What plant doesn’t need a great deal of water? Flowers and shrubs don t require a great deal of water to survive and bloom. Even drought-tolerant plants can prosper on minimal water and need a moderate amount of water for proper growth. Knowing the kind of plant you have and what it needs will help determine how much water your plants require. This will help you choose the correct plants for your area.
Some flowers require more water than other flowers. The amount of water a plant needs will be listed on the package you get from the nursery or plant distributor. If the plant you purchase has foliage that does not produce any flowers or does not produce flowers that die out very soon after flowering you may want to try a different species. If you do decide to try another variety, you should be sure to water deeply at least twice a week in the cooler months of the year when nighttime temperatures are cooler. In the summertime the foliage may drop off during the day and require more watering than normal.
Some sun loving yellow blooms like the ephedra and barberry do not need much water at all. These plants are in the warmest of growing zones so they don t need as much water as some of the shade tolerant color varieties do. In hot areas such as Florida these plants can become water dependent if they are grown in the right type of location. Be sure to move these plants to cooler areas. Also check with the plant distributor to find out if the variety you bought is in growing zones that are in your area.
Shrubs are grown with their long straight leaves and do not need much water. These plants come in many varieties and grow well in shaded areas of the yard. The taller ones such as hibiscus will bloom full grown and may need to have their leaves trimmed regularly.
Some plants just do not need much moisture at all. These plants are hardy and survive the winter months well by storing water in the root system. These plants include the ephedra, fennel, and winter squash. These plants will thrive in dry soil, fertilizer free compost and will tolerate minimal watering.
Most perennials will need to be watered a couple of times during the first year and then no more during the second year. This is true of most shrubs except for the ones that are self-sowing such as clematis, crocus, sedum and phlox. They will need to be dug up and divided every couple of years to encourage new growth. Most of these plants can survive off of one to two inches of water. If you live in a region where droughts are a way of life, however, you will want to water these plants more often.
Some of the plants listed above are annuals, which grow quickly and have a long period of blooming. They can survive just fine even with only an inch or two of water each week during the first year. Most have a single long growing season and then have a dormant period the following year. The plant returns to its normal growth habit in the spring. In areas of heavy vegetation, such as forested land, it is better to plant a perennial that has the ability to grow for a couple of years and then just replant as needed.
To learn more about which flowering plants thrive in drought resistant rock gardens, check out our sister site, Rock And Green Gardens. This site has valuable information on growing in a variety of habitats, how plants grow and how to care for them in order to grow strong and healthy. We provide gardening information for people who are new to gardening or have never planted anything of their own.