phoenician variety. The leaves have a lambs-ear-like softeness to them. Note that the flower and height of mullein won't come on until its second year. In my garden, I cut mullein back before it goes to seed so that it doesn't get weedy. Turn into a tea, use the leaves for mulch or compost tea, and enjoy watching pollinators flock to this plant.
17.Oregano - Italian: Origanum vulgare | Perennial
A must for anyone who likes to cook, oregano is not bothered by dry soil or heat. Since I love this plant and can't get enough of it, I delight in its spreading abilities. It sends out runners like mint. If you're not so certain, plant oregano in a container. I always have bunches drying in the kitchen and am now spoiled as store-bought oregano is just not as flavorful.
18.Plantain - Narrow leaved: Plantago lanceolata | Perennial
The plantain here is a green leafy herb and not the fruit. Very drought-tolerant, and can be found in topical herbal salves. If you don’t have any plantain growing wild in your yard already, this might be an interesting addition to your dry herb garden. In my extremely dry summers, plantain still goes strong in my backyward.
Buy from Strictly Medicinal Seeds
19.Sage - Jerusalem: Phlomis russeliana | Perennial
A classic plant for Mediterranean gardens and pollinators, this is a water-wise staple. Very low maintenance and ideal for dry climates and those wanting to boost insect diversity in their backyard. Makes an excellent savory flavor for meat dishes.
20.St. John’s Wort: Hypericum perforatum | Perennial
Do not plant St. John’s Wort if you live in California, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, or Washington State, as it is considered invasive in these areas.
What you’ll notice about many of those states is that they typically have dry summers, which makes St. John’s Wort a natural for anyone looking for a drought-resilient herb garden. St. John's Wort thrives in my clay soil through wet winters and extra dry summers. Fun tip - when the blooms are at peak maturity, they will release a red liquid if you crush them on your palm!
St. John’s Wort interacts with many medications, please check with your doctor before taking.
Buy from Sow True Seed | Buy from Strictly Medicinals
21.Thyme- Varico 2: Thymus vulgaris | Perennial
A very hardy thyme variety that I’ve only seen available from Adaptive Seeds. This variety is extra productive and aromatic. Drought-hardy and essential for the culinary herb garden. I love adding thyme to homemade seasoning blends.
22.Thyme - Greater Wild: Thymus pulegioides | Perennial
A more wild and hardy variety, Stricty Medicinal recommends this plant for rockeries and for ground cover. This could make a great lawn alternative in dry climates!
Buy from Strictly Medicinal Seeds
23.Uva Ursi: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Perennial
Beautiful succulent evergreen leaves on a low growing plant with bright red berries. Prefers dry sandy soils and part shade, but also doesn’t mind wet winters in my experience. Perfect evergreen option for a dry garden or shady lawn replacement.
Buy from Strictly Medicinal Seeds
24.Valerian - Workhorse: Valeriana officinalis | Perennial
A robust variety with beautiful flowers, this water-wise herb can be made into tea or just enjoyed for its ability to attract beneficial insects to your dry garden. As Experimental Farm Network notes in their description, Valerian is known as a nutrient accumulator and is utilized in biodynamic farming for its phosphorus levels.
Buy from Experimental Farm Network
25.Wood Betony: Stachys officinalis | Perennial
One of my favorite herbs, Wood Betony thrives in both dry and wet conditions. An herb to incorporate into teas, or let the flowers attract a plethora of pollinators and butterflies. Note that it will be leafy in growth for its first year, but the blooms will come on year two and onwards. Improve germination with cold stratification.
26.Yarrow - Colorado Mix: Achillea millefolium | Perennial
A classic herbalist plant, the Colorado Mix of this plant thrives in low-water gardens. Hardy perennial that thrives in dry gardens. As Siskiyou Seeds mentions, this colorful variety adds depth to floral bouquets.
Basil - Everleaf Emerald
Basil - Mrs. Burns
Catmint
Oregano - Italian
Thyme - Varico 2
Thyme - Greater Wild
Lavender - Spanish
Mexican Tarragon Marigold
Anise Hyssop
Catnip
Echinacea
Greek Mountain Tea
Hyssop
St. John’s Wort
Valerian
Wood Betony
Catmint
Goldenrod
Mullein
Plantain
Sage
Oregano
Lavender - Munstead
Anise Hyssop
Catmint
Basil - Mrs. Burns
Thyme - Varico
Goldenrod
Echinacea
Yarrow
Lavender - Spanish
Monarda
Catmint
A garden rich with drought-proof herbs is not only a practical goal for those in arid climates - it’s also a testament to the resiliency of nature.
These hardy plants will bring beneficial insects into your garden, providing you with natural pest control and biodiversity.
Not only that, but many of these herbs can be utilized as flavoring for cooking or as teas and other herbal preparations.
Lush, productive gardens can flourish, even with limited water resources. These drought-tolerant species will help you to enjoy a variety of flavors, fragrances, and benefits in a way that is sustainable too.
