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The Dirt On Drought Tolerant Plants DIY considers the art of xeriscaping, your water bill and some creative alternatives to the overly-thirsty grass lawn. From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-102

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	Wallflower
	Lamb's Ear Stachys byzantina
	Coreopsis verticillata

Are there drought tolerant perennials that can replace everyone's favorite flowering plants like the popular Alstroemeria or Marguerite daisies?

Yes. Consider these:

• Wallflower
  These plants produce yellow, red, pink or purple flowers throughout spring and summer.

• Lamb's Ear, Stachys byzantina
  This plant has moderate drought tolerance. It has soft foliage and grows low and spreading.

• Coreopsis verticillata, 'Moonbeam'
  This plant has fernlike foliage and tiny light yellow flowers in the summer. These work well in hanging baskets, containers or in borders.

Look for these at your local nursery or in garden catalogs:

• Flowering plum or cherry trees
  You get the added bonus of flowers with these trees and they'll match the dark maroon color of the Japanese Maples.
  

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  	Flowering cherry
  	Flowering plum

• Mimosa silk tree, Albizia julibrissin
  These have very high drought tolerance. They have delicate, lacy fern-like foliage.

• Dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides
  This tree may go into dormancy with drought, but it won't kill it. The bark is gray to slightly reddish in color and the needles are light green. The needles also turn a copper color in the fall before they drop.
  
  

When you buy a plant from the nursery, it's not ready for drought yet. It's been spoiled by its nursery pot, so it's not quite tough enough yet. It needs time to get established in your garden. Give your plants plenty of water in the beginning and make sure to plant them according to their specifications. This way, they'll grow to be strong, healthy plants and they'll be ready for that drought when it comes.

Go to next article in DIY's "Green Gardener" series.

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